All I can say is "Saltwater wells in my eyes" if they are right.

Thanks to Julian Lennon for the song

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061102/ts_al...ng_061102223843

I am not surprised to hear this. Wal-Mart is one of the biggest culprits in that they sell cheap seafood by creating large seafood farms in the Oceans and scooping out large areas of the ocean's sea creatures, especially off the coast of South America. And if you do not believe me then you are ^%$&. I read a book recently about Wal-Mart and how their efficiency squeezes their suppliers profits. Seafood is one of the most eaten food since most people tend to eat more meat than vegetables. And this is not just my personal opinion but a known fact. Even Europeans eat less meat than we do here in America. And I am sure that some of you have heard that Obesity is now considered a disease that has many consequences on not just our health but the economy because of healthcare costs, etc.. Okay, I will step off the soapbox for now. But if you are interested in the destruction of our seas, land and our Air because of mankind's practices do some research about it and you will learn a lot. w:

You are correct Tony. I want to know what you think about this, because your wife is a Vegan she would(although I know she doesn't touch any of it) as well as you follow the statistics on seafood. When I was a vegetarian I found quite a few people who called themselves vegetarians although they ate seafood. I know you and your wife would know further details and perhaps the research numbers that edible seafood is declining so fast because not only are omnivores and "vegetarians" eating seafood but the increase in population combined with increased lower income percentages. Does this make sense?

Great story. It was on the news last night. I'm glad you put it up. All though I don't care for seafood too many people do. I spent last year watching The Deadlest Catch on Discovery and was amazed at the amount of Alaskan crab that was brought up by all of the ships. I fail to see how they can not know they are depleting the ocean's resources to a dangerous level. I know there are limits to how much they can catch but the limits need to be lowered. t:

Aquaculture--fish farming--is not without its drawbacks, but I think there's some confusion about its effect on the sea food industry and the danger to ocean life.

Fish farms are not outcompeting wild species of fish. If anything, the simple fact that it is easier and cheaper to harvest farmed fish will ultimately make open ocean fisheries no longer cost effective. The reality is that fish farms may just give the ocean enough of a break for some of these species to recover.

Overfishing is not the whole problem however. Ocean species are going to face an upstream battle as climate change alters the fundamental nature of the ocean itself.

It is worth noting that there are many misconceptions about sea food in our diets. While it is true that certain fish are an excellent source of essential fatty acids, nearly all seafood, including farm grown fish, are full of chemical pollutants, including mercury. The reason for this is something called bio-magnification; as you get further down the food chain, the level of toxicity in an organism increases. Because most of the seafood we eat is a secondary or tertiary consumer (a primary consumer is an animal species that eats only plants. A secondary consumer eats primary consumers, etc.) the amount of poison in their muscle tissue increases exponentially. In a recent experiment published in National Geographic, a test subject consumed two meals of halibut and swordfish, and his blood level of mercury more than doubled to well above the CDC's established toxic level. Incidentally, bio-magnification is also a problem with other meat sources as cattle-growers et. al. add supplemental animal protein to cattle feed.

The vegans among us are certainly onto something--they're all skinny and they'e going to live longer, but even for us die hards who reason that "If God didn't want us to eat meat, he wouldn't have made the critters taste so good" a balanced diet is certainly advisable.

In my experience, there's always more to the story than the first thing you hear, and it is certainly worth taking the time to do some research and get all the facts. Fish farming is a prime example. It has its supporters and its detractors, but oftimes it is the fishing industry that is the source of negative press because fish farming will put many fisherman out of business. It is an unfortunate turn of events for a means of livelihood that has existed from antiquity, but whether it is fish farms or species depletion and extinction, I think we may all have to get used to the idea that ocean fishing will soon be a thing of the past.

You are always so well informed Sean. I am glad that I don't eat fish. I really don't care to have mercury in my system. I know there are many other pollulants in our foods weather it is land or ocean food. It's hard to know what to eat anymore. I guess it's "bring on the junk food" :lol: :lol: w:

Thanks for posting this for me, Julie!

I hope that fishfarms do indeed give the oceans a break (as Sean suggested) and hopefully also create less toxic seafood. However, the oceans (and freshwater lakes) will not get much of a break if we continue to pollute them as we do. Mercury and toxins are not the only problem; fertilizer run-off and thermal pollution contribute to the disruption of ecosystems as well.