[Maaja]

Maaja asked the Naked Scientists:

Is it ethical to eat and buy shrimp? Where is the intelligent consumer to begin when we buy fish to eat?

I would love an episode [of the podcast] dedicated to what we can do to make life sustainable for ocean creatures and why this is important.

What do you think?

[chris]

Hi Maaja

Good point. I think marine reserves are the way to go:

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/news/news/1408/

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/articles/article/helencolumn.htm/

They are consistently being shown to have a significant regenerative effect on fish communities, and will almost certainly have a role to play in future sustainable marine exploitation.

Chris

[DoctorBeaver]

What about North Sea fish stocks?

[sarah cp]

Over 70% of fish stocks around the world are overexploited. Shrimp is often particularly bad as it is trawled for. Trawling massively damages the sea bed - around 50% of the sea bed is wiped clear every year by trawlers. Considering that this is actually a very fragile and biodiverse area, that's like clear felling a rainforest!

Essentially the sad fact is that is it unethical to buy almost all sorts of fish. Even farmed fish has its problems as many such as salmon are fed on fish-meal from ocean caught and overexploited fish. They can also spread parasites.

If you really don't want to give up eating fish, then you can use your power as a consumer to demand the sale of sustainably caught fish - look for the Marine Stewardship Council logo. Also ask in restaurants where their fish is from and if it's sustainably caught. The more demand there is for sustainably caught fish, the more likely it is that retailers will respond.

[blakestyger]

Also ask in restaurants where their fish is from and if it's sustainably caught.

I once overheard a diner ask where his mussels had come from. "Thetford" replied the waiter.

It's nice to think that restaurants are sourcing responsibly but the truth might be that it's from where things are cheapest.

[Make it Lady]

If you like eating fish, get your rod and go down to the river.