Overfishing

In 1970 - the same year that saw the birth of Earth Day - a simple but comprehensive Act was signed into law that would forever alter the federal regulatory process. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) established a national policy to protect the environment, calling for government agencies to consider environmental impacts in all decisions that it made.

As promised on Monday, a post devoted to Taras Grescoe’s Bottomfeeder, which I just finished reading.

I’ve heard Grescoe called the “Michael Pollan for the oceans,” and I think that designation is pretty accurate. They are both compelling writers -- Pollan deals with the land and how it feeds us (and how we treat it in return), and Grescoe does the same for the oceans.

It appears that jellyfish have invaded not just the oceans but the media, too.

Last week I told you about our marine scientist Margot Stiles' cameo on the CBS Early Show to talk about the jellyfish invasion. They aired a longer version of the story Sunday evening -- check it out. They included quite a bit of footage from our European office of jellyfish and our roving catamaran, the Ranger.

My friends and family have noticed that in the past few months, especially since I started reading Taras Grescoe’s new book Bottomfeeder, I’ve become a sustainable seafood evangelist. (More on that book at a later date, it deserves its own post.) “Is that farmed salmon?” I’ll ask, or, eyeing some frozen shrimp, “Do you know where those come from?” In fact, I ought to tone it down a notch – otherwise I have a feeling people are going to stop inviting me out for meals.

In the famed Tokyo fish market, a single Bluefin tuna can fetch $100,000.

This morning the CBS Early Show featured our marine scientist Margot Stiles in a segment about this summer's preponderance of jellyfish. Why all the jellies? Suspected reasons include the overfishing and bycatch of their predators, such as the loggerhead sea turtle, tuna and swordfish, as well as pollution and global warming.

Yesterday was a definitely a sad day for the oceans.

Callum Roberts, author of the excellent tome "The Unnatural History of the Sea," has tackled the nexus of ecology and economy in his blog on the Island Press website. Rising fuel costs, it seems, may be a blessing for stressed fish stocks now that many fishing ships can no longer afford to travel long distances for their catch.

I was inspired to write about this issue after reading an essay in Harper's about the fallibility of Gross Domestic Product. But Roberts introduces some concrete facts to put this all in perspective.

"If cod, haddock or flounder find their way onto your plate, the fuel cost of catching them was a third to a half of the weight of your fillet," he writes. "If line caught swordfish or tuna are your favourites, the fuel burnt to catch them was roughly equal to the weight of your fish portion."

Yikes. Fishermen are already protesting high fuel costs, and demand additional government subsidies to cover the difference.

Here at Oceana, we already know fuel subsidies are a bad idea. The fishing industry has depended on $20 billion in government handouts long before fuel costs skyrocketed. Thankfully our Cut the Bait team is already on the case, working hard at the World Trade Organization to ensure that subsidies don't increase - and that fish populations around the world get a much-needed rest.

Tuesday I watched as the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Shark Conservation Act of 2008. This legislation will require all sharks to be landed with their fins still naturally attached in all U.S. waters. Current laws only require fins and carcasses to be landed in a specific ratio, which does not allow for proper enforcement or data collection.

This time of year, people flock to the beach - and whisper rumors of shark attacks. As a good Oceana reader knows, shark attacks are incredibly rare, and sharks have much more to fear from humans than vice versa. I've written a column about sharks and beaches for Away.com that you can read here. Don't miss my first column for Away.com on nesting sea turtles.