In their anti-fishing arguments, animal rights activists occasionally argue that fish consumption leads to over fishing, and if consumers would stop eating fish, this problem could be solved. In a recent op-ed for The Toronto Star, for example, Barry Kent McCay wrote,
I haven’t eaten a fish in 25 years nor caught in fish in more than 40. Extreme? Not as extreme as the damage fishing does to the only planet I have to live on.
Many environmental groups, including the World Wildlife Fund take a different view — consumption of fish is an important part of conservation efforts.
For example, in discussing the depleted cod stocks in the United Kingdom, a recent report by the WWF said,
Not eating fish would only encourage a spiral of decline. Instead, we should aim at supporting our fishing communities and the wider marine environment by continuing to eat fish and by making informed decisions about the fish we choose.
The WWF does have a number of recommendations for consumers, including avoiding immature fish, buying locally caught fish to support local fishing industries, and buying farmed fish that is reared in open sea conditions.
But contrary to some animal rights activists, abandoning fish consumption would be a counterproductive strategy that would likely lead to deterioration of fisheries.
Source:
Eat a fish, save a species. The BBC, July 12, 2001.
There aren’t plenty of fish in the sea anymore. Barry Kent MacKay, The Toronto Starr, July 8, 2001.