Industrial Vs Farmed Fishing

In his book, “Eating Animals” Jonathan Safran Foer talks about the implications of stories about food. In this essay, we will comprehensively and critically discuss the implications of Industrial fishing and contrast them with those of farmed fishing in the United States of America. In the United States of America, the fish industry gets its special fishing rights off the 370 kilometers of the exclusive economic zone. The exclusive economic zone is a special zone in the sea that under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea which a nation has rights over the exploration and exploitation of marine resources. The zone covers 11. The major players in the industry not only large corporations but some small families also. Due to changing conditions the industry has had to adapt so as to keep earning profits.

This adaptation has led to the threatening of the marine ecosystems sustainability. The industry is of economic importance to the United States of America as in 2015 it generated approximately 208 billion dollars in sales and other related activities. It also provided about three million jobs in the entire United States of America thus promoting wealth creation and improving standards of livings. These high mortality rates are connected to the high risks that affect industrial fishermen (Kincl et al. , A69-A70). Most of them usually work a 21-hour shift therefore fatigue is high among them. Furthermore, the adverse weather conditions expose them to severe risk of injury or even death. Moreover, the fishermen deal with sophisticated and dangerous equipment thus they are more likely to injure themselves if they do not adequately handle the equipment.

Furthermore, it helps boost the economy as it is a billion dollar industry. In addition to that, it helps satisfy the demand for food especially food rich in protein. Moreover, seafood is healthier than red meat, therefore, it promotes a healthier lifestyle in the United States of America by providing an alternative to meat. However industrial fishing has some disadvantages. Chief among them being seriously depleting aquatic and marine populations if not regulated effectively. As a supplementary measure people have resolved to engage in fish farming to boost the amount of fish produced as well as meet the demands of the markets. Over the last few years, fish farming has achieved a milestone in contribution to the human diet by surpassing the production of farmed beef.

According to recent statistics, people in the recent times consume more farmed fish as compared to wild fish Fish farming also referred to as pisciculture is categorized under intensive aquaculture. It is associated with controlled environments that have optimal water parameters to allow fish to thrive and be increased or reduced at will. There are several types of fish species that can be reared under fish farming (Litzow et al. This form of fish farming is mostly applied in small-scale fish farming practices and involves the digging of small ditches or ponds, which are then lined with clay and then molded to ensure water retention and usually connected to a system of the above-ground irrigation. For small ponds, the fish are fed mainly on commercial feeds.

In relatively larger ponds, water plants and algae grow to form food for the fish in addition to the commercial feeds given. On a larger scale, however, the ponds grow fish foods and even produce introduced fish strains. In these ponds, water quality is highly controlled and the pH levels controlled to ensure the fish survive. Fish farming also enables the process of rearing fish to be practiced in areas that cannot support natural fish habitation such as the arid areas. By practicing fish farming, people are able to salvage diminishing wild fish populations, provide a reliable supply of fish, and benefit the people who engage in the venture financially. On the flipside, however, fish farming has its own disadvantages. Not only does the practice of fish farming pose a threat of overfishing but also greatly contributes to the diminishing number of certain species of fish globally.