American supermarkets have an abundance of options from every food group; however, much of the food is going to waste. As I was walking through Kroger with my mother, I came across the seafood section. There were three workers taking out the expired fish on display, throwing buckets and buckets of shrimp and salmon into the trash. At this moment, I came to a realization: America has become a wasteland of discarded food. Watching this made me wonder about how many other grocery stores are throwing out their excess dead fish, and how much? If the bulk of fish taken from the ocean is not actually being taken home and eaten, then why do we fish as much as we do?
Overfishing is a major issue in our world since we have gone so far to dispose of the majority of the fish we catch. Time magazine points out this sad truth when stating, “Almost half of the edible seafood in the United States goes to waste as result of inefficiencies and consumer refuse, according to new research” (Time). Beef and chicken production have also become equally corrupt. Currently there is not enough arable land for meat production to continue growing; therefore, we need an alternative: fish. Taking action on the management of fisheries is necessary to prevent overfishing and feed millions of starving people. Fish are the most sustainable and nutritious source of protein for humans. If we continue to overfish and waste, we will lose a major food source, and, more importantly, kill off several species. If our community begins to regulate fisheries and protect the oceans, there will be another healthy source of protein to those in need. The more we continue to overfish certain populations without any regulation, the less access we will have to healthy fish.
Not only will overfishing affect overall food production, but it also has a negative impact on the ocean and the food chain, which will later affect the rest of the world. We are currently able to feed 450 million people with fish, and this number could increase to 700 million if people are able to bring fisheries back by setting quotas on how much is taken from the ocean, reducing accidental fishing and killing of animals that the fishermen do not intend to catch, and protecting habitats for reproduction. Protecting the ecosystem and feeding people around the world should go hand in hand. Fish could become a healthy, sustainable, and cost efficient source of protein for people as long as there are set quotas and limits.The ecosystem and people of the world cannot afford to waste and overfish as much as we currently are.
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