The double entendre of the keys analogy is an excellent one. Yes, consumers should go where the light shines brightest (and no wrongdoing is found). But it's also true that so-called "activists" tend to flock to places where the least amount of work needs to be done—where the light is already shining, and all surfaces are clean. We saw this with Sea Legacy starting their campaign against drifting gill nets in California swordfish fisheries after this method had already been banned. When Valentine Thomas JD and I reached out (collegially) to inquire, "Hey guys, the battle has been won, why not focus on drifting gill nets decimating yellowfin tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean?" the initial response was, "That's not really winnable. We need to focus on low-hanging fruit." What? The fruit has already been picked? They then followed up by promoting Seaspiracy, which has irreparably damaged seafood markets and brought the industry to the brink. Was the intent to declare victory over something that 1. had already been resolved, 2. with none of your own effort, to 3. claim victory over battles you had no part in winning, and 4. trot this out to "impact investors" to finance your next year’s budget? Deeply problematic, to say the least.
It's incontrovertible that the changing abundance and density of fish stocks is attributable to anthropogenic causes—but even NOAA's most sophisticated scientists, who have historically been at painful and public odds with the fishing industry, admit that these anthropogenic causes are due to climate change, not overfishing.
We are called to do the hard work—to shine the light in dark spaces and reduce human impacts. Paradoxically, eating more Wild Alaska Pollock and other blue foods (which have 97% less carbon footprint than herd beef, as proven in third-party life cycle assessments) actually helps achieve this. We also have to face the Darwinian reality we’ve always lived in and prioritize protecting natural resources that can adapt as quickly as the world and climate are changing. The most recent stock assessments show Wild Alaska Pollock is underfished and increasing in abundance. That is a rare story worth elevating, one that could unify a broad-based coalition toward its protection. As Senator Dan Sullivan highlighted during his comments at the GAPP meeting, the first step is for the Marine Stewardship Council to remove the irresponsible certification of Russian seafood products, which pose a threat to democracy and the environment. There is much more work to be done, but we rightfully expect the loudest voices on environmental progress to be minimally invested in actually making that progress.
#wehavethereceipts #sdg14 #commonsense #fisheries #wildakpollock #sustainableseafood #partnershipsforthegoals #sustainabledevelopment #eatmorefish
“No other pollock fishery in the world approaches this level of transparency, scientific research or surveillance.”
Since its inception more than 40 years ago, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council has become a global model of transparent, participatory fisheries management. The entire process and the fishery’s impact on its surrounding marine ecosystem are open to public scrutiny and participation at every step. More: https://bit.ly/4eMmVZr
(Cr: Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers and the At-Sea Processors Association)
People will come and make excuses, but our efforts to stop them will remain continue.