AMERICAN CATCH

Blue Ocean Institute fellow Greenberg (Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food, 2010, etc.) offers an optimistic perspective on the connection between preserving our salt marshes and restoring America's offshore seafood production.

The author presents three illustrative case studies: the effort to bring oysters back to our Eastern shores, the threat to Alaska's wild salmon industry from mining interests, and the effect of globalization on Gulf Coast shrimp. The importance of maintaining and extending our salt marshes is an accepted tenet of environmentalists, but the importance of seafood in maritime ecology is frequently overlooked—e.g., reducing pollution, creating buffers against flooding and more. Greenberg explains why fishing is not merely an extractive enterprise; it plays a critical role in maintaining the health of waterways and marshes, as well as furthering the establishment of “economically viable waterfront communities, and good, healthful food.” The author suggests that one reason Americans do not prioritize protecting fish resources, such as Alaskan wild salmon, is that seafood no longer is a major component of the national diet, despite its known health value. Enlisting the consumer as an advocate for expanding the fishing industry on our home turf can make the difference between relative apathy and passionate advocacy. Greenberg describes the ongoing efforts of young volunteers to rejuvenate East Coast oyster production in New York and New Jersey. Not only is this an effort to recapture nature's bounty at some future date; it is also an immediate resource for cleaning the polluted waters. He explains how oyster reproduction depends on the buildup of reefs made of discarded shells, and he chronicles current efforts to replicate these artificially. He also shows how the shrimp industry in Louisiana operates in a global market and offers a historical perspective on the early role of Chinese immigrants in developing an Asian market for dried shrimp.

A fascinating discussion of a multifaceted issue and a passionate call to action.