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TAKING CARE OF MOTHER EARTH:
Alaskan Salmon—How to Manage Sustainably
Alaska has led the way in its management of wild salmon. The state constitution
mandates that all fish (including salmon) must be utilized and maintained
on a sustainable basis. Back in 1959 the state took over the management
of salon fisheries, which had been in step decline prior to that time.
As a result it has become a model for fisheries management around the
world. The state takes advantage of the anadromous behavior of the salmon,
which allows them to observe, count and closely monitor the fish. The
prime goal of the state’s fisheries managers is to ensure that sufficient
numbers of adult spawning salmon escape capture so that they are allowed
to return to their natal stream. This insures and maintains the long-term
health of the stocks. This policy which is known as "fixed escapement" insures
that each species can be monitored in-season to maintain the long-term
health of the stocks no matter what is happening environmentally such
as El Nino conditions. As a result commercial harvest fluctuates year
to year. Unlike many fishes in other parts of the world, no Alaska salmon
are threatened or endangered.
All Alaskan salmon are wild. There are no fish farms in Alaska. In order to protect
the wild stock from potential problems, salmon farming was prohibited by the
Alaska legislature in 1990.
Ecological Concerns About Farming
SalmonSalmon and other fish farming also can promote significant ecological problems. This is not to say that all seafood farming is bad—it’s not. The issue is whether it is being approached sustainably. As consumers we have a right to know. To illustrate this point: “The excreta from one large British Columbia fish farm are estimated to equal the sewage of a city of ten thousand people—all of it flowing straight into the surrounding waters, fouling nearby clam beds and other sea habitat, at too high a concentration to be assimilated easily by natural forces . . . Salmon excreta are one reason that environmental activists are pushing for fish to be raised only in closed systems, allowing the wastes to be treated before being discharged into the water.” Salmon Nation, Ecotrust.
The Importance of “Ethical Food”
Links for more information on seafood sustainability
The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s
Seafood Watch Consumer Guide can be downloaded at this site
The Environmental Protection
Agency posts advisories on all kinds of fish and recommendations on both
what to eat and what not to at
Sea Web is a non-profit public
education organization whose aim is to raise awareness of the ocean and the life
within it
Aquaculture Network
Information Agency includes a comprehensive list of links and organizations
Environmental
Defense Fund has a list called “Which fish is best?” plus other
data
The Seafood
Choices Alliance is a free subscriber service providing current
information on environmental issues in the seafood industry. It includes
the Seasense database, a handy tool in making sustainable seafood choices.
The National
Audubon Society is active in supporting sustainable practices and
publishes a beautiful and informative book called “The Seafood
Lover's Almanac.”