An Aquiculture of Calamity
Thoughts on a presentation we had today in Environmental Studies.
I hate economics. Whenever I say that, my friends who are in economics get angry with me and say that I don't understand or whatever. But it's true. I hate economics. Economics runs the world, and it's running the world into destruction.
Today in environmental studies, we had a guest speaker come in and talk to us about aquiculture. I really didn't know much about it, but it was a very good talk.
Aquiculture is a construct of economics. At least for the most part. We deplete fish stalks and then we need bigger boats and better equipment to go farther out to sea to catch fish. But then we have to catch more because of the loans we had to take out to pay for the boat and equioment. So then we deplete the fish further, and have to get bigger boats and better equipment. This pronciple is called Ludwig's Ratchet, and it's disgusting. So we no longer have enough fish... ok, aquiculture. That will solve our problems. But it doesn't. Since the birth of aquiculture, the price of fish has been steadily decresing due to the gluts of fish on the market. But this doesn't feed more people, it only allows the people with money to consume more. And the traditional farmers have to catch more fish because their catch it worth less and less.
One interesting stat we were given
Number of people who will starve to death this year in the world: 60 000 000
Number of people who could be fed if North Americans reduced their meat consumption by 10%: 60 000 000.
But that's getting into other issues. Back to aquiculture and economics.
Fish farms on the coast of British Columbia produce Atlantic Salmon. Why? Well, it's a long story (ask me and I'll tell you) but basically it's because of an international marketing campaign sponsored by the Norweigens that Atlantic Salmon is the best. And note, all the BC salmon farms are Norweigen owned. Now, we have had the technology to make escape-proof pens for years. No fish could get out of one of these contraptions. But you know what? They're expensive. In fact, their so expensive, that it's more cost effective to build leakey fences and allow some of the fish to escape. The fish aren't worth enough. So what does that mean? We have thousand or millions of Atlantic Salmon let loose each year in the Pacific Ocean. Um... something is wrong here. Not only are these fish the wrong species, they also have the not so fortunate history of being a farmed fish, and therefore have higher toxin counts and antibiotics. But on the the next issue.
Sea lice. Sea lice attach to salmon and eat them alive, basically. They reproduce by making new little lice who get dropped from the host fish and must find a new host within three days. In the ocean, this is hightly unlikely. But in a pen with 1.5 million salmon? 100%. And so the lice spreads, fast. And produces more lice. And these lice make a cloud that the wild baby salmon have to travel through on their way to the ocean. Needless to say, a lot don't make it. And you know what's worse? Because of how BC's coast is set up, it's more cost effective to cluster the farms together. So the lice spreads and spreads. In the next few years, it will likely be a huge problem.
I totally admit that this discussion is one sided. I have not looked into any literature in favour of farm salmon. However, I find this information pretty compelling. And now they are talking about making computerized pens that float around in the ocean and arrive miraculously at the shores of the city that ordered them. Is it just me or does this whole process sound really stupid? Almost science fiction? If we want to save the fisheries, we have to go back to way things USED to be, not compound our problems with new, who-knows-what-will-happen technology. Mother Nature is one smart cookie. She knows what she's doing. Lets not mess with her.
I hate economics. Whenever I say that, my friends who are in economics get angry with me and say that I don't understand or whatever. But it's true. I hate economics. Economics runs the world, and it's running the world into destruction.
Today in environmental studies, we had a guest speaker come in and talk to us about aquiculture. I really didn't know much about it, but it was a very good talk.
Aquiculture is a construct of economics. At least for the most part. We deplete fish stalks and then we need bigger boats and better equipment to go farther out to sea to catch fish. But then we have to catch more because of the loans we had to take out to pay for the boat and equioment. So then we deplete the fish further, and have to get bigger boats and better equipment. This pronciple is called Ludwig's Ratchet, and it's disgusting. So we no longer have enough fish... ok, aquiculture. That will solve our problems. But it doesn't. Since the birth of aquiculture, the price of fish has been steadily decresing due to the gluts of fish on the market. But this doesn't feed more people, it only allows the people with money to consume more. And the traditional farmers have to catch more fish because their catch it worth less and less.
One interesting stat we were given
Number of people who will starve to death this year in the world: 60 000 000
Number of people who could be fed if North Americans reduced their meat consumption by 10%: 60 000 000.
But that's getting into other issues. Back to aquiculture and economics.
Fish farms on the coast of British Columbia produce Atlantic Salmon. Why? Well, it's a long story (ask me and I'll tell you) but basically it's because of an international marketing campaign sponsored by the Norweigens that Atlantic Salmon is the best. And note, all the BC salmon farms are Norweigen owned. Now, we have had the technology to make escape-proof pens for years. No fish could get out of one of these contraptions. But you know what? They're expensive. In fact, their so expensive, that it's more cost effective to build leakey fences and allow some of the fish to escape. The fish aren't worth enough. So what does that mean? We have thousand or millions of Atlantic Salmon let loose each year in the Pacific Ocean. Um... something is wrong here. Not only are these fish the wrong species, they also have the not so fortunate history of being a farmed fish, and therefore have higher toxin counts and antibiotics. But on the the next issue.
Sea lice. Sea lice attach to salmon and eat them alive, basically. They reproduce by making new little lice who get dropped from the host fish and must find a new host within three days. In the ocean, this is hightly unlikely. But in a pen with 1.5 million salmon? 100%. And so the lice spreads, fast. And produces more lice. And these lice make a cloud that the wild baby salmon have to travel through on their way to the ocean. Needless to say, a lot don't make it. And you know what's worse? Because of how BC's coast is set up, it's more cost effective to cluster the farms together. So the lice spreads and spreads. In the next few years, it will likely be a huge problem.
I totally admit that this discussion is one sided. I have not looked into any literature in favour of farm salmon. However, I find this information pretty compelling. And now they are talking about making computerized pens that float around in the ocean and arrive miraculously at the shores of the city that ordered them. Is it just me or does this whole process sound really stupid? Almost science fiction? If we want to save the fisheries, we have to go back to way things USED to be, not compound our problems with new, who-knows-what-will-happen technology. Mother Nature is one smart cookie. She knows what she's doing. Lets not mess with her.