Swimming In Circles: a book review

Hey gang. You know for many years I've been a strong proponent of aquaculture and, being of an entrepreneurial spirit, I even imagined that some day in the future I would start an inland hatchery and open ocean aquaculture farm of my own perhaps after spending some time in the industry. I knew what this book was about, and I chose it with a skeptical eye, and ready to criticize every misnomer or over statment I found. Aquaculture after all has brought us as consumers cheap, reliable, consistent sea food for the taking, and has filled the gap left by the aggressive, poorly regulated, fisheries industry that has ravaged so many wild populations in the last 40 years, and continues to do so. I found no bones to pick about this story/documentary.
In fact, one of the most over exploited fisheries are pilchard and sardines. More than 70% of these oceanic minnows are processed into fish meal for aquacultural feeds. Although vegetable protein alternatives are being used and continuously developed the author, Paul Molyneaux, cautions us not to place too much faith in technology, as it has show to be in many instances, too little too late (there are numerous illustrations of this throughout the book).
This book focuses on much more than the overexploitation of wild stocks, although it is a staple theme throughout this writing. Paul grew up and worked among fishing fleets some 30 years ago, and in the aquaculture industry too before becoming a journalist. He paints a picture of stark realities, the chronologies of which are unordered but rather come together in your mind as you read these 300 some pages of stories and issues feverishly in just two days. Paul tells us about the failures of legislators and the collapse of traditional fisheries in New England and New Brunswick and of the displacement of artesenal fishermen throughout western Mexico, and of entrepreneurs throughout both regions that are lured by the promise of aquaculture whom are ultimately swallowed up by multinational aquaculture corporations when the markets are flooded and prices fall.
But there's more than the concern of population dynamics and human price to the equation, he highlights ecological issues of aquaculture; from bethnic degradation, eutrophication, and genetic pollution, to disease persistence, genetic (trans gene) modification, and vaccinations. Ultimately, although it is not the end of the book, the climax of the story is where Paul attacks the economic model that the system is built upon, and invokes eco-economics as the yard stick by which our abuse of natural resources should be measured. This chapter should not be overlooked by anyone! Even skeptics will be moved by this rational, and economists the world over certainly know its premise cannot be refuted.
Paul talks to many industry representatives, professionals, laborers, entrepreneurs, organizations, board members and legislators, on both the wild fisheries and aquaculture sides of the topic, and finds neither the victor. He certainly reveals some peculiar attitudes and agendas. Although it is a short 5 or 6 page portion, he does talk to Russ Allen, proponent of intensive recirculating aquaculture and champions his method to be sustainable and responsible, although impractical as long as traditional aquaculture pens and ponds are allowed to operate and flood the market with cheaper sea food given the lack of overhead these operations maintain as compared to intensive endeavors. 
In short, I invite anybody with an appetite for aquacultural alternatives, environmental interests, or economic aversion to read this book.
PS: I do not loan my books out lol, pick it up at Amazon used from 6 bucks, it's worth it!
-ANdy Long

 

That's perfectly related to what I'm talking about, and both of these topics are of special interest to us reef aquarium keepers as stewards of both our own live stock and issues facing wild populations of both tropical and temperate species. There is a very good video called "End of the Line," that talks about the tradgety of the Bluefin. Some statistics; fisheries biologist suggest an annual quota of 14,000 tons to sustain current stocks, 9,000 to help stocks to recover, the council set an annual quota of 25,000 tons, and due to a lack of enforcement an estimated 60,000 tons are fished each year. Sad.