Posted by SteveK on May 16, 2003 at 09:49:44:
In Reply to: What is more harmful to our ocean environment? posted by Chris on May 15, 2003 at 19:21:40:
It all depends. Spearfishing could be more harmful and here's an example.
Let twenty spearfishers go hunting and they catch an average of 25 pounds of fish each that amounts to 500 POUNDS. Take those same twenty to a sushi bar they order bowl of rice, miso soup, sake tea or beer, vegetable tempura, a California Roll, an order of Sashimi and green tea ice cream. There would be about 3 ounces of fish in the California Roll and 6 ounces in the Sashimi. Nine ounces of fish time twenty equals 11.25 pounds of fish eaten.
500 pounds vs 11.25 pounds. No question in this case spearfishing is more harmful.
With your question though, ordering swordfish maybe the most harmful if that fish was the target species for the hunt but if the swordfish was bycatch then the swordfish must be eaten rather than kill any other so called "Preferred Species" IMO.
Chris, are you really interested in the health of the ocean? With such a narrow pointed question are you trying to justify something?
Why not ask.
Why is it that our damaged ocean ecosystem here in SoCal can't support a Keystone Species like the Sea Otter?
A) Pollution
B) Fishing
C) Other Reason: Explain.