Aqua-calypse/Aqua-Collapse

(Below: A factory fishing vessel scours a remote Antarctic bay.)

Terri Gross' producers find her the most interesting, and occasionally terrifying guests. Earlier this week, she interviewed author/scientist Daniel Pauly, who had some really dreadful news about the consequences of over-fishing, and not mererly the fisheries we know are damaged. My pal Suzanne in Maine posted the link on her FB page (DOTOF™). An examplary quote?:

...Alaska pollock, as you may know, it's the biggest single species fisheries in the world, except for the Peruvian anchovy, of which more later. And Alaska pollock, the stock is declining now, rapidly. And there will be a problem with the large firms that produce this fish, to get white fish of - in sufficient amount or sufficient quality to maintain this consumption. Also, you must realize that only a few markets have this fish.

The U.S. imports 80 percent of the fish that is consumed in the U.S., so the European Union. In the European Union, the fish all - is all imported from elsewhere. An elsewhere is mainly Africa and the South Pacific and Antarctica. So, our local waters in Europe and in North America are not supplying the markets anymore.

This is a really depressing story, because it suggests that we humans have probably destroyed the existing ecosystem in the largest environmental organ on the planet. Add to that the fact that there is not a single fish in any stream, pond, or lake which does NOT contain toxic levels of heavy metals (mercury, etc), and you cannot dismiss the claim that it is due to our own hubris and ego that

WE ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO FUCKED!