2048: The end of fish?

Writing for the AFP news service, reporter Lawrence Bartlett recently took a look at Taiwan's regional neighbor Hong Kong and the results were enough of an alarm that everyone who enjoys seafood should be concerned. Owing to pollution and over-fishing, Hong Kong's waters, once home to a stunning amount of high-quality fish and other seafood, are now barren. Hong Kong, once a seafood paradise, now imports 90% of its seafood. In fact, Bartlett points out the amazingly disturbing fact that in Hong Kong there are actually more live fish swimming in the thousands of restaurant seafood tanks than there are in the surrounding waters.

Located just an hour or so by plane away from Taiwan, Hong Kong's experience is an early-warning indicator that — if not heeded — could spell the end of global seafood. Much of Hong Kong's problem is pollution. Eco-tourism group Hong Kong Dolphinwatch claims that as much as 450,000 cubic meters of only semi-processed raw sewage is directly dumped into the Hong Kong harbor on a daily basis. To bring things home, the group says this figure represents the same amount as 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools! Couple this number with sewage and pollution floating down from mainland China and it's clear that Hong Kong's waters are essentially done for.

Geographically, Taiwan is an island but that old adage “No man is an island” remains true for people and nations alike. Taiwan has also poisoned its waters to the degree that formerly rich in sea life areas such as Kenting are now grey-colored ghosts of their former selves. But, despite all of these conditions, you've probably noticed that it's still very easy to get seafood at any local restaurant in China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. This is because as soon as one area of the ocean empties out, advanced fishing fleets simply move on to the next spot. Even a very young child can figure out that this strategy isn't sustainable.

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