Don’t Plan on Fresh Fish in your Survival Shelter

HolisticSurvival.comYes, we have no more fish. Actually, we do still have fish but a joint study by the University of British Columbia and the National Geographic Society has concluded that the level of commercial fishing around the globe now exceeds the lower food chain’s ability to keep our scaled friends well fed. Which leads us to conclude that the ever-popular MRE choice, Salmon Surprise, might not be available for Friday Fish Night in the survival shelter.

Taken by itself, this doesn’t mean that we’re going to wake up tomorrow to find the last fish in history stuffed and mounted in the Smithsonian for all to ponder with sad remembrance. What it does mean is that current fishing practices are unsustainable, judging from this single report. To arrive at this conclusion, the researchers took a unique approach and looked at the tiny organisms that comprise the bottom of the food chain and upon which the most popular commercially harvested fish feed. By analyzing the amount necessary to support fishing from 1950 to 2005, the study concluded that, at the rate of historical increases in demand, there is not enough food to feed our soon to be sushi – fied brethren from the deep.

But the family sitting in their survival shelter after TEOTWAWKI would like to raise an issue to our esteemed scientific pals, if they can stop ringing the death knell for the world’s aquaculture long enough to listen. We specifically remember Ted Danson claiming in the 1980’s that the world would run out oil before the year 2000. We’ve been hearing about the disappearance of the rainforests for decades as well. It seems that Mother Nature always figures out a way to thwart our best attempts at self-destruction or foolish behavior.

The process of capitalism will take care of the problem. Commercial fishing boomed during the 1980’s and 1990’s, and has seen a gradual decline ever since. When fish are harder to find, people leave the industry and find something else to do, leaving fewer fisherman on the seas, and fewer fish on the market.

And in case Mr. Danson is reading, some day, when we have a viable widespread alternative to fossil fuels for our cars, the demand will subside and you’ll no longer need to keep throwing your little hissy fit about how we’re ruining the planet. We only wish we were powerful enough to do that. So don’t worry, Mr. and Mrs. End of the World sitting in your survival shelter. There will still be fish in the creek down the hill when you need them.

The Holistic Survival Team

HolisticSurvival.com

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