Rányrkja útgerðarfyrirtækja á uppsjávarfiski undan ströndum Írlands til að selja í fóður fyrir fiskeldi hefur kollvarpað lífríkinu með víðtækum hörmulegum afleiðingum.
Í laxeldi þarf mun fleiri kíló af villtum fiski en verða til af eldislaxi framleiðslunni. Laxeldi er þannig ekki fæðuframleiðslukerfi heldur beinlínis fæðuminnkunnarkerfi á heimsvísu.
Sjókvíaeldi mengar umhverfið, skaðar lífríkið og minnkar framboð próteins í fæðukeðju heimsins.
The Guardian fjallar um áhrif sjókvíaeldisins á hvalaskoðun:
A whale-watching company has abandoned tours off Ireland’s southern Atlantic coast and declared the waters an empty, lifeless sea.
Colin Barnes, who ran Cork Whale Watch, announced he was closing the company because overfishing of sprat has disrupted the marine food chain and diverted humpback, minke and fin whales as well as dolphins.
“Sadly, our world-class whale watching is now a thing of the past,” Barnes said in a post this week. “A small number of greedy fishermen with huge trawlers have overfished the sprats to the point of near extinction. There is nothing left for the whales to prey upon so they have moved on in search of prey elsewhere.”
The company, based in the coastal village of Unionhall, had thrived for most of its 25 years, but only a few minke whales and small groups of dolphins now appeared in its search area, he said. “Over the last couple of years our trips have become totally disappointing. In this light I am truly sad to say we are closing down for good.”
..Demand for fishmeal from fish farms has dramatically increased the fishing of sprats, a small, sardine-like fish that plays a crucial role in the maritime food chain.
Mark Gannon, who runs Atlantic Whale and Wildlife Tours from Courtmacsherry, 22 miles east of Unionhall, said the number of whales and dolphins had plummeted since large trawlers began scooping up sprat. “It’s a devastating form of fishing. It’s like a farmer taking all the grass out of his fields and expecting his cows to thrive.” …