Details from American Catch by Paul Greenburg
More than 85% of the seafood we eat is imported
Alaska, all by itself, could supply America with all the fish it could ever need but we are trading it away. Why? Farmed fish is cheap; wild is more expensive
Throughout the 20th century the American oyster industry plummeted to 1% of historical capacity. But now with the Clean Water Act backing it up, East Coast oyster farming is up to about 14% of capacity. And it’s growing. That’s a really positive trend.
There are other good trends out there. In the last five years dozens of what are called “Community Supported Fisheries” have sprouted up all over our coasts. These buying co-ops allow you to purchase a season’s worth of seafood from a local fisherman.