Should one eat fish? Many of the world fisheries are seriously degraded. But fish are a major protein source for many people around the world and a healthy alternative to other forms of meat. So what is a conscientious consumer to do?
Explore the Seafood Watch section of the Monterey Bay Aquarium website (www.montereybayaquarium.org).
Evaluate the website and work with the information to answer the following questions:
Is this a reliable information source? Does it have a clear and transparent agenda?
Who runs this website? Do the organization’s credentials make the information presented reliable or unreliable? Explain.
What is the mission of this organization? What are its underlying values? How do you know this?
What data sources does Seafood Watch rely on, and what methodology does it employ in calculating its rankings and making its recommendations? Are the sources it uses reliable?
Do you agree with its ranking system? Do you think that such a ranking system is sufficient and useful to help consumers make sustainable choices in selecting fish? Explain your responses.
From the home page, select the “Ocean Issues” link.
Do you agree with the aquarium’s assessment of the ocean issues? Explain.
Identify a claim that is made and the evidence given in support of this claim. Is it sufficient? Explain.
The aquarium offers a seafood recommendation card that identifies safe fish to eat, based on health and ecological considerations. Go to the site’s seafood search option and type “cod” in the search box. Why are some Atlantic cod identified as fish to avoid and others not?
Select the link for consumer guides and choose the one for the area in which you live. Look at the fish listed and find one that you eat frequently. (If you don’t eat fish, choose one of the tuna species, a popular fish in the United States.) Is this a good fish to consume? If not, identify an alternate fish you could consume instead. Why are there different pocket guides for different regions of the United States?
How might a program like Seafood Watch help the oceans?
Find an additional case study online at http://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpad/saes2e