My thoughts on Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food:
Short version: Id give this book an 8/10. It provided a very good overview of the state of wild fisheries and fish farms through the eyes of someone who genuinely cares about fish and fishing. After reading Bottomfeeder, I was wary that it may cover a lot of similar terrain, but this actually provided an interesting and thought-provoking perspective about how people view fish. There were some really intriguing insights here. For example, salmon was perceived to be a luxury item, brought down to the masses. Cod was perceived to be a workman, an everyday staple, until one day, it wasnt. Bluefin tuna was perceived to the pinnacle of evolution, and subduing it via modern fishing technology represented mans triumph over nature.
The conclusions are excellent and well-thought out; Greenberg argued that we need both new management strategies for wild fisheries and new developments in fish farms if we are to continue to rely on fish as a source of protein. In the realm of aquaculture, one of the most important arguments he made was that we need to devote our energies to raise fish species that are actually amenable to being farmed. Rationality dictates that farmed fish species should tolerate containment, net us surplus protein (we get more than we put in), are hardy, easy to maintain, and can breed freely without fuss.
The kicker is that all four main fish species in the book are actually terrible candidates for sustaining the world. Our appetite, stemming from culture and circumstance, is in reality terribly irrational. Salmon is just about the hardest, most annoying thing to farm; sea bass is no better. Bluefin tuna was considered not fit for cats to the Japanese a few generations ago; now they are almost extinct due to rabid and insatiable demand because it could be frozen at sea. Cod was the staple of nations not because of its taste or nutrition, but for its abundance, low cost, and extraordinary blandness. They have fared extremely poorly in a world of tremendous seafood demand, and farmed salmon and cod along with ranched bluefin are not solutions to anything.
Greenberg looks at more sensible alternatives that cater to our irrational tastes. Instead of cod, tra (the Vietnamese catfish) and tilapia provide the same white bland meat (there are concerns about how Asian fish farms raise them, unfortunately not covered in the book.) Instead of sea bass, farmed barramundi from Australia. Instead of bluefin tuna, he looks at farmed kahala from Hawaii. They are by no means the most sustainable choices, but they are better than what they replace.
There are weaknesses in the earlier portions of the book. Its definitely a personal preference thing, but I found it difficult to relate to his personal history about why fishing meant a lot to him. The Sea Bass section also really laboured to draw me in as a reader; perhaps because the history of sea bass pales in comparison to epic and tragic histories of the salmon, cod, and tuna fisheries. But towards the end of the chapter, he really grabbed my attention again and kept it throughout the rest of the book.
Overall, similar to Bottomfeeder, I would recommend this book both for someone whos just learning about the issues and for those who are already pretty knowledgeable about the plight of the oceans and are seeking to understand finned fish aquaculture. I really enjoyed its structured format, going from one main species of focus to another; that aspect made it easy to follow and ideal to quick pickup and read sessions.
Amazon description said:
Short version: Id give this book an 8/10. It provided a very good overview of the state of wild fisheries and fish farms through the eyes of someone who genuinely cares about fish and fishing. After reading Bottomfeeder, I was wary that it may cover a lot of similar terrain, but this actually provided an interesting and thought-provoking perspective about how people view fish. There were some really intriguing insights here. For example, salmon was perceived to be a luxury item, brought down to the masses. Cod was perceived to be a workman, an everyday staple, until one day, it wasnt. Bluefin tuna was perceived to the pinnacle of evolution, and subduing it via modern fishing technology represented mans triumph over nature.
The conclusions are excellent and well-thought out; Greenberg argued that we need both new management strategies for wild fisheries and new developments in fish farms if we are to continue to rely on fish as a source of protein. In the realm of aquaculture, one of the most important arguments he made was that we need to devote our energies to raise fish species that are actually amenable to being farmed. Rationality dictates that farmed fish species should tolerate containment, net us surplus protein (we get more than we put in), are hardy, easy to maintain, and can breed freely without fuss.
The kicker is that all four main fish species in the book are actually terrible candidates for sustaining the world. Our appetite, stemming from culture and circumstance, is in reality terribly irrational. Salmon is just about the hardest, most annoying thing to farm; sea bass is no better. Bluefin tuna was considered not fit for cats to the Japanese a few generations ago; now they are almost extinct due to rabid and insatiable demand because it could be frozen at sea. Cod was the staple of nations not because of its taste or nutrition, but for its abundance, low cost, and extraordinary blandness. They have fared extremely poorly in a world of tremendous seafood demand, and farmed salmon and cod along with ranched bluefin are not solutions to anything.
Greenberg looks at more sensible alternatives that cater to our irrational tastes. Instead of cod, tra (the Vietnamese catfish) and tilapia provide the same white bland meat (there are concerns about how Asian fish farms raise them, unfortunately not covered in the book.) Instead of sea bass, farmed barramundi from Australia. Instead of bluefin tuna, he looks at farmed kahala from Hawaii. They are by no means the most sustainable choices, but they are better than what they replace.
There are weaknesses in the earlier portions of the book. Its definitely a personal preference thing, but I found it difficult to relate to his personal history about why fishing meant a lot to him. The Sea Bass section also really laboured to draw me in as a reader; perhaps because the history of sea bass pales in comparison to epic and tragic histories of the salmon, cod, and tuna fisheries. But towards the end of the chapter, he really grabbed my attention again and kept it throughout the rest of the book.
Overall, similar to Bottomfeeder, I would recommend this book both for someone whos just learning about the issues and for those who are already pretty knowledgeable about the plight of the oceans and are seeking to understand finned fish aquaculture. I really enjoyed its structured format, going from one main species of focus to another; that aspect made it easy to follow and ideal to quick pickup and read sessions.
