Now that I think of it, this may be wrong.
The other day while shopping at a local, fairly groovy, market I purchased some frozen fish. Well, not so much fish as fish parts, some "wild caught" Sashimi swordfish steaks. I *love* swordfish, as I do shark, and this was a special treat because they've grown pretty expensive once it was discovered I like them. That happens, and I consider it the price I pay for being out front of popular culture.
But that's not the point.
I didn't notice the "wild caught" thing until recently. Now, my mind, naturally, brings up a picture of fishermen in boots and slickers, catching and struggling with fish with a rod and reel, but I have no doubt the reality is quite a bit different. Nets. Air conditioned cabins. Computer controlled arms. None of the romance of the sea.
Which brings up my dismay.
I had no until I saw the "wild caught" tag that there was any other type of swordfish, which I now see as naive of me. Of course they grow them, breed them! Anything upon which money can be made is probably an industry by now. If people will pay good money for swordfish, someone's gonna catch on and take advantage of that.
Which is my problem. No, not the money part, but if I'm going to eat swordfishes I think one that's been created for that purpose is better than catching one from the "wild." It's like the way I feel about steers or hogs: the ones specially bred for that purpose are *meant* to be slaughtered and eaten. Trapping and killing a wild one is worse, it's taking them away from a life they've known.
So next time I'll be sure to buy fish that isn't "wild captured." That's just rude, especially now that I know there's a difference!
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It can be controversial kind of thing, from what I've seen here, as one example:
http://tinyurl.com/ak6pb
(www.time.com/time/globalbusiness/article/0,9171,1101021125-391523,00.html)
Time Magazine: "Is Fish Farming Safe?
Aquaculture has become the world's fastest-growing food business. But it's taking a hit from environmentalists"
I saw a piece about this...
seems (in Wash? Ore?) there's some controversy, too. The gov't is counting the fish in farms with the result that some may be removed from endangered species list or something like that.
It's like counting the trees in tree farms to show that there are more trees than before, without noticing there's much less forest.
I'm still wondering ... I can't picture a swordfish farm.
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