Seafood

Seafood is any sea animal or seaweed that is served as food, or is suitable for eating, particularly saltwater animals, such as fish and shellfish (including mollusks and crustaceans).

By extension, in North America although not generally in the United Kingdom, the term "seafood" is also loosely applied to similar edible animals from fresh water.

Edible seaweeds are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world. See .

"The harvesting of seafood" is known as fishing and the cultivation of seafood is known as aquaculture, mariculture, or in the case of fish, fish farming.

Seafood is an important source of protein in many diets around the world, especially in coastal areas.

Overfishing

Research into population trends of various species of seafood is pointing to a global collapse of seafood species by 2048. Such a collapse would occur due to pollution and overfishing, threatening oceanic ecosystems, according to some researchers. [ [http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/11/03/world_seafood_supply_could_run_out_by_2048_researchers_warn/ World Seafood Supply Could Run Out by 2048 Researchers Warn] boston.com. Retrieved 6 February, 2007]

A major international scientific study released in November 2006 in the journal "Science" found that about one-third of all fishing stocks worldwide have collapsed (with a collapse being defined as a decline to less than 10% of their maximum observed abundance), and that if current trends continue all fish stocks worldwide will collapse within fifty years. [" [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6108414.stm 'Only 50 years left' for sea fish] ", BBC News. 2 November 2006.]

The FAO State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2004 report estimates that in 2003, of the main fish stocks or groups of resources for which assessment information is available, "approximately one-quarter were overexploited, depleted or recovering from depletion (16%, 7% and 1% respectively) and needed rebuilding." [" [http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/DOCREP/007/y5600e/y5600e05.htm@ The Status of the Fishing Fleet] ," "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture: 2004".]

Advocacy organizations such as the National Fisheries Institute, however, disagree with such findings and assert that currently observed declines in fish population are due to natural fluctuations and that enhanced technologies will eventually alleviate whatever impact humanity is having on oceanic life. [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15532333/ Seafood Could Collapse by 2050, Experts Warn] , msnbc.com. Retrieved 22 July 2007.]

Dishes

* Bouillabaisse
* Fried calamari
* Ceviche
* Cioppino
* Clam chowder
* Curanto
* Paella
* Shrimp cocktail
* Sashimi
* Sushi

ee also

* Fish (food)
* Fish market
* Got Mercury?
* List of types of seafood
* Overfishing
* Seafood Watch, sustainable consumer guide (USA)
* Sustainable seafood

References

* Robson, A. 2006. " [http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/4441002d Shellfish view of omega-3 and sustainable fisheries] ." "Nature" 444, 1002

External links

* [http://wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook Wikibooks Cookbook]
* [http://www.sustainablefishery.org/ Fish Wise]
* [http://www.onefish.org/global/index.jsp One Fish]
* [http://eng.msc.org/ Marine Stewardship Council]