Let's Eat Godzilla: The Seafood Industry Confronts Ocean Acidification

Documented evidence of ocean acidification has raised widespread concerns about the future of seafood supplies that help to feed about 3 billion people, according to UNEP. Are industrial society’s swelling emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other acidifying substances starting to erode these resources? If so, can we whip this problem, or is it time to hide under the bed?

The causes of acidification can be daunting to confront, but they are increasingly unavoidable. Many seafood producers reckon that relying on adaptation alone would mean a future of rising costs, diminishing seafood supplies, and eroding earnings. Prevention will require introduction of management systems for wastes that drive acidification. Although these are big problems, governments and industries have dealt with similar problems before. I will review lessons from experience in management of other seemingly intractable challenges, including “acid rain,” stratospheric ozone depletion, and chemical industry emissions. The results are mixed, of course, but on balance they suggest that Harry Truman might still have something to say to us today. He might tell us to roll up our sleeves and get to work.