America can become more self-sufficient with its seafood

Can the U.S. reduce its reliance on imported seafood by sourcing more fish locally and building better infrastructure?

Ben Seal reports for Civil Eats.

In short:

• The U.S. imports 90% of its seafood, even though its fisheries could meet the nation’s needs.
• Community-supported fisheries (CSFs) help fishermen sell directly to consumers, bypassing middlemen and lowering environmental impacts.
• Climate change and global market disruptions make seafood self-reliance more urgent.

Key quote:

“It’s not a law of gravity that 90 percent of the seafood we consume in the U.S. has to be imported.”

— Joshua Stoll, founder of Local Catch Network

Why this matters:

Global trade in seafood strains American fishermen and increases environmental harm through long-distance shipping. Strengthening local seafood systems can improve sustainability and reduce the risks from international market disruptions.

Related EHN coverage:

• The planet’s largest ecosystems could collapse faster than we thought
• Tom Dillon: How fishing subsidies hurt the ocean—and us, too
• The muddy waters of US ocean protection