When the Sea Gives People Food

Every morning, fishing boats return to shore loaded with fish, shellfish, and other seafood.

The ocean has fed people around the world for thousands of years.

Billions of people depend on seafood as their main source of protein every day.

Fishermen use large nets to catch fish in the open sea, sometimes far from the coast.

Others use long fishing lines with many hooks to bring in tuna, swordfish, and other large fish.

Coastal communities have built their entire way of life around the fishing industry.

In many countries, small fishing villages have existed for hundreds of years near the sea.

Fish and shellfish are full of important nutrients, including protein, omega-3 fats, and vitamins.

Doctors often recommend eating seafood regularly because it supports heart and brain health.

However, too much fishing has put many ocean species in danger.

Overfishing means that some fish populations [cannot] grow back fast enough to survive.

Because of this problem, many governments now set strict limits on how much fish can be caught.

Fish farming, also called aquaculture, has become an important way to produce seafood without catching wild fish.

Farms raise salmon, shrimp, and oysters in controlled water environments.

Seafood is an important part of cooking in almost every culture around the world.

Protecting the ocean means protecting the food supply for billions of people on Earth.