skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, October 11, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Florida picks up the pieces after Hurricane Milton; Georgia elected officials say Hurricane Helene was a climate change wake-up call; Hosiers are getting better civic education; the Senate could flip to the GOP in November; New Mexico postal vans go electric; and Nebraska voters debate school vouchers.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Civil rights groups push for a voter registration deadline extension in Georgia, federal workers helping in hurricane recovery face misinformation and threats of violence, and Brown University rejects student divestment demands.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Hurricane Helene has some rural North Carolina towns worried larger communities might get more attention, mixed feelings about ranked choice voting on the Oregon ballot next month, and New York farmers earn money feeding school kids.

U of Maine study reveals pathways for U.S. seafood independence

play audio
Play

Tuesday, August 27, 2024   

A new study from the University of Maine found the nation could reduce the amount of seafood it imports and still meet consumer demand.

Americans ate roughly twenty pounds of fresh, frozen or canned seafood per person in 2021 but roughly 80% of it was imported.

Joshua Stoll, associate professor of marine policy at the University of Maine, said the effects of climate change on marine populations may force consumers to shift to a more regionally sourced diet.

"I think what we consume from a seafood perspective today may not be what we consume in the future," Stoll projected.

Stoll pointed out some species may leave the warming Gulf of Maine, for example, while new ones arrive. He argued by focusing on species such as herring, anchovy and other less consumed fish, the U.S. can create a more sustainable seafood supply. Critics noted Americans may not be easily persuaded to give up their seafood on demand.

Still, increasing domestic production of seafood will not only benefit coastal communities, according to Stoll, but it could also help address food insecurity. More than 10% of Maine households struggle to meet their daily nutrition needs.

Stoll acknowledged even in a state such as Maine, fresh and affordable seafood can be hard to come by. He stressed greater government investments in infrastructure will be key.

"There's so much more potential for the domestic seafood production sector in the U.S. to play a bigger role in feeding our communities, feeding the people in our country," Stoll asserted.

Stoll emphasized local communities would benefit from greater investments in cold storage, waterfront access and regional distribution networks to ensure seafood is widely available, especially in historically marginalized communities. He added as more people pay attention to the relationship between health and diet, now is the time to aim for seafood self-reliance.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A 2022 University of Indiana report concludes recent studies on voucher programs show that students attending private schools through voucher programs have experienced "large, negative impacts" on their achievement. (sheilaf2002/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Nebraska is one of four states with measures about state funding of private-school vouchers on the ballot this year. Referendum 435 asks voters to …


Social Issues

play sound

As Ohio heads into a pivotal election season, the divide between rural and urban voters might seem deep - but one expert says the gap isn't as wide …

Social Issues

play sound

After 17 years, the state of New York is re-evaluating its school funding formula. The state budget agreement calls for the Rockefeller Institute to …


Eric Greenlee, a student from Georgia Tech, installs water-level sensors in lakes at Lac du Flambeau to help monitor wild rice beds. (Photo courtesy Naomi Blinick)

Social Issues

play sound

By Spoorthy Raman for Mongabay.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News…

Environment

play sound

Savannah's leaders are pointing out the ways federal dollars are being used to boost the area's resilience against climate change. In the aftermath …

A recent report gave Wyoming low marks for its efforts to reduce exposure to lead in K-12 schools. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Groups that advocate for clean water are applauding the Environmental Protection Agency's new rule on replacing lead pipes - but they warn that the dr…

Environment

play sound

Neighborhoods across New Mexico and other states will soon be cleaner and quieter as the U.S. Postal Service rolls out its new electric mail-delivery …

Social Issues

play sound

Voting may be a bit more confusing than expected in Utah this year, as two of the four amendments on the ballot have now been voided. The Utah …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021