FOOD Big haul of fish dumped in trash

There are plenty of fish in the sea. Plenty, also, in the trash.

Of all the food that Americans waste — and Americans waste a lot of food — it’s the seafood that never gets eaten that should trouble us most. Few sources of nutrition, after all, are as coveted as fish. They’re high in protein, and low in fat. Eating them is associated with all sorts of beneficial health outcomes. And yet, few foods are discarded so frequently.

Between 2009 and 2013, as much as 47 percent of all edible seafood in the United States went to waste, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. And the majority of that is thanks to consumers (both families and food businesses), who buy fresh and frozen fish, but never end up eating it or selling it.

In order to put the scale of seafood loss in the United States in perspective, consider what curbing it could mean for our collective diets. Conservative estimates suggest the 2.3 billion pounds of seafood squandered each year would provide enough protein for more than 10 million men or 12 million women — for an entire year. The calories, meanwhile, would be enough to feed 1.5 million adults for that long.

“It is critical and urgent to reduce waste of seafood,” said David Love, the study’s lead author.

Not all of the fish that finds its way into the garbage is the fault of people who buy but never end up using it. As much as a third of seafood waste is due to a regrettable byproduct of fishing, known as bycatch, where large nets capture more than intended. Much of that is thrown back into the water, often after being injured or killed.