Fishing Industry - The Oil Spill - And Industrial Hemp

Gulf Coast oil spill threatens to shut down Louisiana’s commercial fishing industry

Gulf Coast braces for an oily mess

I know that of the several reasons why people eat seafood, that consuming essential fatty acids is one of them. EFAs are essential for many healthy body functions. Our society gets it's EFAs mostly from eating seafood. But, this does put some pressure on the oceans to produce enough for everyone. As a vegetarian, I know that hemp seed oil is also a great source of EFAs. The problem is that it is illegal to grow industrial hemp in the United States. Hemp is a prolific producer. Hemp oil should be the same price as canola oil, or soybean oil. But, rather, it is quite expensive, and not widely available. The U.S. government should lift the ban on growing industrial hemp so that we can have an alternative source of EFAs. This is especially true now because seafood will become more scarce as more oil spills degrade the ability of the ocean to produce seafood. Also, overfishing is a concern. Eventually, fish will be priced out of the reach of poor consumers and they will not be able to afford one of the diet's necessary nutrients.