Everyone knows that a pescetarian diet’s a good one — and we’re pretty sure you’ve heard of those vegetarians touting the whole fish diet as well (making a good case for it even, given the fact that fish are live animals). Some don’t even realize, though, that vegetarians do eat fish not only for the fact that it’s good for them — but also good for the world, and here’s why:

Aquaculture May Be the Wave of the Future of Food

That’s a bold statement given the culture we’ve monopolized, what with agriculture making millions — crops, beef, poultry. You name it. Our very economy is funded by it. But aquaculture? Can that be the answer?

It can be when satellite photos of cow feedlots show up looking like manure oceans of waste management efforts cluttered with clusters of methane gas and the like. Makes you think that the whole agriculture thing just isn’t good for the environment. And, truthfully, what farmers do does have an impact on the overall health of the planet.

Aquaculture’s different, although there are some issues with leveraging the “last wild food” to its peak consumption. Overfishing, for example, can cause major issues. The bluefin tuna, in fact — currently endangered — could end up extinct within our lifetime. We manage aquaculture and leverage the overall health benefits of fish, and we might be looking at a full-on sustainable industry worth literally $220MM to the country — nay, to the world.

Will Farms Be Managing Vats and Tubs Over Coops and Pens?

We’re going to be honest here: they just might be some day soon. After all, 50% of the world’s fish supply are actually raised on farms. Not in the oceans. Food for thought there. Pretty soon you might end up seeing grocery stores only selling tilapia over ground beef. It’ll be an interesting future.