VOA慢速英語:魚類產量需要翻倍來滿足全球日益增長的需求（雙語）

魚類產量需要翻倍來滿足全球日益增長的需求

From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語農業(yè)報道。

As the world population grows, there is a need for more food - including seafood. The World Bank predicts that by 2030, 70 percent of the demand for fish will come from Asian countries. The World Resources Institute recently studied world fish production.

隨著世界人口的增長，我們需要包括海鮮在內的更多的食物。世界銀行預測，到2030年，對魚的需求中有70%的需求來自亞洲國家。最近，世界資源研究所在研究世界魚類的產量。

The group says fish production needs to more than double by the middle of the century to meet that demand. It says the world's oceans, lakes and rivers are fished to their limit, and it says more fish must be produced in aquaculture projects or fish farms.

該組織稱，到了本世紀中期魚類的產量需要現(xiàn)在的兩倍多才能滿足需求。并稱，世界上的海洋，湖泊，和河流已經(jīng)達到捕撈限制量，必須在水產養(yǎng)殖生產項目或養(yǎng)魚場中獲取更多的魚。

One such farm is operating in the California Community of Imperial. Imperial is 26 kilometers north of the border with Mexico. Craig Elliott is part owner of Imperial Catfish.

在加利福尼亞的帝國社區(qū)就運營著這樣一個漁場。帝國社區(qū)位于美國與墨西哥邊境以北26公里。克雷格·艾略特是帝國鯰魚漁場的合伙人。

"We're probably the largest catfish farm this side of the Mississippi...the largest catfish farm in California," said Craig Elliott.

艾略特說：“我們可能是密西西比河這一邊最大的鯰魚漁場，同樣也是是加州最大的鯰魚漁場。”

Mr. Elliott says that his business ships thousands of kilograms of fish every week to Asian grocery stores. Many people who go to those stores want to buy live fish.

艾略特先生說，他們公司的船只每周會向亞洲食品店運送數(shù)千公斤的魚，這些食品店的許多客戶都想買到活魚。

"In fact, we can't really produce enough fish for the demand," Elliott said.

艾略特先生說：“實際上，我們真的不能生產足夠的魚來滿足這一需求。”

As the demand for seafood increases, so does the number of fish farms. Mike Velings launched Aqua-Spark, a company that invests money in aquaculture business.

隨著對海產品需求的不斷增長，相對的，對漁場的需求數(shù)量也在增加。邁克·偉林斯開辦了一家水產養(yǎng)殖投資公司——Aqua-Spark。

"It's a relatively young industry but it grows at about 9 percent a year and we expect to keep that growth rate going in the next couple of decades," said Mike Velings.

偉林斯說，“這是一個相對年輕的行業(yè)，但它每年以9%的速度增長。我們預料在未來數(shù)十年將會繼續(xù)保持在這一增長速度。”

Mr. Velings says China produces more fish on farms than any other country. He says there are very few fish farms in the United States.

偉林斯先生稱，中國漁場的魚類生產量超過了世界上其它國家，而美國的漁場卻很少。

"The U.S. relies heavily on wild caught and on imports and only one percent of the world's farming today is done in the U.S," Velings added.

偉林斯補充說：“美國在很大程度上依賴野生捕撈和進口?，F(xiàn)在美國在全球魚類養(yǎng)殖百分比中只占1%。”

Craig Elliott says it is not easy to operate a profitable aquaculture business.

克雷格·艾略特稱，經(jīng)營一家盈利的水產養(yǎng)殖公司并不容易。

"You put a fish in at this big and it's going to be 18 months to two years before they are two to three pounds and so you have all that big outlay and you have no return for a long long time. Some people make it, some of them don't," said Elliott.

艾略特說：“放入一條這樣大的魚，需要18個月到兩年才能長大2到3磅，這樣的話你就要承擔很大的開支，而且在很長一段時間內得不到回報。有人成功了，有人失敗了。”

There are also environmental concerns. Nathan Weaver is an environmental Activist. He says uneaten fish meal and waste products from farmed fish can be harmful to other creatures.

這里面還存在環(huán)境問題。環(huán)保人士內森·韋弗稱，吃剩的魚粉飼料和魚類養(yǎng)殖所產生的垃圾會對其它生物造成傷害。

"Many of the species of fish we like to eat are large predatory fish, they are things like tuna or salmon that are already two or three levels up the food chain. So in order to farm these large carnivores you have to actually feed them smaller fish and the concern is that in order to keep a tuna farm or a salmon farm going you'll end up having to catch all the little fish in the ocean," said Weaver.

韋弗說：“我們喜歡吃的很多魚品種都是大型肉食性魚類，包括金槍魚和鮭魚等。它們在食物鏈中處于第二到第三級位置。所以為了養(yǎng)殖這些大型肉食性魚類，就必須用小魚喂它們。這里的問題在于，為了維持一家金槍魚或鮭魚漁場運轉，最終不得不捕撈完海洋中所有小魚。”

But the World Resources Institute says government policies, technology and private efforts have led to improvements in fish farms. It says one U.S. food store chain only sells fish from farms that do not use pesticides, antibiotics or added growth hormones.

但世界資源研究所表示，政府的政策、科技和個人的努力已經(jīng)使得養(yǎng)魚場有所改善。并稱，美國一家食品連鎖店只出售來自于不使用農藥、抗生素和生長激素的漁場的魚。

And that's the Agriculture Report. I'm Caty Weaver.

這就是本期的美國之音慢速英語農業(yè)報道，我是卡蒂·韋弗。