Deep Ecology and Language: The Curtailed Journey of the Atlantic Salmon

This article explores the representation of fish in ecological discourse through analysis of the recently published Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA. 2005) synthesis report. The analysis utilizes an ecological framework based on "deep ecology" (Naess, 1990), examining how the discourse...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Society & Animals
Main Author: Stibbe, Arran
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: BRILL ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS, PLANTIJNSTRAAT 2, P O BOX 9000, 2300 PA LEIDEN, NETHERLANDS 2006
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/678/
https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/678/1/Deep%20ecology%20and%20language%20the%20curtailed%20journey%20of%20the%20Atlantic%20salmon.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1163/156853006776137168
Description
Summary:This article explores the representation of fish in ecological discourse through analysis of the recently published Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA. 2005) synthesis report. The analysis utilizes an ecological framework based on "deep ecology" (Naess, 1990), examining how the discourse of the MA asserts or denies the intrinsic worth of fish. The discursive construction of fish is particularly relevant given the massive expansion of the aquaculture industry, which is having a negative impact on ecosystems and the fish themselves, particularly the Atlantic salmon. There are alternatives to traditional ecological discourses, such as the lyrical discourse drawn on by Rachel Carson (1962) in her description of salmon. The article concludes with a discussion of the potential of such discourses to represent reality in ways that are more comparable with the welfare of the fish and the protection of ecosystems.