Posted by admin | 11.21.2013 | Marine Science

One fish, two fish, bad-for-you-fish!

If you are anything like me you try to enjoy the ocean in every way possible! Whether you are on it, in it, or under it-the ocean supplies us with adventure, happiness, freedom and FOOD!

Being a marine conservationist and a seafood lover can at times be  confusing, trying to figure out the fish that are both safe and sustainable can really make your head spin! So today we are going  to address how you can continue to protect the world’s ocean while also enjoying its bounty.

I am sure you have noticed the ongoing battles over depleting fisheries, the pros and cons of farm raised, and of course the “dolphin- safe tuna” debacle, then there’s also industrial contaminants, records of dangerously high levels of toxins like mercury, PCBs, and  antibiotics to consider. So how to get started?

First, you may have to except that your favorite seafood may be something you have to give up… forever ( I did, bye bye Blue Fin Tuna rolls). Second, you have to take the time to research the types of fish available AND where they come from, constantly (stocks fluctuate yearly). Third spread that knowledge to your other seafood loving friends so that they can make the right choices the next time they are at the fish market or grocery store.

Eating out? A fancy seafood dinner is sometimes just the ticket, but you don’t have to make sacrifices just because you aren’t dinning in. Many restaurants are members of the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions. Partnering up insures their patrons that the courses being served were harvested using sustainable methods… just ask the chef!

BEST Seafood Choices

Bass (striped, US hook & line) – Catfish (US) – Clams Mussels, Oysters (region specific) – Cod (Pacific US) – Crab (Dungeness & Stone) – Halibut (Pacific US) – Lobster (Spiny,CA,FL, MX) – Salmon (AK) – Scallops (farmed US) – Shrimp (Pink, OR) – Tilapia (Ecuador & US) – Trout (Rainbow, US farmed) – Tuna (Albacore, Canada & US Pole) – Tuna (Yellowfin, US Pole)

WORST Seafood Choices 

Caviar (Sturgeon, imported wild) – Cod (Pacific imported) – Crab (Red King, Russia) – Lobster (Spiny, Brazil) – Mahi Mahi (imported) – Orange Roughy (All) – Salmon (Atlantic, farmed) – Shark (All) – Shrimp (imported) – Squid (imported) – Swordfish (imported) – Tuna (Bluefin) – Tuna (Albacore & Yellowfin imported)

No way you’re going to memorize that list? No problem, Seafood Watch is a program run by the Montery Bay Aquarium and guess what, there’s and APP for that just click here!

Just like the rest of the commercial world the seafood industry is all based on supply and demand. If we stop buying it, they stop producing it.

Make and effort, become part of the solution!