Ocean Odyssey: Part Two – What to Think About When Buying Fish
Yesterday on the news there was a story about how chocolate prices across the globe are increasing in price because the demand has gone up due to an increase in consumption from the middle class population in China. While chocolate is one of our favorite indulgences I thought it was a perfect example of what can happen to tip the scales of supply and demand.
If we are telling people to eat fish 3 times per week, because it has many health benefits, imagine if the whole world starts to do so? What impact would this have on our fish supply? With mass production being implemented to produce more fish, do these fish have the same nutritional qualities as a fish growing in a sustainable fishery or in the wild? What about all of the poor fishing practices out there, how are they impacting the rest of the marine life? I do not have the answers to these questions but I think it’s important for us to find out…
Did you read my post yesterday on local fish shop Ocean Odyssey? Now that you know the best practices of fishing, here are some tips when buying fish:
1. Ask where the fish is coming from. Restaurants, grocery stores, etc should be able to provide this information to you. If they can’t ask them to find out. If they want your business, they will help you find this out. Some companies are printing on the label where the fish is from. I was in Sobeys last week and saw frozen halibut, salmon and shrimp and all three packages the gave the location of where the fish or shrimp were caught and stated it came from a sustainable fishery or was wild and how it was caught. I was really impressed.
3. Stay Safe. Sushi is a big craze, but you need to be careful to ensure you buy sushi grade fish especially for salmon. You can’t just take any raw salmon and eat it raw. Well, I guess you can, but you may end up having some friendly parasites growing in your intestinal tract if you do! Sushi grade salmon means it’s been blast frozen for 48 hours to destroy parasites and the eggs.
4. Learn more. If you enjoy eating fish, become knowledgeable about best practices, where to buy quality fish and whether or not the type of fish is being fished in sustainable ways. The website is www.seafoodwatch.org
I would like to thank Pat for taking the time to educate me on the best practices of fishing and why it is important for us to understand the impact fishing has not only on the fish we eat but the rest of the marine life in our all of fresh and salt water sources.
