« One for the wall: Our Bassmaster | PAA Winner | Main | Iowa’s Water Trouble: Fox in Charge of the Hen House »
Stewardship Tip – Selecting Sustainable Seafood
By Arshia | March 29, 2011
Selecting sustainable seafood for dinner involves many of the same decisions that you would face if you were planning to selectively harvest your catch. You want to take fish from
Populations that can support harvest,
Environments that lend themselves to sustaining the population, and
Fleets of fishing boats that use methods that lend themselves to maintaining the environment.
For example, Atlantic Cod, according to Seafood Watch, is labeled as a GOOD ALTERNATIVE for seafood. It is only considered a good alternative if it is harvested from Iceland, the Northeast Arctic, or the Gulf of Maine. Additionally, Seafood Watch specifies that Cod caught by non-trawling methods including hook and line are the most sustainable. Fishing boats often use otter trawls, large nets that are dragged across the bottom of a body of water, to harvest cod. Otter trawls often wreak havoc on habitat.
In contrast, Pacific Cod, according to the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service, harvested from the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea are sustainable; the biomass estimates for these populations are very close to their target levels. Indeed, the Bearing Sea/Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska Pacific Cod fisheries have been recognized by the Marine Stewardship Council as sources of certified, sustainable seafood. It is not surprising that Seafood Watch lists Pacific Cod as a Best Choice.
If seafood is on the menu this evening, select fish from a population that can support harvest. Look for fish that is harvested from an environment that can support the population. And look for fish that is harvested using methods that maintain the environment.
The Seafood Watch, US NMFS, and the Marine Stewardship Council Websites detail these factors for many varieties of fish. All three can provide you with information that will help you select sustainable seafood for your next fish fry.
This week’s sponsor-partner: Fish Schtick
The Fish Schtick with Teeg Stouffer, Brian Bennett, and Michael Mauro gets guests from across the world of fishing telling stories about fish, fishing, and life.
In every episode, we go around the world of fishing in 120 seconds.
It’s free! Listen online or download to your iPod or MP3 player.
Would you like to get the Stewardship Tip e-mailed to you weekly?
Please visit our Stewardship Tips Sign Up page or use the form located at the top right portion of this page.
Topics: Stewardship Tips | Comments Off
Comments are closed.