Ever since I saw the eye-opening documentary, End of the Line, I’ve been thinking about how little I think about where my seafood comes from. Globally, some 75 per cent of wild marine fish are now said to be either fully-exploited or overfished, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (UN FAO). Scientists predict that if we continue fishing as we are now, we will see the end of most seafood by 2048.
This issue is especially significant in 2010, which is the International Year of Biodiversity. We are losing species at an alarming rate because of human activity – and I don’t want my activity to contribute to that any longer.
So now that the new year has given me a fresh start, I’m going to try to eat only sustainable seafood. Which is actually a lot easier than it sounds!
I started by checking out Sea Choice, an excellent resource on sustainable seafood in Canada. They have a searchable database, and even a handy wallet-sized guide you can download and print. Sometimes I make the wrong choices at the supermarket because I’m in a hurry and I don’t know what to look for – but now I’ve got no excuses!
I’m making my first grocery run tonight, so I’ll keep you posted. And I’d love to hear your green resolutions. How will you make a difference in 2010?
Tags: Oceans, Scientists, Sustainable seafood, Video, Water
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Just surfing around and came upon your site. Very solid post. Will be adding you to my RSS reader.
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A 90% organic goal is kind of expensive. But I’ve been building up to it for years so when 50% organic is your new norm, then increasing your food budget a bit more doesn’t seem so bad. But, yes, it is expensive. I don’t buy a lot of packaged goods so I think that keeps the price down a bit and I’m finding some things are now the same price whether organic or not. Should only get better!
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Thanks for that resource, Andrew. Definitely helpful to have the MSC label on some products too.
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I’ve also found the Sea Choice guide helpful when I go to a grocery store,restaurant or fish market.
Another way to track down sustainable seafood products even before you step out the door is to check out the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) website. http://www.msc.org/where-to-buy/msc-labelled-seafood-in-shops-and-restaurants/canada
You can search by country and then by supplier/retailer to find out who is carrying sustaianble choices. For instance it lists all the MSC certified products that Loblaws is currently carrying or what Whole Foods has on its shelves (or in the freezer).
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It was like having a translator when I was standing in front of the fish counter! Ha. Got myself a nice piece of Pacific Cod (not trawled!) for dinner, and will definitely use it next time.
I’m impressed by your 90% organic goal! Do you find it’s a lot more expensive to seek out those products?
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Sara, I can’t wait to hear about your seafood journey. I’ve been using the Sea Choice guide for about a year now although not regularly yet. I’d love to hear what you are able to find in the stores.
My resolution for this year is to go from my current 50% organic food to 90% and then try to get to 50% local/sustainable. I’ve been making one green resolution at a time for years now and they are starting to add up! Feels good.
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