"We do not inherit this land from our forefathers, we BORROW it from our descendants" - a Native American saying I first heard in Winnipeg
The choices we make can have a great impact on the planet we leave our grandchildren's grandchildren!!!
We (North Americans) tend to like to eat the big predator fish. Fish like Salmon, Tuna and Swordfish
...we can make much better choices!!
For every 3.7 million metric tonnes of fish we want, the big fishing ships also capture 1.0 million metric tonnes of fish we do not want. These fish most often die on board and are thrown back into the sea.
Even farming these fish is not a good option. In general, these fish need twelve to forteen pounds of food to gain one pound. and they tend to produce a lot of waste that harms the ocean environment.
Another point to consider, top end of the food chain predatory fish tend to have the greatest amount of toxins such as mercury, and by eating these types of fish we are consuming greater quantities of these toxins.
How can we make better choices?
Aim for fish lower down the food chain!!!
Fish like Tilapia, Trout, and Catfish are three examples of fish that are much more efficient at converting protein to flesh, grow quicker and reproduce faster. These fish can be farmed more efficiently and cause less harm to the environment when farmed. Sardines and Herring are also good alternatives.
Tilapia Trout Catfish
Visit Sustainable Seafood for more information.
Four simple choices we can make are:
1) Check out online guides such as:
SeaChoice
State of the Catch
Ocean Wise, or
Seafood Watch
to educate yourselves about better choices.
2) Eat locally caught fresh seafood that are on the green list of the seafood guides.
3) Avoid re-listed species such as farmed salmon
4) Ask your grocers and restaurants about the seafood they sell.
Our choices can spur positive changes for the seafood industry and for our oceans.
Thoughts?
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