Week 51 - Go Fish, but Keep This in Mind

From the edf.org (The Environmental Defense Fund): "According to a 2006 report in the journal Science, several of the world’s leading marine biologists concluded that, if bad fishing practices continued, in a worse-case scenario all fish and seafood species worldwide would crash by 2048. Worldwide, it is estimated that some 90 percent of species of large predatory fish are gone. Domestically, of 230 assessed U.S. fisheries, 54 stocks are classified as over-fished, 45 are experiencing over-fishing, and the status of just over half of the nation’s stocks are unknown".

We have all heard about the health benefits of eating fish. What we don't hear a lot about is how to:

1. Choose eco-friendly fish


2. Avoid buying over-fished species, and


3. Avoid mercury/PCB contaminated fish.

To make the best choice for the environment and your family, visit the following websites before your next trip to the seafood counter.

Oceansalive.org

This is a fabulous website, with tons of environmental and health information.

Under 'features' click on 'seafood choices'. This takes you to a page that lists various fish as being: eco-friendly, eco-o.k., or eco-worst, and provides a description of what these terms mean.

They also provide:

• A Health Alert chart. This chart lists all the fish and how many servings/month are safe (due to mercury and PCBs) for men, women, older kids and younger kids. I have to say, I was quite surprised at the number of fish that are not safe to eat at all, and at the low number of suggested servings for older and younger kids.
  
• Recipes for eco-friendly fish


• Alternative eco-friendly choices which are similar in flavor and/or texture for the 'eco-o.k.' and 'eco-worst' fish. .


• A printable pocket guide to keep in your wallet.

Blueocean.org

Blue Ocean Institute Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood. Click on "Click here to learn all about your seafood".

Blue Ocean uses a Fish Key to rate the fish. It also indicates the best environmental choice with a check mark and uses a red flag to indicate which fish are contaminated.

They also provide:

• FishPhone (fishphone.org): Blue Ocean’s new sustainable seafood text messaging service (see their website for details on how to access it).


• A down loadable pocket guide.


• The ability to search for your favorite species.

NRDC.org

The Natural Resources Defense Council has a down loadable wallet card. The card rates seafood according to how much mercury it contains, and tells us how many servings are advisable.

They also provide:

• A lot of information about what mercury is, where it's found, and how to protect your family.

Why Should We Care?

1. A lot of the world population relies on fish for food and fishing for income. Yes these same countries are often responsible for a lot of the over fishing (there's enough blame to go around). Someone needs to step up and convince them this is not the way to go; that current practices are a threat to their livelihood. We can send that message by not buying their product.
   
2. Obviously, we want aquatic life. I don't think any of us support the extinction of any animal. The loss of sea creatures would be the start of a disastrous domino effect. Think of all the animals (bears, birds, and people) that eat fish.


3. The amount of mercury, PCBs and other contaminants in fish is staggering. If what industries dump (both in our waterways and into the air) is left unchecked (or at current standards), we won't have any safe fish to eat. What can we do? Vote for a candidate who supports the Clean Air /Water Act and its expansion.

I believe all of us can make this very simple change. It just takes a click of the mouse and you will have in your hand all you need to make an environmentally friendly choice every time you shop. It's good for the earth and your family. One more win-win!