A friend sent me an email recently, discussing the problems facing the Seafood Industry and over-fishing. I read the articles and watched the videos and can clearly see the problems –the thought that many of the world's ocean species could be fished to the point of extinction would have seemed ridiculous 15-20 years ago, but now the ridiculous has come to pass.
I am a huge seafood lover--growing up in Nova Scotia with a dad who hauled seafood all over the United States, it was always around our dinner table. I cook it about once a week and could never give it up. With many fish populations seriously threatened and others contaminated by ocean dumping and pollution with such chemicals as Mercury and PCB’s, it is now, more than ever, important to be cautious and thoughtful about our choices.
Aside from the worldwide decimation of marine mammals, many species of fish such as Sailfish, Chilean Sea Bass, Swordfish, Blue-fin, Black, Blue & White Marlins are endangered and being closely watched.
Even the gentle Seahorse is under assault because they are used as ingredients in medicines and their dried carcasses are sold as souvenirs. Here in Toronto you can find them hanging in local shops in Chinatown.
Today the challenge is to support sustainable, ethically harvested, and healthy seafood choices. It takes a little extra work to arm yourself with the knowledge to make these choices that are right for you and your families.
Here are some points to remember the next time you head down to your grocery store or fish market:
Consult a seafood safety guide and familiarize yourself with endangered species of fish.
Make it clear to your seafood market that you buy only eco-safe seafood and ask them to stock well managed, sustainable safe seafood products.
Encourage your local restaurants to offer only eco-friendly seafood options.
Nearly all fish and seafood contain levels of mercury but it is present in higher concentration in larger fish, try and stick with low mercury containing seafood varieties, the smaller the fish, the less mercury it is likely to have absorbed.
If you are pregnant, nursing or have young children, acquaint yourself with issues pertaining to mercury absorption from fish and shellfish.
Freshness counts when consuming seafood; here is some valuable information about choosing fresh fish.
Only buy fish that is refrigerated or properly iced. Fish should be displayed on a thick bed of fresh ice that is not melting and preferably in a case or under some type of cover. Fish should be arranged with the bellies down so that the melting ice drains away from the fish, thus reducing the chances of spoilage.
Fish should smell fresh and mild, not fishy, sour, or ammonia-like.
A fish's eyes should be clear and bulge a little (except for a few naturally cloudy-eyed fish types, such as walleye pike).
Whole fish and fillets should have firm, shiny flesh and bright red gills free of slime. Dull flesh could mean the fish is old.
The flesh should spring back when pressed.
Fish fillets should display no darkening or drying around the edges. They should have no green or yellowish discoloration and should not appear dry or mushy in any areas.
Remember that not all farmed fish is safer, in fact toxin levels are sometimes higher in farmed fish due to feeding practices. Some farmed fish are fed larger quantities of fish than they would consume in the wild, which causes greater accumulation of toxins. They are also very often liberally treated with antibiotics.
Seafood can be a very healthy, eco-friendly protein choice, so take the time and choose well.
