SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD

Sustainable seafood is simply a means of replenishing our natural resources in the sea. This was promoted by sustainable seafood movement that started in 1990’s. Most of the operations that are highlighted in this movement are overfishing as well as the environmental destructive methods of fishing. By means of numerous initiatives, this movement has raised concerns and improved awareness on the proper ways of obtaining seafood. Sustainable seafood signifies healthy relationship and connection with the ocean so it can cater the needs of the people everywhere forever.

Sustainable Seafood Defined

Because of the growing hunger and desire for seafood, most of the world’s fisheries are pushed to the edge. 7o% of the ocean are overexploited. Prosperous ocean ecosystem is very important for the health and nutrition of everyone. Thus, sustainable seafood is a very viable solution in restoring the world’s oceans and their resources.

Sustainable seafood is considered as a way to manages resources for the future. Consumers which are informed can truly make a difference through knowing about the origin of the fish they eat and creating responsible choices. Most of the sustainable fisheries are targeting plentiful species which includes those on lower and smaller food chain since they all have the capability to quickly reproduce in order to sustain populations. They can also mandate the environmental safeguards through reducing dredging and curbing by-catch and using other practices in destructive fishing. The sustainable wild fisheries should be managed well and must have relevant regulation and population monitoring which can track the seafood coming from their fishing boat down to dinner table.

In this picture, aquaculture plays a very important role. Fish farms can produce more than half of the seafood that the world eats however not all are equally created. Accurate sustainable operation can minimize certain environmental impacts such as disease, pollution and various damages to the coastal ecosystem where wild species mostly depend. They should also disregard the use of wild-caught fish as the feed. This is a practice which provides an enormous stress on the stocks of wild fish.

When is Seafood Considered Sustainable?

1. Seafood can be considered sustainable if the population of species are naturally abundant and maintained by means of responsible and regulation practices.
2. Harvesting and fishing methods did not harm the natural habitats, species as well as the environment.

How to Choose Sustainable Seafood

Eating seafood is very essential. It contains lean protein that is very beneficial for everyone’s health however there are times that seafood like fish can also be bad for your health as well as on the environment. Seafood might be contaminated with greater amount of PCBs and mercury which causes illness. There are also varieties of seafood which are also caught or overfished which might cause long-term damage in marine life as well as on oceans.

In choosing for sustainable food, there certain factors that you should always consider if you don’t want to attain illness and damages. These factors are as follows:

1. Make sure to know how sustainable the seafood is. The health of various species varies differently by fishery. Seafood like halibut and salmon when caught through sustainable ways are good for the environment and to our health.
2. You should know how the seafood was caught. There are different sustainable methods which are used in harvesting fish. Always make sure that you are aware about the method used in order to catch the seafood you are eating. Line and hook is one of the methods in fishing which is not providing damage on the seafloor. It also enables the fisherman to throw back the unwanted species so that it can still survive.
3. Eat local. It would be better if you will eat local seafood rather than those which are caught on the other parts of the world not unless that seafood has been depleted in the local waters. Local fish which are frozen is more preferable.
4. Purchase sustainable seafood to trusted retailers. There are certain business entrepreneurs who have set for higher standards on the verities of seafood they offer. They have also pledged that they will create a long-lasting plan for sustainable seafood.
5. Fresh or frozen, pouch or canned? Always be careful in purchasing canned seafood as cans are often lined with the BPA-plastic coating. Choose seafood which is packed in flexible pouches, shelf-stable because this is the environmentally preferred way of packaging seafood.