Buying seafood can be a little bit of a head-scratcher. You would want them from a reliable and fresh source where they are low in mercury or high in omega-3 fatty acids. You would also want to ensure your organic scallops and salmon are sustainably caught.
Like how you are concerned whether your vegetables are grown organically and farmed locally, it is best to know where your seafood came from and they reached your plate.
What Sustainable Seafood Is
Sustainable seafood is often farmed or caught using sustainable fishery management systems, which conserve fish stocks and protects ecosystems supporting them.
Sustainable seafood is a global and continuous journey toward improvement. The sustainable and conservation use of marine resources, seas, and oceans is among the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
You may improve your environmental awareness by knowing how to make wise seafood choices. What started more than two decades ago as an exhibit at the aquarium has become a trusted resource for businesses and consumers globally.
Seafood Rating Guides vs. Sustainable Seafood Labels
Third-party sustainable seafood certification labels, like the MSC blue fish tick, simply mean you can trace back products to a sustainable fishery. Seafood rating guides look at the range of aspects at the species level so as to give ratings, like eat less, avoid, or good choice. When using seafood rating guides, experts at Milwalky Trace recommend using those based on science and globally credible.
Seafood rating programs and certifications are two major ways to trust that you are surely making ocean-friendly choices when buying seafood products and fish. Both often serve vital roles in driving transparent supply chains and motivating businesses to make continuous improvements toward sustainability. They don’t depend on seafood brands, like restaurants or retailers but work with them so as to keep them responsible and accountable.
Buying Guide
Finding a good market for quality seafood is a hit-or-miss experience when you have no idea of what you should look for. If seafood is not fresh and isn’t stored appropriately, the seafood market, freezer, or counter will smell fishy. This is the first signal for you to buy elsewhere.
Fresh and quality seafood must smell like the ocean, not fishy or sour. And for you to do that, you will need to ask your fishmonger several questions. Some of these questions can be based on their latest catch and their freezing methods.
It is also best to buy seafood from a local fisherman. Doing so will contribute to more sustainable ways of life. Eating local fish and seafood means fishermen often get a better return on less catch, giving the ocean a break. Plus, money spent locally usually stays in the community and helps those in that community.
The Takeaway
Giving up seafood is an option, but not for everyone. The right thing to do is to be a very conscious consumer, knowing exactly where seafood you buy comes from and how they were caught, and buy seasonally and locally wherever possible.