Keepin' it Real is Not Always Pretty

Sustainable seafood is seafood either from fished or farmed sources that can maintain or increase production in the future without jeopardizing the ecosystems from which it was acquired.

In reality, it really depends on who you ask and sometimes it becomes rather difficult to explain.  Besides “Sustainable Seafood” is such a loaded word, and only certified products should be deemed “Sustainable,” but that’s a whole other story (certifications can have their own blog post).

Personally, I like “responsibly sourced” or “responsible seafood.” We all understand the definition of “responsible”.  To fish or source “responsibly” means we are not out to overfish certain species and destroy the marine ecosystems in which they live during this process. I know it’s a simplistic view, but I’ve found that most people don’t want to hear about the details of it all: whether the stock status is of critical concern, if there’s enough scientific data collected, or even know the difference between handline, longline, hook and line, purse seine, or net… they just want to know what’s good v. bad and whether they should eat it.

And this is where retailers and restaurants play such an important role. They are in constant contact with the end consumer and they are able to spread the knowledge and provide seafood choices which we deem “responsible” or “sustainable.” They are able to engage their consumers in learning more about their products. We are no longer selling dead fish, we are telling a story about where this fish comes from, how it was caught, and why it’s considered to be responsibly sourced.

It’s a complex issue, and knowledge is power. The important thing is that we try to spread our knowledge and make sure we don’t over-generalize. Not all longline caught yellowfin tuna is “bad” and not all aquaculture farms are dumping chemicals into the fish. There are reputable companies and NGOs working diligently in order to improve fisheries around the world, and they are the reason why we are increasingly more aware of the issues at hand, and at the same time encouraged to make a difference.