It may be impossible to certify fish and seafood as “organic,” but that doesn’t mean it can’t be sustainable. Overfishing, fish farming, and other not-so-green ways of getting protein from the sea are contributing to declining healthfulness in both human bodies and marine ecosystems. So while you can’t put Certified Organic fish on your organic food to-do list, you can shop more sustainably when looking for food from the sea.
It is estimated that in the wild, a full 75 percent of all commercial fish stocks have been either fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted. This is due to several seriously destructive ways of getting fish from the sea. Of course, the first is overfishing, which is the process by which commercial fishing operations take more fish from the sea than the system can sustain. Over time, the population of reproducing adults declines to the point where the species can no longer replenish quickly enough. Eventually, commercial fishing operations shut down due to low populations with the potential of the species disappearing from the wild altogether.
Another major problem with conventional fishing is bottom trawling. Huge commercial fishing vessels drag massive nets behind their boats, which scrape the bottom of the ocean floors clean in an effort to get as much shrimp, flounder, rockfish, or cod as possible in one move. Unfortunately, along with these fish, the nets destroy coral reefs, which are the nurseries for all ocean life, and take with them bycatch.
Known in some places as “incidental catch,” bycatch is when the nets capture unwanted species such as turtles, dolphins, sharks, whales, and other marine mammals. These mammals can’t get away, and as a result, often drown. By the time they are brought up to the surface, they have died, and are simply discarded over the side of the boat.
We can help to stem the tide of these tragedies by choosing sustainably-caught fish and seafood. When shopping for your evening meal, look for line-caught fish. This means that the fish were caught selectively so that there is little to no bycatch.
There are a number of systems now available to help you make good fish choices. The Marine Stewardship Council Certification program ensures that fish is line-caught. The Environmental Defense Fund also has a Seafood and Sushi Selector To Go which helps you find sustainable seafood while at a restaurant or at the grocery store. Finally, the Seafood Choices Alliance has a Buying Seafood Guide which lists other certification systems.
Want more information on Organic Food tips and tricks? Sign up for the OrganicAuthority.com newsletter and get your free report How to Shop for Organic Foods on a Budget, brought to you by Laura Klein Green Living Expert.
It is estimated that in the wild, a full 75 percent of all commercial fish stocks have been either fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted. This is due to several seriously destructive ways of getting fish from the sea. Of course, the first is overfishing, which is the process by which commercial fishing operations take more fish from the sea than the system can sustain. Over time, the population of reproducing adults declines to the point where the species can no longer replenish quickly enough. Eventually, commercial fishing operations shut down due to low populations with the potential of the species disappearing from the wild altogether.
Another major problem with conventional fishing is bottom trawling. Huge commercial fishing vessels drag massive nets behind their boats, which scrape the bottom of the ocean floors clean in an effort to get as much shrimp, flounder, rockfish, or cod as possible in one move. Unfortunately, along with these fish, the nets destroy coral reefs, which are the nurseries for all ocean life, and take with them bycatch.
Known in some places as “incidental catch,” bycatch is when the nets capture unwanted species such as turtles, dolphins, sharks, whales, and other marine mammals. These mammals can’t get away, and as a result, often drown. By the time they are brought up to the surface, they have died, and are simply discarded over the side of the boat.
We can help to stem the tide of these tragedies by choosing sustainably-caught fish and seafood. When shopping for your evening meal, look for line-caught fish. This means that the fish were caught selectively so that there is little to no bycatch.
There are a number of systems now available to help you make good fish choices. The Marine Stewardship Council Certification program ensures that fish is line-caught. The Environmental Defense Fund also has a Seafood and Sushi Selector To Go which helps you find sustainable seafood while at a restaurant or at the grocery store. Finally, the Seafood Choices Alliance has a Buying Seafood Guide which lists other certification systems.
Want more information on Organic Food tips and tricks? Sign up for the OrganicAuthority.com newsletter and get your free report How to Shop for Organic Foods on a Budget, brought to you by Laura Klein Green Living Expert.
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