When we purchase seafood through online vendors or buy fresh fish for a steal, what we fail to consider in the process is how the fish got to our grocery bags at a cost that’s hardly enough to procure fresh, sustainable seafood. Like poultry and red meat that are factory farmed, the fisheries industry also follows practices to meet high demands, that involve activities that could permanently damage the environment as well as the species of fish we consume.
The UN’s Food & Agriculture Organization documented more than 3.3 billion people across the world who actively consume seafood – endangering marine populations and depleting stocks of fish. When we opt to pick seafood from a grocery store or a large-scale supplier, we’re feeding into the system that promotes unethical and non-eco-friendly practices that are rampant in the food industry. Hence, following a few key measures allows us to only consume the freshest seafood, without having to leave a lasting negative impact on the environment.
Look For Certification
Purchase seafood from vendors who source seafood according to what’s in season as well as hold a certificate of being a sustainable business. Certifications for ethical food practices are meant to encourage and incentivize food producers, leading to buyers inevitably making sustainable choices. Typically, these certifications are displayed along with the store’s banner to account for authenticity as well as reliability.
Eat More Shellfish
Opt to consume more of clams, oysters, scallops and mussels when the craving for seafood arises as bi-valved seafood species tend to grow naturally fast and much easily as opposed to specific kinds of fish. Unlike other seafood, shellfish do not require to be farmed using a filtration system for waste disposal or fertilizers, leaving the environment cleaner than it was.
Check Harvesting Methods
Inquire about the way the fish is caught and where it comes from with your local fish-monger. Fishermen who continue to use age-old fishing methods usually end up supplying a limited batch of seafood that does no harm to the ocean or other marine life. Fishermen using traditional fishing methods also tend to release any unwanted catch back into the ocean whereas mechanical fishing nets eliminate the possibility.
Avoid Popular Choices
Steer clear off of prawns, sea bass, salmon and tuna fish as the popular varieties are the types of seafood causing most harm to the environment. Most often, these varieties of seafood are cultivated using plenty of chemicals, depriving them of their nutritional value as well as adding more pollutants to the flesh.
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Consume Sea Vegetables
Incorporate the nutrient-rich seaweed into your diet for a savoury, meaty but plant-based alternative to seafood. Seaweed absorbs the greenhouse gases emitted into the ocean and uses the saline water to grow into a plant that is rich in minerals. Add it to salads or soups, or enjoy as a healthy replacement for chips by dehydrating seaweed and breaking them into chips.