Mar 03
When we talk about making sustainable food choices we often think of organic veggies or pastured livestock, not seafood. The truth is, however, than our oceans are just as integral to overall sustainability as our farmland. Most people would not even begin to be able to make a conscientious choice when presented with a menu at a seafood restaurant, which is why many organizations have devised lists of best choices when it comes to seafood. My favorite list is published by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and can be tweaked depending on what region of the United States you live in. Some of the best choices for the southeast include tilapia, oysters, barramundi, and catfish (all US farmed, not wild caught). There are even farmers in the Triangle region experimenting with farm-raised, sustainable fish (more to come on that in a later post). Some popular menu items to avoid include grouper, yellowfin tuna, and farmed salmon. Don’t hesitate to ask your server about your meal’s provenance, and if he or she is unable to provide a suitable answer, go with something else. Sustainability doesn’t end at the shoreline, and by making a point with your food dollars you can help impact a fishery system that in many places is ravaging the seas.