Up until recently, there hasn’t really been much reliable information on finding out where our fish comes from or how it was raised. According to Oceana, the largest international organization focused on ocean conservation, there is not much reliable information provided to consumers about the fish’s origin. Many grocery store labels are often be misleading or untrue, but there has been an increase in using technology to help consumers figure out where their fish is from.

Initiatives like the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch and restaurants like Harney Sushi are trying to make it easier for consumers to buy sustainable fish. 

Here are a couple of ways you can find more about your fish:

1. Consider buying a guide for your region. Based on different growing practices for various fish, this guide can help you decide the best and safest fish to eat based on where you live. It also tells you what to avoid, and why. You can also download an app for your mobile device.

2. Look for restaurants that support serving sustainable fish. There are more than you think. Many restaurants even have a QR code to help you learn about a fish’s history and where it’s from. 

Media has always served a big role in communicating the importance of knowing the origin of our food. Though a humorous representation, the short video Portlandia inspired restaurants like the Black Restaurant Group to create a complete QR code menu. 

There is still much progress to be made, but you can show your desire for better traceability by supporting these initiatives yourself. The tracing of the beef and chicken industries has improved over the past several years, and fish is the next item on the menu to be tracked from the water to your meal. Overfishing, a practice in which fish is depleted to very low levels, are problematic, and many would like to avoid participating in this. We have to know where our fish is from to avoid making these types of purchases. Furthermore, if a client becomes ill, the restaurant or grocery store would be able to link the fish back to producers, identifying and preventing future illness. Greater efforts towards making our fish’s history transparent leads to a great certainty that we are making a good purchase – both one that helps the environment and our health. 

 

Photo: Pixaboy public domain