| At a time when organic food and sustainable | | | | information on this. Some provide convenient |
| farming have become the latest buzz words and | | | | cheat sheets and cards while others feature |
| people are starting to care whether the chickens | | | | downloadable data that can be stored on your |
| they're buying are free range and beef cuts are | | | | PDAs and mobile phones. To make it easier for |
| from grass-fed cows, the idea of patronizing | | | | consumers, species of seafood are grouped into |
| ocean-friendly seafood is also starting to gain | | | | eco-good and eco-bad or rated on a scale of |
| popularity. Contrary to common knowledge, caring | | | | eco-friendliness. |
| for the ocean is more than just about saving | | | | It is also important for consumers to ask the |
| whales and dolphins. There are in fact a number | | | | right questions when buying seafood at the |
| of fish species commonly available in your | | | | fishmonger or ordering at a seafood restaurant. |
| neighborhood grocery stores and seafood | | | | You should ask if the fish were wild-caught or |
| restaurants which suffer from overfishing, | | | | farm-raised, what region they came from, and |
| pollution, and other ecological concerns. The United | | | | what methods were used in catching or raising |
| Nations says that 75 percent of the world's wild | | | | them. You can also specifically request for |
| fish stocks are already depleted or are recovering | | | | seafood which were produced in eco-friendly |
| from depletion. | | | | conditions. These actions will send a message to |
| Seafood generally has two sources: open water | | | | your seafood provider that you, and hopefully |
| and fish farms. To say that one is better than the | | | | other consumers as well, care about the ecological |
| other would be oversimplifying the issue. A more | | | | aspect of the products you're buying and it would |
| accurate measure of eco-friendliness is to assess | | | | at least get them to think about providing more |
| the methods of how a species is caught or raised. | | | | eco-friendly choices. |
| Using trawl nets, for instance, in open water | | | | Some seafood products already have eco-labels |
| fishing is criticized for its lack of selectivity and for | | | | such as the dolphin-safe tuna which means that |
| causing damage to the seafloor. Trawl nets | | | | the fish were caught without harming dolphins in |
| produce a lot of by-catch or species which are | | | | the process. Eco-labeling is still not universal though |
| not meant to be caught. One estimate states | | | | and with a loose standards on defining what is |
| that four to ten pounds of by-catch are swept up | | | | organic, an “organic” seal on your shrimp |
| for every pound of shrimp caught in the trawling | | | | doesn't automatically mean that they were caught |
| method. | | | | through eco-friendly and sustainable means. As of |
| Farmed salmon is also rated low on the | | | | now, the eco-label of the Marine Stewardship |
| eco-friendly scale. This species is raised in heavily | | | | Council for wild-caught species has the largest |
| populated large netted pens which leak wastes | | | | reach and meets the UN standards for |
| and chemicals to the ocean. Salmon could also | | | | eco-labeling. There are various certifications for |
| escape from the pens and pose a threat to wild | | | | farm-raised fish but you still have to probe |
| fish species since it is carnivorous. In this case, | | | | beyond the labels to find out if these supposedly |
| conservationists say it is much better to consume | | | | organic seafood are indeed eco-friendly. |
| wild-caught salmon. | | | | Admittedly, making a choice to consume |
| To make sure that you're consuming eco-friendly | | | | eco-friendly seafood requires a lot of effort. But |
| seafood, it is best to keep yourself informed on | | | | as people become more aware of such concepts |
| how your favorite fish are caught or bred. There | | | | as sustainability and ecological balance, we could |
| are a lot of environmental organizations that | | | | hopefully muster the political will to introduce |
| provide summarized facts and easily digestible | | | | reforms in the seafood production industry. |