Sustainability

The word 'Sustainability' within the seafood industry tends to polarise people and conjers up all sorts of questions.  I am not someone who you would call a hardcore or militant promoter of seafood sustainability, but a person who believes that the majority of Australian and New Zealand Fisheries offer various degrees of sustainability.I believe that we all need to be more aware of where our seafood comes from and ask the right questions to ensure you are choosing a product that is......

1/Likely to still exist in the future due to sustainable fishing and harvesting methods.

2/Not causing degradation to our oceans and marine environments.

3/Not exploiting the local population in terms of financial , health and social implications.

4/Not caught in a manner where an excessive volume of non marketable by-catch is harvested.

5/Not farmed or caught in a manner where other native species are overly affected.

My main goal is to encourage people to eat more seafood and hopefully steer them towards seafood products that are well managed and are likely to be still available to our children, and generations beyond.

Well processed seafood is incredibly good for you and is exciting to prepare and eat.

There are many national and international sustainability certification organisations throughout the world and thankfully most have the future of our marine life as their main priority.

I do not endorse all or any one organisation in particular but instead prefer to look at seafood sustainability with a balanced view.While not all seafood is certified sustainable , by doing a little research you can decide for your self if you are choosing a seafood product that has little negative impact on our environment.Some of this research can be obtained on my product pages and also in the links page.Just be aware that some sustainability certification companies can be more hardlined than others (and not very practical) and some can also be influenced by financial gain. 

Remember to keep a balanced view and an open mind. 

It is surprising that most people who deal with seafood don't really know if their seafood is sustainable .This is something I am striving to change.

Next time you are dining out or purchasing seafood , ask your waiter or fishmonger , is this seafood sustainable? I would love to hear your feedback.At the end of the day , your question may help them stop and think about the question.