Are you Seafood Savvy?By: George S. Howell
The largest problem facing the well-being of the environment is the overpopulation of human beings on our planet. Land that is valuable wildlife habitat is disappearing at an alarming rate to make room for our increasing numbers, which show no sign of slowing down. The oceans have always been viewed as an endless resource, in part due to their enormous size, and also because our negative impact is “out of sight,” hidden beneath the water’s surface. Today we affect all areas of the Earth’s oceans in one way or another, and by far the greatest threat to their ecosystems is fishing.
Millions of people make their living from the sea, and millions more depend on it as a source of food. With the rise in technology enabling fish to be caught faster and in greater numbers, and an increased demand from a larger population, wild fish stocks have plummeted to dangerous levels. The majority of large predator fish have already been removed from the oceans, and many species such as bluefin tuna need immediate changes to management policies to ensure their future existence. We can no longer harvest the ocean’s wildlife the way we have in the past. As wild fish are currently being taken from the water faster than they can reproduce, their overall numbers move closer and closer to zero. Make no mistake, fishing will not stop, nor should it. We just need to change the way we approach seafood in general.
There are sustainable, environmentally sound methods of harvesting seafood.
By visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s website (www.montereybayaquarium.org), you can not only learn which types of fish are plentiful and safer to eat (check out their seafood guide on page 6), but also what methods of fishing are less harmful to the ecosystem.
Conversely, you will learn which practices are wasteful such as trawling and dredging. Did you know that 25 percent of all fish caught are bycatch (marine life not intended to be caught), and discarded dead or dying? Sea turtles, dolphins and sharks are among several forms of marine life that are killed in large numbers by non-selective methods such as longlines, driftnets, and trawls. Some forms of aquaculture (farming of marine life) are very eco-friendly, such as methods used in raising shellfish, while other practices of farming seafood are actually harming wild strains of the same species, or damaging the environment altogether.
Educating yourself on which practices have less impact on marine life allows you to ask important questions about the food your local restaurant or market sells. Every time you purchase or ask for a fish that was caught or raised in a sustainable way, you vote with your dollars to promote that practice. Further, the more these businesses realize their customers care about how their food was harvested, the more inclined they will be to meet that need. Business after all is simple supply and demand. If the client base cries out for certain items with their money, businesses will supply it.
One local group, Seafood Savvy, has come together to promote the use of local, sustainable seafood by restaurants, markets, retailers, wholesalers and distributors along the gulf coast. By promoting the idea of seafood that is harvested locally, Seafood Savvy not only aims to reduce the area’s carbon footprint, but stimulate the local economy as well. The members consist of scientists, business owners, fishermen, teachers and everyday people. They hold monthly meetings at Edison College to discuss ideas about increasing awareness locally, organizing events, and learning more about sustainable seafood in our region. Here in Southwest Florida we are lucky to have many outstanding types of seafood caught within sight of our shores.
Yet many restaurants and some markets still bring in the majority of their seafood from non-local sources. A large part of our economy is based on tourism dollars, and I am willing to bet those tourists would be glad to have many of those dollars spent on our local flavor instead of the same thing they can buy at home.
How often do you go out to eat only to buy the same entrée each time? Many people stay with one item because they know it is to their liking, even though there are several other choices they would enjoy as much or more. In addition, many of the “popular” choices are as much a product of marketing and manipulation by large food companies as they are of taste. If you were to go on vacation and your server informed you there was fresh local catch on the menu that was delicious, would you be interested? I think you would, and it would be bad business for them to sell something that wasn’t good.
After all, one thing the restaurant industry understands is that bad news travels faster than good news, and successful restaurants take great pride in the food they serve. However, the majority of diners will also “accept” what is on the menu and choose something familiar if another option is not presented to them.
Seafood Savvy is working to change the idea that what is normal around the rest of the country is what should be normal here. That mindset might be acceptable in some areas, but then again those areas are not so close to the marine fishery they can smell salt in the air! If you are interested in learning more about local, sustainable seafood, or would like to share your ideas or help, please contact Seafood Savvy through their website (http://www.seafoodsavvy.org) or call them at 888-757-8278.
They also have a Facebook page so you can see what is happening locally. Just click on the icon to go directly there. 
