This year’s theme for the Vancouver Earth Run is Oceans. The people of the Lower Mainland benefit a great deal from having the Pacific Ocean as their neigbour: mild weather, lots of room to play and fresh seafood. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from Spiderman, it’s that with great power comes great responsibility. And as consumers, we are definitely responsible for ensuring that the delicious seafood we enjoy has been harvested sustainably.
Like many issues surrounding the environment, there is an incredible amount of information (and misinformation) about sustainable seafood floating around. To help sort the facts from the flotsam, five respected conservation organizations – Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, the David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Center, Living Oceans Society, and the Sierra Club of British Columbia – have joined forces to form SeaChoice, a program designed to give clear answers to Canadians about sustainable aquaculture.
SeaChoice takes a scientific approach to preparing resources that empower consumers with the knowledge of which seafood gets the thumbs up, which species are a maybe, and which little fishies you should avoid due to over-harvesting, poor management, or adverse impacts on their habitat and other species.
The SeaChoice website provides a ton of information on its assessment methods, a breakdown of the species that are most at risk and why, and a comprehensive FAQ section that includes a solid argument for closed containment aquaculture (for all you salmon fans out there). Off the web, SeaChoice offers handy, wallet-friendly seafood and sushi guides to help you pick out the most sustainable option on any menu.
Never underestimate the power of voting with your wallet. Every time you choose sustainable seafood over the fish of unknown origins, retailers, suppliers and producers take note.
