Searching for Seafood
By The Organic Foodster
I love fresh seafood! Most of my life, I've lived near the ocean with access to a seemingly endless supply of fresh seafood. We used to just visit the local fisherman at the wharf and buy the day's fresh catch. Nowadays it's more difficult to just "go to the wharf". At least once a week, I purchase freshly made sushi from PADA Sushi (a local business) through my neighborhood Albertson's, and I recently noticed this label on their packaging .
I was curious as to what it actually meant, so I visited their website (https://padasushi.com/sustainability/), and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they are 100% committed to serving sustainably sourced seafood. Phew!
But what does it mean to eat sustainably and what exactly is sustainable seafood? According to www.seafoodwatch.org, "There are three pillars to sustainability: environmental protection, social responsibility and economic viability. And all of these components are important to ensuring that the fisheries and aquaculture we rely on for food and livelihoods thrive into the future." To find out how particular seafood items rank, visit their website and type in the fish you are thinking of buying. They list recommendations from Best Choice to what to Avoid. For even more straightforward suggestions, check out the video links below.
From what I have read, the best fish to eat is locally sourced, smaller, wild caught fish. Avoid Tilapia as it is always farmed and its nutritional profile is bad. Farmed seafood is often full of mercury and dyes, lower in omega 3s and more likely to be contaminated with harmful pollutants. and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Large fish like Swordfish, Shark, Orange Roughy, ling and Tuna have high mercury content which is especially dangerous for pregnant women, women planning a pregnancy, and young children (especially unborn babies).
Wild caught seafood is always best — however, some companies have skirted the non-existent seafood labelling regulations, especially when it's salmon. Big NO NO! (https://time.com/4089958/wild-salmon-fish-fraud/). Salmon is supposed to be marketed under a species specific name and most large chain grocery stores are good at labelling. However, there are some companies that use the term "Wild Caught" as their brand name on farmed seafood (the WORST kind of false advertising, in my opinion - Boo!). I personally encountered this once at a grocery store freezer section, so make sure to read the labels carefully and check country of origin. There's a New York Times Bestseller called Real Food Fake Food(http://www.realfoodfakefood.com/) by Larry Olmsted that's worth the read. In it he outlines how the food industry is unregulated and how to tell real, good food from the fraudsters.
Mouth-watering seafood, but only if it’s wild caught for me.
For further reading, Check out the following links:
https://www.ecowatch.com/global-seafood-fraud-2652818770.html
https://oceana.ca/en/blog/five-tips-avoid-seafood-fraud-and-choose-sustainable-seafood/
https://www.thespruceeats.com/sustainable-seafood-choices-1665724
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BT0O_gHVeM
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/15/revealed-seafood-happening-on-a-vast-global-scale
www.seafoodwatch.org
www.fishwise.org
The California Spiny Lobster is a resident of the waters off the coast of Catalina.
Catalina Seafood
In our upcoming April retreat, we will be visiting the island getaway spot of Catalina, in Southern California. Avalon is a waterfront community, with plenty of fresh seafood options. One of the restaurants we will be dining at include the Bluewater Grill, who utilizes guidelines from the Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) Seafood Watch Program in planning their menus and specials are often locally caught.
Avalon Seafood, on the Green Pleasure Pier, also offers bait and local fishing tips (one of its owners is a local fisherman), and local fisherman bring their catches to the weigh station so fresh fish is almost always available for purchase, if you'd like to prepare your own wild-caught delicacy.
We have 3 spots remaining — so why not join us in Catalina from April 8-10 for a sketching, seafood fest weekend!
Learn More about our upcoming retreats here
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