28
Thu, Mar

LA Needs a Local Fish Approach … Here’s Why

ARCHIVE


PLANET WATCH
-The United States is the third largest consumer of seafood products(behind China and Japan), yet we import over 90% of our seafood, and have been experiencing an estimated $10 billion trade deficit in seafood products--the second largest trade deficit in a natural resource product, second only to petroleum. We are “fish dependent” in the way that we are petroleum dependent. This dependence is not only an economic concern; it is also an environmental concern. 

It is widely recognized that the world’s fisheries are stressed; the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has classified 85% of the world’s fisheries as exploited. As oceanographer Sylvia Earle put it “The ocean is vulnerable.  What we do and don’t do will make a difference.” 

Los Angeles is a coastal community with access to a nearby abundance of seafood.  In the way that we now have a local food policy, we need to have a local fish policy.  It starts with each of us showing how we care about where and how our fish are caught or farmed. What can Angelenos do to support local, sustainable, and responsibly-managed seafood from both wild fisheries and well-managed fish farms? 

When shopping for beef and chicken, the informed consumer can opt for USDA certified organic, as those standards have been in place for a few years with a strong promotional program and technical support system.  When shopping for fish, however, the choices are far less clear.  Wild-caught or farm-raised?  From China or Chile?  Is catfish better than cod? 

As a simple first step, Angelenos can look for a certified sustainable label from organizations like the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) on wild seafood and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) on farmed seafood.  The country of origin label is also essential because imported wild and farmed seafood often comes from countries with few regulations.  Seafood labeled as “product of the USA” means that it meets robust management standards--among the best in the world. 

Take it a step further by using a sustainable seafood guide to make informed choices at the supermarket and in restaurants.  Armed with a smartphone, Los Angeles seafood lovers can tap into the Seafood Watch app, created by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  Seafood Watch researches and evaluates the sustainability practices of fisheries and aquaculture around the world.  Using a numerical scoring system which ranks seafood operations according to a matrix of criteria, they sort wild and farmed seafood into easy to follow categories of Red (Avoid), Yellow (Good Alternative), or Green (Best Choice). 

It helps to start a conversation with the staff behind the fish counter, as well as restaurant servers, management, and chefs, to let them know you care about how your fish is sourced.  With 70% of seafood being consumed in restaurants, asking where your seafood comes from, how it was caught, and that you want to know how it was farmed, can inspire chefs to become and continue to be excellent leaders in sourcing and serving sustainable fish. 

Also, branch out from the usual salmon, tuna, and shrimp to experiment with responsibly-farmed seafood like trout, oysters, and mussels; fish lower on the “fish chain” like sardines or mackerel; and local seafood like California halibut, white seabass, and black cod/sablefish.  

And finally, with over 50% of seafood in the world coming from aquaculture, it is time to get to know your fish farm.  Among the Seafood Watch green or Best Choices, are farm-raised fish and shrimp grown in closed, recirculating systems.  These recirculating farms can be fish tanks using recirculating and filtered water, or aquaponics systems where nutrient-rich water from the fish tank is pumped over a hydroponic bed of plants and then returned to the fish tank. With low water use (because of the recirculation), and energy use potentially offset by renewable sources, it is an ecological model of fish farming that could work well in urban environments. 

It can be increasingly possible to have freshly-caught, local fish and sustainably-farmed fish that are as beautiful as our local produce. With sources like Santa Monica Seafood, as well as Community Seafood (a local, community supported fishery) with seafood box delivery and pick-up locations in both Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, local seafood is more accessible than ever. It starts with each of us, voting with our food dollars for sustainable seafood.  

Sustainable Seafood LA (which includes the Bay Foundation, Heal the Bay, and Whole Foods Market) will be presenting a panel discussion and seafood tasting on February 27, 2014 at Loyola Marymount University, called “Sustainable Seafood Solutions: Is That Fish in Your Dish Sustainable?” For more information, go to www.goodfoodla.org.  

 

(Paula Daniels is founder of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council (LAFPC), author of the recently released “Know Your Fish Farm”, and co-chair of its working group Sustainable Seafood LA, along with Leah Ross, owner of Customer Communications Consulting, a sustainable restaurant consulting firm. Leah was named a Seafood Watch Hero by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. )

-cw

 

 

CityWatch

Vol 12 Issue 16

Pub: Feb 25, 2014

 

 

 

 

Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays