Here's part of an interesting article I read this morning. Greenpeace has released a list of 22 over-fished 'red' species which are over-sold by suppliers and over-consumed by consumers. Expectations are that with consistent consumption and without drastic action "all wild seafood could disappear within 50 years..." So much for sushi.
Conscientious seafood consumers take note – here are the twenty-two ‘red’ species:
Alaska Pollock
Atlantic Cod or Scrod
Atlantic Halibut (US and Canadian)
Atlantic Salmon (wild and farmed)
Atlantic Sea Scallop
Bluefin tuna
Big Eye Tuna
Chilean Sea Bass (also sold as Patagonia Toothfish)
Greenland Halibut (also sold as Black halibut, Atlantic turbot or Arrowhead flounder)
Grouper (imported to the U.S.)
Hoki (also known as Blue Grenadier)
Monkfish
Ocean Quahog
Orange Roughy
Red Snapper
Redfish (also sold as Ocean Perch)
Sharks
Skates and Rays
South Atlantic Albacore Tuna
Swordfish
Tropical Shrimp (wild and farmed)
Yellowfin Tuna
Five different criteria were used by Greenpeace to identify species in the ‘red’: first, the status of the fish, whether they are threatened or endangered; second, whether destructive fishing methods are used (such as bottom trawling); third, whether harvesting the fish has negative impact on non-target species through by-catch; fourth, whether fish are caught illegally by unregulated fishing operations (or “pirate fishing”); and fifth, whether the fishery involved negatively impacts on local communities which depend on fishing for their livelihoods.
In addition to the ‘red list’, Greenpeace is also encouraging the designation of 40% of oceans as “no-take” zones (instead of the current 1%) in order to allow fish stocks to recover.
taken from mongabay.com
find the full story here
ALSO... here's a printable pocket guide for making the best fish choices at the market or out to dinner. download the PDF here, print and enjoy.
3 comments:
Thanks for putting this story up on your blog! One species in particular that has caught my attention especially has been Bluefin Tuna. Have you seen the 60 minutes piece they ran about a month ago? Here's the link:
60 Minutes on Bluefin Tuna:
http://shrinkster.com/vk9
And here's some other interesting links:
WWF Meet The Bluefin Tuna:
http://shrinkster.com/vka
Giant Bluefin Tuna of the Atlantic - Severity of Decline
http://shrinkster.com/vkd
Tag-A-Giant Foundation
http://tagagiant.org/
Tuna Research and Conservation Center - Hopkins Marine Station
http://www.tunaresearch.org/contactus.html
Blue Ocean Institute
Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood
http://shrinkster.com/vki
I have a Google Alert on Bluefin Tuna and I was alerted to your blog. I've been trying to inform other bloggers who blog about eating Bluefin, and who don't mention there dwindling numbers. Some have been very receptive. One writer named Jacquee T. of the Daily Journal went so far as to blog about her new understanding of Bluefin - she was not aware of their status!
The Daily Journal
http://shrinkster.com/vvg
And some have been very defensive and put off. Some choose to allow their egos/ignorance to outweigh any social conscience they might have. But maybe these people will come around at some point...the seed will have been planted. Thanks again for writing about this very important subject!
Best regards,
Beau Richards
Los Angeles, Ca
Efforts to protect bluefin tuna by boycotting bluefin sushi products only hurt fishermen who follow the rules. If you want to contribute to conservation of the fish then contact the Administration and State Department and demand they stop using the bluefin as a political pawn. They turn a blind eye to the slaughter in the Mediterranean for the bluefin farm production to get support for the war in Iraq, etc. The European Community has the tacit support of the U.S. government to continue the plunder of bluefin as long as they make little noise about our Middle East policies. Bluefin pays the price in part for the Coalition building so crucial to the Bush agenda.
Scaring consumers away from eating bluefin and seafood undermines the health and longetivity of Americans. This is a biological and medical fact. Mercury is not a danger with marine fish because of the presence of selenium in fish which neutralizes any mercury toxicity. FDA and EPA standards are way behind the science but will soon be catching up. Go to wwww.mercury.org or write me for further info.
The EU's "tacit support" of our illegal occupation of Iraq has little to do with Bluefin and everything to do with criminality and GREED. So if the Bush/Cheney admin and the State Department made it a priority to work with the EU and the international community to curb the mass slaughter of Bluefin in the Mediterranean the EU would suddenly change their tune in regards to our mass slaughtering of millions of innocent Muslims to fulfill our imperialistic agenda in the oil rich Middle East?? They would suddenly object to our poisoning the EU and the rest of the world with Depleted Uranium because of Bluefin?!? The reason Bluefin continues to be taken the way they are is for one reason, and one reason only - PROFITS!! It's the same reason why 85-90% of the Pacific Northwest's trees are gone instead of our using hemp - $$!! The Neo-Con's illegal occupation of Iraq, pretexted by the false flag operation of 9/11, once again has little to do with Bluefin Tuna, and everything to do with MONEY!! Certainly politics, lobbying, bribes etc. all play a roll. But to suggest that our government turns a blind eye to Bluefin in order to gain support for the "war" in Iraq is short-sighted. And by the way, wouldn't we need a declaration of war to call it one? It's an ILLEGAL occupation not a war!! And if my decision to boycott Bluefin hurts "fishermen who follow the rules" too bad for them! Find a new trade or perhaps THEY can lobby the criminals in Washington for their lost jobs! I've recently written letters to the criminals in Washington about Bluefin. And so would you suggest I just keep going out for sushi and ordering plate after plate of succulent Bluefin Tuna to prevent "fisherman who follow the rules" from loosing their houses and SUV's etc.?? What a crock of shit!! I AM boycotting Bluefin and refuse to eat it until I can do so in good conscience. My decision has EVERYTHING to do with Bluefin and NOTHING to do with "fisherman who follow the rules" or our ILLEGAL occupation of Iraq!! And as to my "scarring consumers away from eating bluefin and seafood" which apparently "undermines the health and longevity of Americans" - what a joke!! Amerikuns certainly don't need my help undermining their health and longevity - they do just fine on their own! So it's a "biological and medical fact" that if Amerikuns stopped consuming Bluefin and seafood it would undermine our health and longevity?? What a JOKE!! And lastly, about your claim regarding the relationship between mercury and selenium - try posting a different URL since the one given appears to be bogus.
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