I’m working on my annual sustainable seafood blog event wrap up which is just overwhelming – in a good way. So many great stories, inspiring tales, delicious recipes and resources to share! Thanks to everyone for inspiring me and teaching me.
As I sit here typing, I can hear sirens blaring on their way to contain Halloween revelry. I cannot help but wonder, what we could accomplish if we put as much energy into starting a dialogue with our fishmongers as we do planning a costume for one day out of 365?
Serial depletion of our ocean species for our luxury is not right and it’s not sustainable. There is good news amongst all the bad. I’ll be sharing steps we can each take, simple but profound steps which will help us feel empowered rather than embattled.
The swordfish campaign Rick Moonen, Eric Ripert and others launched in the 90′s basically brought swordfish back from the brink of extinction. (Remember extinct is forever.) Now we have information about how to catch it sustainably and how to choose it responsibly. That is the definition of a success story.
We are at that point with tuna and other species now. We are finding out that the “cheap” shrimp we’re getting from overseas often contain pesticides and banned chemicals like chloramphenicol. It also comes with an environmental cost as poorly regulated aquaculture is decimating coastal areas in many Asian and Latin countries. Waste from these shrimp operations creates dead zones.
Who’s Afraid of a Shrimp?
“Shrimp Less. Think More.” is the slogan of the Mangrove Action Project‘s campaign. Seattle area chefs including the excellent Steelhead diner (we ate there twice in the last trip it was so good!) have signed on.
…foreign shrimp farms heavily pollute the land and waterways and are the top destroyer of mangrove forests, which act as nurseries for many fish and protect coastlines from erosion and storm damage. Shrimp farms are also associated with child labor, human trafficking and other labor abuses, and the shrimp they produce may contain residues, pesticides, antibiotics, and other filth. Alfredo Quarto, Founder.
With all the news about polluted food chain supplies in China, and the knowledge that our government tests less than 2% of the shrimp imports, can you really feel safe eating imported shrimp?
So, I told you there’s good news, right? You’re ready I bet…
I have not one but three (maybe more, working on it) domestic suppliers of sustainable shrimp. I have information that you can use to tell your fishmonger why you don’t want to buy imported shrimp unless it’s from British Columbia. And I have some great recipes using domestic sustainable shrimp that I have had the pleasure of enjoying.
I will be launching *crossing fingers, here* my new website along with the TAMTF roundup. I plan on announcing the URL here, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs, soon.
- In the meantime, here’s one link to info to help you choose sustainable shrimp.
- To whet your whistle: here’s last year’s round up.
Posted in S/O/L/E, seafood, sustainability, teach a man to fish Tagged: shrimp
