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Can’t get to the beach this year? Set up your
umbrella, fill the kiddie pool, light up the grill
and let the aroma of fresh grilled fish transport
you to your dream beach as our desert skies put on a
light show at sunset. To make sure you are keeping
our seas sustainable use the Seafood Watch
Sustainable Seafood Consumer’s Guides available
at all our Co-op locations to pick fish or seafood
that has been harvested or farmed in a sustainable
manner.
Seafood Watch is a program of Monterey Bay
Aquarium designed to raise consumer awareness
about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable
sources. They recommend which seafood to
buy or avoid, helping consumers become advocates
for environmentally friendly seafood. They also
partner with the Seafood Choices Alliance where,
along with other seafood awareness campaigns,
they provide seafood purveyors with recommendations
on seafood choices.
The Seafood Watch project began a decade ago
when Monterey Bay Aquarium developed a list of
sustainable seafood as part of their 1997-1999
"Fishing for Solutions" exhibit anticipating visitor
questions about making better seafood choices.
Their Portola Cafe restaurant and husbandry department adopted a "sustainable seafood" policy and their list
evolved into the Seafood Watch pocket guide for consumers.
The choices we make as consumers drive the seafood
market place. Our purchasing power can make a difference
by supporting those fisheries and fish farms
that are better for the environment, while at the
same time relieving pressure on others that are not
doing as well.
Some of the key issues in the evaluation of a fishery’s
sustainability quotient include the level of by-catch
observed, the fishing methods and their impact, if it is
farmed—how it is farmed, and how well the fishery or
aquaculture operation is managed. With nearly 75%
of the world's fisheries either fully fished or overfished,
these issues are more important than ever. Seafood
Watch believes that seafood from sources, either fished
or farmed, that can exist over the long-term without
compromising species' survival or the health of the surrounding
ecosystem is sustainable. They favor conservation of the
resource in the face of scientific uncertainty.
La Montanita Co-op is honored to be a member of Seafood Watch.
All fish and seafood sold at the Co-op meets Seafood Watch’s guidelines
for sustainability. Their Consumer’s Pocket Guides are available
at Co-op meat counters.
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