Thursday, May 7, 2009

Shopping For Fish


These days, you can’t just toss any package of Chilean sea bass or salmon fillets in your grocery cart. By buying the sea bass, for example, you’re supporting an industry that is overfishing that species to devastating proportions. And you need to look carefully at the package of salmon to see if the fish were caught in the wild or “farmed,” because some salmon farms use large-scale, densely stocked netpens that pollute surrounding waters with waste and chemicals. In addition, testing has shown that these salmon have elevated levels of PCB chemicals in them.
Fortunately, the Environmental Defense Fund has taken out the guesswork in shopping for seafood with its comprehensive Web site that lists the pros and cons of eating most fish available in today’s markets. Plus, it has two downloadable pocket guides to buying seafood and sushi that print can carry in your wallet.
So my Thrifty Green Thursday tip is learn which fish is safe for yourself and the environment via this great Web site. Click here for more tips.

7 comments:

Maude Lynn said...

Thanks for this. Going to get my guide.

the mama bird diaries said...

Oh. I just ate sea bass. And now I feel guilty. Sounds like a great resource.

Pennywise Persuasion said...

What a great resource! Thanks!
BTW, my husband is from Somerset and my family is from there too (although I wasn't raised there). Small world--I have been following your blog :)
Jenny

Greenbaby said...

Something about pregnancy makes me crave sushi in a semi-manic way so I'll have to print out one of those guides! I lived in Chile ten years ago and the overfishing was a problem then, so I can't imagine how bad it's gotten in the time since. Thanks for joining us this week for Thrifty Green Thursday!

Wayfaring Wanderer said...

As I was reading this post, i remembered the guides that Cody and I printed out before our trip to the NC coast.....i started looking for it before I got done reading your post.....

didn't realize that's what YOU were pushing ;) I thought, she might think that's handy, I'll go find it! haha I always leap first!!

MaryAnn Ashley said...

Farm raised salmon - not tastey!

My husband is a spearfishermen.. we are still eating a white sea bass that he caught in June:) = tastey.

bernthis said...

my kid loves Salmon but i can't take it anymore anyway. I have switched to Halibut and thank God she likes it.

Great list. Very helpful