Showing posts with label Seafood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seafood. Show all posts
1.27.2011
Bouchons Au Thon
My relationship with canned tuna has been a rather tumultuous one. I go through phases where I really really like it followed by periods of "meh". I'm not sure why but I always get this itch that tempts me to give it a try just one more time. My last attempt with canned tuna has been a fruitful one... perhaps even a glorious one.
8.02.2010
Shark Week
In honor of Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week, here's an awareness piece about the gruesome practice of shark finning and how we can help end it.
Shark fin is a prized good in many parts of Asia, and the tradition of eating shark fin soup is highly associated with socioeconomic status. As more people are gaining access to this delicacy, shark populations have declined across the globe at astounding rates. Aside from being caught intentionally for their prized fins (and then thrown back into the water left to die), sharks are also bycatch victims of poor fishing techniques. It is estimated that populations of sharks and other top ocean predators have fallen 90% in recent years! At this progression, sharks will become extinct in a matter of a few generations if not just decades.
Ethics and humaneness aside, shark meat and fins contains high levels of methylmercury because of the animals' predatory nature*. This chemical has been linked to impaired fetus and infant neurological development as well as vision and hair loss in adults. Babies don't need direct exposure to methylmercury to be affected; exposure while being in the womb is enough to cause adverse health effects.
Some say the fins are good for joints because of their cartilage content. There are plenty alternatives that can take the place of toxic shark fins. It's about time that we help stop the buying so the killing can stop, too.
To learn more about shark finning and how you can become an ally to these majestic animals, visit montereybayaquarium.org or stopsharkfinning.net.
*Predatory fish, or those who are higher on the food chain, contain high levels of methylmercury because they eat all the smaller fishes. Methylmercury cannot be excreted out of their bodies so it's retained and accumulated up the food chain.
Shark fin is a prized good in many parts of Asia, and the tradition of eating shark fin soup is highly associated with socioeconomic status. As more people are gaining access to this delicacy, shark populations have declined across the globe at astounding rates. Aside from being caught intentionally for their prized fins (and then thrown back into the water left to die), sharks are also bycatch victims of poor fishing techniques. It is estimated that populations of sharks and other top ocean predators have fallen 90% in recent years! At this progression, sharks will become extinct in a matter of a few generations if not just decades.
Ethics and humaneness aside, shark meat and fins contains high levels of methylmercury because of the animals' predatory nature*. This chemical has been linked to impaired fetus and infant neurological development as well as vision and hair loss in adults. Babies don't need direct exposure to methylmercury to be affected; exposure while being in the womb is enough to cause adverse health effects.
Some say the fins are good for joints because of their cartilage content. There are plenty alternatives that can take the place of toxic shark fins. It's about time that we help stop the buying so the killing can stop, too.
To learn more about shark finning and how you can become an ally to these majestic animals, visit montereybayaquarium.org or stopsharkfinning.net.
*Predatory fish, or those who are higher on the food chain, contain high levels of methylmercury because they eat all the smaller fishes. Methylmercury cannot be excreted out of their bodies so it's retained and accumulated up the food chain.
5.14.2010
Shenanigans at the Supermarket
Also spotted on the same day in the same grocery store is Chilean Sea Bass for sale at $8.99 per pound. This is also baffling since the sea bass is from China. Either way, Chilean Sea Bass has been consistently red-listed by Seafood Watch in the past few years. I guess this supermarket missed that memo? For more reasons to boycott sea bass, visit Seafood Watch at Monterey Bay Aquarium and how you can support sustainable seafood.
4.07.2010
Sustainable Fisherman Joe
I'm a petit fan of seafood and have a soft spot for a bowl of steamed clams in tomato and garlic broth. But as our oceans are getting robbed everyday by unethical fishing methods, choosing sustainable seafood is becoming an increasingly difficult feat. Back in 2009, Greenpeace compiled a "supermarket seafood sustainability scorecord" (talk about alliteration!) that rated grocers on the ecological impact of their supply of seafood. Surprisingly, Trader Joe's fared the worst and came in below Target and Wal-Mart! But the tide is about to change.
Trader Joe's is making some transitions and plans to sell only sustainable seafood by 2012. Frozen, fresh, and canned seafood will all be included in this change. Back in 2005, the company stopped selling Chilean Sea Bass, and more recently in March 2010, it stopped carrying red snapper.
Choosing seafood can still be a dilemma even though some grocers are getting on the sustainable seafood boat. Luckily, Monterey Bay offers a fantastic pocket seafood guide that can help you make informed choices whether you're at the market or having a meal at a restaurant. It's so small and handy that it can even fit into a clutch ladies! For those tech savvy among us, of course there's an app for this, too.
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