Last week the Center for American Progress broke down the sustainability of fast food fish. As it turns out, sustainability is perhaps more prevalent at the drive-thru than it is on a white tablecloth at a high-end restaurant. But what about the supermarket with its endless glass doors keeping Mrs. Paul’s and Gorton’s in their blissful deep freeze and its fish counters of artful displays of tuna steaks, shrimp of every conceivable size, and pink filets of salmon glistening ‘neath the fluorescents? Is it safe to dip into these waters?
Increasing seafood sustainability mostly focuses on consumers, but the buying power of vast chain stores makes them a primary target for establishing sustainable practices. After all, a company with billions of dollars in annual sales can afford to hire people to investigate the finer points of a complex issue like seafood sustainability, while the average Joe shopper doesn’t have the time.
Consumers must ultimately take responsibility for their purchases, but it’s a whole lot easier if we can pick a retail outlet that already made the good decisions for us.
Fortunately, much of the seafood in the freezer section is already fairly high on the sustainable scale. Both Gorton’s and Mrs. Paul’s use pollock in their fish sticks and non-species-specific “filets.” The U.S. pollock fishery, as discussed in last week’s column, is certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. Worth noting, however, is that foreign pollock fisheries are not certified, so make sure what you buy is labeled “product of USA.”
Read the complete story from The Center for American Progress.