BOSTON, Mass. — November 11, 2013 — Restoring ocean fisheries in 24 countries could provide a meal for close to a billion people a day. New Englanders can also help ocean ecosystems recover by eating wild fish, choosing small fish, buying fish from the United States and eating mollusks, according to Andrew Sharpless, CEO of Oceana.
He also told the audience in a talk Nov. 7 at the New England Aquarium that they should contact legislators to support the SAFE Seafood Act, which would make the fishing industry more transparent.
It’s best to avoid eating shrimp because they are caught in nets that bring many species up accidentally, Sharpless said. The unwanted species are known as “bycatch” and are tossed back into sea, usually dead. He also said carnivorous fish such as salmon should be caught in the wild rather than farmed.
Since farming oysters, clams and mussels reduces pollution and builds local job opportunities, Sharpless said he recommends eating mollusks. “They’re cleaning the ocean as they grow,” he said. “We love the mollusk farmers.”