Is giving up fish the right thing to do?
If you've cut meat out of your diet for ethical and environmental reasons, you've probably wondered if you should cut out fish, too. In short, is giving up fish the right thing to do?
This is the question that drove journalist Tim Zimmerman of Outside Magazine. In exploring sustainable fishing practices, he casts a wide net, so to speak, looking at everything from innovative aquaculture to the differences in fishing practices.
It turns out that lots of sustainable options exist. Among the most interesting is the new practice of farming vegan fish, that is, fish raised on a plant-based diet rather than a fish-based one.
So is eating fish okay?
That depends. Zimmerman makes the case that mussels are the most ethical, sustainable seafood choice available because of their abundance and primitive nervous systems, meaning they likely don’t feel pain. They're also high in omega-3s and low in mercury.
Takeaway: If you’re not content with a mussels-only seafood diet, Seafood Watch offers a comprehensive guide to seafood choices.
It filters seafood into three easy categories: Best Choice, Good Alternative, and Avoid. Best Choice fish are harvested in a manner that has the least impact on ocean health, and insures the fish population is large enough for harvesting to be sustainable. Examples of "best" options include wild Pacific sardines and US-farmed rainbow trout.
Read more at: The Piscivore's Dilemma