The Conscious Cook: Overfishing

Simply choosing what to cook for dinner in today’s eco-conscious world is not where the decision-making ends.  Knowing where your food comes from has become an important part of our planet’s future sustainability.  This is the case with overfishing.  Current practices in overfishing include fishing fleets that are larger than the ocean’s current capacity of fish and depleting species to the point where they can no longer reproduce and thus become unsustainable with the threat of extinction.[1] Making sustainable fish choices can be as easy as knowing where your fish comes from and if that fish is in danger of depletion due to overfishing.   Sustainable fish choices in the U.S. involve keeping it local and include: Pacific Halibut, Alaskan (wild) Salmon, Rainbow Trout (U.S. farmed), and Tilapia (U.S. farmed).  Those to avoid are: Atlantic Cod, Atlantic Salmon, Orange Roughy, Tilapia (Asia farmed), and Chilean Seabass.[2]  Look for magazines and recipes that use sustainable choices such as those found in Cooking Light or Bon Appetit.[3]  Making sustainable fish choices is an important step towards becoming a Conscious Cook.

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[1] Koster, Pepijn. “Overfishing Basics.” Overfishing.org. 2007-2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2012.
[2] “Monterey Bay Aquarium: Seafood Watch.” Monterey Bay Aquarium.org. Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation, 1999-2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2012.
[3] Bon Appetit Magazine. Conde Nast, 2012. Print.  Cooking Light Magazine. Time Inc. Lifestyle Group, 2012. Print.