Plenty of Fish in the Sea

Something that I have never understood, is why so many people fail to consider fish, as meat. Many people who abstain from eating other types of meat continue to consume fish. Fish seem to be in this weird gray area – considered healthier and perhaps more moral than other types of meat? Like most of our food, fish comes from some far off place and we don’t really think about how it gets to the grocery store. We picture the ocean full of fish and view it as our right to take what we want. I think a lot of us abide by the saying “ignorance is bliss” when it comes to things like this. We don’t really want to know all the bad stuff. But the time has come where awareness is a necessity. Making uninformed choices is not longer acceptable when our planet is on the brink of collapse. So lets take a closer at what fish have to offer us, and the cost of consuming.

• Omega 3 – Fish is an excellent source of Omega 3 Fatty acids which are essential to human health and functioning
• Protein – like other meats, fish is high in protein. However, it is considered to be healthier and it is recommended to eat fish at least one or two times a week. In particular, salmon is packed with vitamins and protein

• Mercury – most sites that address mercury levels in fish will tell you that it’s nothing to worry about. But then they continue to warn you not to eat too much and that pregnant women should avoid it (bad for fetal development) . . . but I thought it was nothing to worry about? Their main point is that fish amass higher levels of mercury over time, so larger fish (such as tuna, shark, etc.) will have higher levels than smaller fish such as salmon. Stick to small portions and small fish
• Plenty of Fish in the sea – We are overfishing the fuck out of our oceans. It’s not sustainable. Ecosystems rely on a balance – the overfishing of one species can result in the collapse of the whole ecosystem. Many species have seen a drastic decline in numbers that are now unsustainable.
• Farmed Fish – not all fish are equal. Farmed fish tend to have lower levels of Omega 3s because they are fed fishmeal
• Plastic – human beings are a disgusting species. We have produced to much plastic that it is filling up our oceans and waterways. Aside from killing millions of turtles, birds and other marine life, microscopic plastic can also enter a fish through its gills. It can take up to 6 times longer for it to exit its system than if it was ingested orally. It is likely that when humans eat fish, we are also ingesting bits of microscopic plastic. Yum.
• Bycatch – bycatch is when fish or other marine life are caught unintentionally while catching a target species. Bycatch can include the wrong species (even turtles and dolphins), sex, or undersized fish of the target species. Some of the bycatch species are endangered and this is a serious threat to their population
• Carbon Footprint – fishing uses up a lot of fuel. The fish that require the most fuel to catch are: shrimp, lobster, salmon, scallops, tuna and sardines. Due to the depletion of wild fish, boats have to go out further to find them. After meat and dairy products produced on land, fish has the highest carbon emission, with that of tuna being equal to chicken
• Contaminants – factories, farms and storm runoff all contribute to the growing contamination of water. It’s bad for the fish, kills aquatic plants and can be a harm to you as well

I’m not expecting everyone to immediately stop eating fish, but you need to be aware of your choices and the consequences they have, both for your health, and the world you live in. When you buy fish, find out where it came from, how it was caught or farmed. Was there bycatch or habitat destruction as a result? Buying fish that are locally sourced is better for the environment and the economy. Reducing the amount of meat and fish is the ultimate way to cut down stress to the environment. You don’t have to eat fish to get omega 3s. Leafy greens, flax, walnuts and soybeans are all plant based sources that are much more sustainable.