Thursday, September 14, 2017

Reasons As To Why Consumers Should Eat Sustainable Fish

By Sarah Cole


Fish is a rich source of protein which is an essential component that forms the building block of a healthy human body. Experts advise that we should take food rich protein to ensure we lead a healthy lifestyle. Though there are various types of fish products, animal rights activists have pointed to the need to eat sustainable fish products to protect endangered species.

Much of fish available from our markets or food stalls are mainly sourced from the ocean. Our oceans and seas have an abundance of fish resources. However, not all species of fish are doing well as some are on the brink of extinction. The changing climate and damaging fishing methods are the main contributors for this sorry situation. As a result, it is important for fishers to distinguish the endangered from the abundant.

To reverse these effects, a sea food campaign which focuses on sensitizing fishers and consumers has been in existence for a few decades. Marine authorities have put in place restriction on certain methods of fishes harvesting due to the damage they cause to marine populations. These regulations are meant to give endangered species the room to recover to avoid going extinct.

Each technique of harvesting poses its challenges to the survival of fishes. Techniques such as gill netting used to catch species such as salmon, sardine as cod is very destructive since the fishes get entangled and cannot move. Trawling and seining which catch large quantities of the commodity are detrimental since they lead to decline in fishes population at sea.

An emerging trend in fishes harvesting is commercial fishes rearing. This is where species that are in high demand are kept in private ponds where they are regularly fed and sold upon reaching maturity. This practice contributes to a lot of achievements in the conservation exercise. Fishes farmers can now supplement the dietary needs of consumers without posing a threat to the natural ecosystem.

Numerous marine ecosystem groups are creating awareness to the public on the why they should prioritize feeding on sustainable products. A good way has been to assign sustainability ratings to as many species as possible. A high score could mean the resource is abundant while lower ratings should be avoided. This move has gone a long way in creating a more informed consumer population.

You need to follow a few tips when shopping to make sure that your diet consists of sustainable fishes. The first step is to avoid purchasing your delicacy from stock that is over fished. Any item marked red should be prevented at all costs. Ensure that you have a reliable fishes guide that contains all the ratings of the marine ecosystem. It is advisable for consumers to buy farmed fishes.

Fishes vendors are advised not to stock vulnerable fishes species on their stalls. Selling undersized marine products that are yet to reach maturity and reproductive age is illegal. Vendors should properly label their products. Where wild fishes are on sale, the label should indicate whether the seafood is responsibly harvested.




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