A recent Salon article suggests sustainable seafood is a fantasy. It quotes ecologist Carl Safina of Blue Ocean Institute:
“You can’t rely on anybody selling you fish to be truthful 100 percent of the time,” Safina said. This isn’t limited to how the fish are caught; the sustainable option you pick might not be sustainable at all, because it’s an entirely different fish.
Just the other night, at a Slow Food Minnesota/Twin Cities gathering, we met a source of “truthful 100 percent of the time” seafood. Sitka Salmon Shares is a Community Supported Fishery.
Back when I was interning with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, I remember the head of their aquaculture program selling the most amazing frozen Alaska salmon and halibut out of the basement freezer. Sitka Salmon has much more enticing marketing and packaging, and the quality is outstanding. Check them out.
When looking for sustainable fish, also look to local legends Bullfrog Fish Farm and Star Prairie Trout Farm. Bullfrog has a mail order service. Star Prairie is available at local farmers’ markets, including the Mill City Farmers Market.