July 7, 2015
Community-Supported Fisheries: A New Pathway to Sustainable Seafood
Picture eating this for dinner tonight: rockfish tacos, grilled king salmon, miso-marinated broiled sablefish….mmm. Sounds delicious, right?
People should be eating more sustainable seafood: The health benefits are numerous, and sustainably-caught seafood works to keep ocean ecosystems in check. Yes, grocery shopping can be a pain. Plus, there’s no guarantee that when you go to the market that you’ll find sustainable seafood options or the information to inform your decision on what to purchase.
But much like organic subscription-based farm deliveries are revolutionizing the way people buy produce, programs that do the same for sustainable seafood are beginning to take off. They are called Community-Supported Fishery programs, and provide a more direct link from the fishermen to your plate.
One such program is a non-profit called Alaskans Own. If you live on the West Coast, you have the opportunity to become a shareholder to receive a monthly delivery of sustainable seafood. Lucky customers of this program (right now limited to Seattle, Anchorage, Sitka and Juneau) receive a monthly delivery of premium, wild-caught, sustainable seafood from Alaska. These fish baskets include coho and king salmon, Pacific halibut, sablefish (black cod), rockfish, and lingcod — all caught on hook-and-line gear by local fishermen.
Look for one of these Community-Supported Fishery programs in your region and start eating more sustainable seafood today — it’s a great way to support local fishermen, sustainable fishing and to ensure that you know you are eating the seafood option that you paid for.