Sustainable seafood is an important enough topic that I feel compelled to post about it, even though I’ll admit I’m a self-proclaimed n00b at living a sustainable lifestyle. Thankfully, we just have to listen to the experts who know what they’re talking about!
So let’s just dive right into the deep end!
(WARNING: that won’t be the last water-related phrase you’ll have to suffer through.)
Going shopping? Try to buy seafood that are farmed and caught sustainably, and avoid the over-exploited.
Singapore is a place where food>life (and rightly so), so just one person choosing to buy a fish that’s a sustainable alternative could make some tangible waves. Understanding the impact of our choices is a good first step, but further than that, take some time to educate yourself about the types of seafood you can consume without guilt!
Sustainable seafood is a way to replenish our oceans and manage their resources into the future. Informed consumers can make all the difference by finding out where their fish comes from and by making responsible choices.
National Geographic
The WWF in Singapore released a report in 2016, helpfully labelling the seafood you can buy, seafood you should think twice about, and seafood you should avoid.
I asked if there was an updated list but I didn’t get a reply, so I’m just going to assume nothing has changed since 2016. And yes, I AM salty they ghosted me. 👻
Have a look at this list. If you don’t do the cooking at home like me, show it to your dad/mum/whoever cooks at home. They might recognise a few things.
We no longer buy the yellow-tailed scad! I turned the tide in our favour! 🌊
Hopefully there are some changes you can make when deciding what to buy. Making one small sustainable change ain’t no sweat off your back! You can find more information on how you can help the animals of the world here, on the WWF Singapore website.
Aquaculture is a large part of the greater whole of the industry of sustainable seafood. According to the National Geographic, “True sustainable operations minimize environmental impacts like pollution, disease, and other damage to coastal ecosystems on which wild species depend. They also avoid using wild-caught fish as feed, a practice that puts enormous additional stress on wild fish stocks.” In other words, while fish farms produce half of all the seafood the world eats, not all of them have sustainable business processes. I challenge you to go further! Find out about the companies your local shops buy from. Choose to put in the extra work and share your own stories doing so!
Maybe you have suggestions on how to move towards a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle? I’m still a bit wet behind the ears. Let me know in the comments! You can check out some of my other lifestyle posts here. Don’t forget to subscribe so you know when I post my next super dope magnum opus content!