{"id":5388,"date":"2014-04-08T13:53:16","date_gmt":"2014-04-08T17:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/?p=5388"},"modified":"2014-10-10T12:58:00","modified_gmt":"2014-10-10T16:58:00","slug":"the-quest-for-sustainable-seafood-has-never-been-easier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2014\/04\/08\/the-quest-for-sustainable-seafood-has-never-been-easier\/","title":{"rendered":"The quest for sustainable seafood has never been easier"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo credit: Rick Moonen\/RM Seafood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you love seafood, the six weeks between Mardi Gras and Easter is likely one of your favorite times of the year. It doesn\u2019t hurt that restaurants, fish markets and grocery stores are awash with Lenten promotions, resulting in the most profitable period for seafood sales.<\/p>\n

So why not use this time to get out of your comfort zone?\u00a0 Put down the tuna and salmon and try something new; the seafood market has an abundance of options.\u00a0 \u00a0Additionally, consumers are seeking out local and sustainable seafood like never before, representing some of the hottest trends in the restaurant industry for the past several years.<\/p>\n

But which fish are the best to buy? Tools like EDF\u2019s mobile \u00a0Seafood Selector<\/a>\u00a0and Monterey Bay Aquarium\u2019s\u00a0Seafood Watch app<\/a>\u00a0are great ways to have sustainable seafood recommendations at your fingertips. Some fish pundits like Chef Alton Brown \u2013 host of Good Eats and other programs on the Food Network \u2013 go so far as to encourage consumers to ignore all the labels and just \u201cBuy American<\/a>.\u201d In the absence of definitive information, this might be your best option. However, it\u2019s usually a good bet that your fishmonger or server can tell you where their fish is from.<\/p>\n

Did you know?<\/h3>\n

The average piece of fish can be handled by up to 10-15 people before it gets to your plate. This isn\u2019t inherently bad, especially if it\u2019s coming from remote waters, like Alaska\u2019s Bering Sea. However, more and more seafood lovers want to know who caught their fish, and more importantly, how long it\u2019s taken to get to market. In response, a number of companies, fishermen and nonprofits alike are committed to \u201cshortening the supply chain\u201d between the ocean and your plate. Here\u2019s a sampling of some of our favorites:<\/p>\n