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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.

The sensitization program begins by approaching local fishermen to enlighten them on the challenges posed by each form of fishing. Techniques such as seining and trawling are discouraged due to the damage they cause to the ocean floor where crabs, lobsters, and other crustaceans breed. Species such as salmon, cod, and tuna are examples of fishes whose numbers have been dwindling over the years.

Consumers are encouraged to purchase products from fishes farms and private aquariums. This is because such environments do not pose the risk of extinction to natural species. The fishes are properly fed and breed regularly, to meet the growing market demand. Marine authorities encourage this practice and offer assistance to those who engage in the commercial production.

Marine conservation societies have also embarked on sensitizing the general populations on which types are sustainable and which ones to avoid. This is done by assigning a sustainability rating to the assist consumers choose which type of sea product to consume. For example, a score of one could mean the product is abundant at sea, and five means it is an endangered species that should be avoided. This move enables consumers to be aware and mindful of the need to preserve our ecosystems.

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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