Breaking News! The oceans are dying! Well, you probably already knew that because studies have shown that about half of all marine species will be extinct in the next few decades thanks to pollution, acidification, global warming and over-fishing. So, when you go to the supermarket, you may be feeling guilty about the fish that you are buying and you may begin wondering if that fish is sustainable. A good example of this is cod, which was once very sustainable. Legend has it that when John Cabot sailed into the waters of Newfoundland, there was so much cod in the water that you could put a bucket down and bring it up full of fish. Those days are long gone and now cod is no longer sustainable due to over-fishing, so it may not be a great idea to go and buy it.
Thanks to the power of texting and cellphones, you can now have the answer you have been looking for. FishPhone is a service that allows you to answer those questions that you have about your fish at the supermarket. By texting 30644 and entering FISH followed the name of the fish you are thinking of buying, you will receive a text back that tells you whether or not that fish is sustainable or not. If it is endangered, threatened or perfectly fine, FishPhone will let you know.
You also have to think about where your fish comes from. A lot of the fish that winds up in our stores comes from China. China does not have the best environmental record and the fact that several people in Canada got sick from imported fish from China a few years ago attests to that fact. Recently, there was a documentary on about imported fish in China and it was found that while a company said it was using clean practices with its fish, those around it may not have been. It showed an image of some fish being fed, while on the shore of the fish farm, there was someone spraying pesticides. Be aware of where you are getting your food from and try to buy locally from an organic supplier.
You will be happier you did and the fish will be happier you are being sustainable as well.
