World Oceans Day highlights the importance of sustainable seafood

Not only is Canada home to a quarter of the world’s coastline, but 40 per cent of our territory is ocean, giving all Canadians a vested interest in protecting this vital resource.

One way to invest in the health of our oceans is by choosing sustainable seafood sources. But how do you know what to look for and why is it important?

In advance of the sixth annual World Oceans Day on June 8, Yahoo Canada Shine recently spoke to Patrick McMurray, WWF spokesperson and owner of Toronto’s popular oyster bar Starfish to get his expert take on sustainable seafood solutions.

Why is choosing sustainable seafood important?

“I think that balance is needed in the seafood trade if we want to leave something for our kids’ kids to enjoy,” says McMurray. “Right now, we’re taking more wild fish than our oceans and lakes have to offer, and if we don’t make smarter choices, there’s not going to be much left to choose from.”

McMurray makes buying and serving sustainable seafood at Starfish a priority and goes to great lengths to teach customers about the positive impact they can have on ocean health by making smarter seafood choices.

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How can you ensure the seafood you’re choosing is truly sustainable?

McMurray says that when it comes to choosing seafood, he looks for choices that are fresh, local and sustainable.

He says that fresh is the best way to show fish, but when done right, frozen is a great option as well.

McMurray says that while fish from the Great Lakes are a good local choice, there’s lots of great options from Canada’s east and west coasts. He notes that cultured on land is a great balance to ocean-only choices.

When it comes to sustainability, wild species are just one option. McMurray says there’s an increasing volume of excellent quality cultured (or farmed) seafood available that consumers should also consider.

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“There are a number of different systems and groups that help me make informed decisions on sustainable seafood. WWF, for example, endorses the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a certification standard for seafood that is caught in the wild, and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) for farmed,” he says. “Customers place a lot of trust in me when it comes to oysters, and I think it’s also important that the fish matches the shells, so to speak.”

Farmed vs wild – what’s the better choice?

“I balance my seafood from well-stocked wild, seasonal catches, to well-maintained and certified sustainable aquaculture practices,” says McMurray. “We cannot live on wild-only stocks, period. We humans have proven too many times that we will consume everything in our path, and if we do not check that thought, we will consume the ocean, until only water remains.”

What are some trusted resources for those looking for more information?

Canadians can use the MSC’s shopping database to help them make more sustainable choices or print out Seafood Watch’s pocket guide – they even have a app so you can preserve another valuable resource – trees.

For more great advice on sourcing out sustainable seafood options, check out the video below.