Ethically Kate: How you can ensure you’re eating sustainably caught fish

Not all fish is created equal when it comes to sustainability. Photo / 123RF

OPINION

Q: I am a pescatarian, but lately I have been thinking about fishing methods. The fresh fish you see in the supermarket – and the tinned stuff on the shelves – how is most of it caught?

A: I feel I need to preface my answer with a confession: I have never bought fresh fish from a supermarket. I am incredibly privileged to have a fisherman husband who throws back his first “keeper” and has his own sustainable fishing standards that go above and beyond the law.

I used to buy the occasional frozen fish fingers but I stopped this years ago after learning about the impact commercial fishing can have. So my privileged, biased recommendation is to find a local supplier you can trust (like the fish guy at my local farmer’s market) or a frequent fisher friend who is happy to swap fish for something else you can offer them; perhaps baking or a few home-cooked meals.

If this is not an option for you and you still want to dine on Aotearoa New Zealand’s kai moana, here are a few tips.

Avoid species that are usually caught through practices like bottom-trawling. This involves dragging a weighted net across the ocean floor and it can damage the entire habitat. For example, paua, green-lipped mussels, salmon, cockle, and pilchards are generally more sustainable to dine on compared to oyster, hoki, and tarakihi.

You can look out for The Marine Stewardship Council’s blue tick certification which focuses on whether there is a management plan for the survival of the species so it will be around in the future. But it doesn’t guarantee that the seafood was caught in a way that preserves ocean habitats and avoids by-catch.

To summarise, you need to consider these things when buying fish from the supermarket. What species is it? Could I get fish from somewhere more local? When this fish was caught, what other species were harmed? How was the fish caught? Be brave and ask these questions wherever you buy fish. The attendant may look at you like a stunned mullet, but there is no harm in asking, and you may learn more than you think!