The Dish on Sustainable Food: A Q&A with Tom Worthington of Monterey Fish Market
By Suzanne Samuel
Published: October 2006
At OceanFest, Zuni served fish donated by Monterey Fish Market. Photo: Jamie Hall.
With sustainable seafood on our plates at OceanFest and a San Francisco Chronicle story touting the benefits of eating fish on the front page last week, FMSA Communications Director Suzanne Samuel sat down with Monterey Fish Market partner Tom Worthington to find out exactly what "sustainable seafood" means, how to shop for it, and what to have for dinner.
SS: What does “sustainable seafood” really mean?
TW: Sustainability is different for each species and each fish. Here are some factors to consider:
- Size of population. Is the fish plentiful and not in danger of being overfished.
- How the fish is caught. Sustainable capture methods vary by type of fish. The more hands-on, the better. The goal is to have gear that does as little environmental damage as possible and that avoids bycatch. U.S. shrimp nets, for example, are now required by law to have an escape hatch for turtles. Fishers are usually licensed for one type of fish, with specific limits on how much they can catch based on the fish population. The best fishing methods target just one kind of fish, like a halibut fisher using hooks sized specifically for halibuts’ mouths. Indiscriminate fishing techniques, such as some trawlers, catch nontargeted types of fish and other sea creatures in the process. This “bycatch”--unintended and often unusable--is usually tossed back into the ocean, without ever being counted or consumed. A huge volume of fish is wasted as bycatch; just one reason why it's important to pay attention to fishing techniques when you go to the market.
- Time of year. Fish need time to rest and regenerate. Alaskan halibut, for example, is fished between March 15 and November 15. The break gives the fish time to spawn and allows stock to be reassessed in order to set fishing limits for the next year.
- Where the fish is from. Local fish tastes best. Plus eating local allows you to connect with where your food comes from.
SS: I've heard a lot about wild versus farmed fish. Can you explain why wild is better?
TW: Not all farmed fish is bad, but it is one indicator of sustainability. Closed systems (catfish, trout, tilapia) are a clean form of fish farming, and that fish is considered sustainable. However, most farming at sea, typically salmon, is done poorly.
- It takes 3 pounds of wild caught fish to raise 1 pound of farmed fish.
- Nonindigenous species are often raised where they don't belong, which brings up problems with parasites and creating unnatural ecosystems that are out of whack.
- Fish are often bred for one characteristic, which is problematic like other forms of genetic engineering.
- Like any densely populated small city, fish farms have problems with waste, which sinks to the bottom of the ocean, and disease, which can also spread outside the fish farm.
- With many kinds of farmed fish, you're not paying the true environmental costs. (It's why farmed salmon is so much cheaper, and why you shouldn't buy it.) It's kind of like the Superfund sites that we must pay to clean up years after they were created.
The best guidance is to ask questions when you buy your fish. If there's no one to ask, try to buy wild whenever possible.
SS: When I go shopping for fish, how do I know if something is sustainable?
TW: You can download a Seafood Watch card for your wallet, but the card doesn't tell the whole story.
- Build a relationship with whomever you buy fish from. Ask the fishmonger what they would take home and why.
- Try not to go to the market set on buying a particular kind of fish. See what's fresh, what they recommend. Ask where and how the fish was caught.
- A great way to learn more about sustainable seafood is to Google your favorite kind of fish. When is it in season? How is it fished? It is in danger? Then move on to another kind of fish you like.
- Get reconnected with your food. Shop at farmers’ markets. Take your kids to pick apples. Go out on a fishing boat. Visit a wholesale fish market (you can come see us at Pier 33 in San Francisco).
SS: What should I buy for dinner tonight?
TW: Great choices that are sustainable and in season right now are Alaskan halibut, lingcod, sardines, California swordfish (women who are or may become pregnant and kids should watch mercury levels), squid, Sierra mackerel, and white shrimp.
Tom Worthington’s favorite fish are sand dabs, squid, and sardines. Learn more about sustainable seafood from Tom at http://webseafood.com/sustainability.htm, or visit him at Monterey Fish Market at Pier 33.
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