New Zealand Best Fish Guide
There is an old Calabrian proverb that says:U pesce nata sempre: intra l'acqua, intra l'oglio, e intra'u vinu.
The fish swims forever: in water, in oil, and in wine.
Heard of the Best Fish Guide?
Maybe some of you have. There were a few media stories done about it when it was released back in November. But heading into the holidays I thought a reminder was in order. The guide will help you make better choices about fish to purchase. I say "better" choices as all species are either on amber or red alerts.
I am not sure when this will no longer be acceptable to New Zealanders. According to the guide, there is no management plan for any of the country's 68 commercial fisheries. To sustain fish stocks, the fishing industry and the people whose livelihood depends on it, there is a desperate need for action. The facts are on the website and I encourage you to read, download and use the Guide.
What would life be like without fresh fish? I hope we never find out. Please, foodies, as responsible consumers, it is critical we do our bit. What fish could end up costing in the long run is far too high to ignore.
So, what to do to help local species swim forever?
Get the Guide.
Comments
The guide has a list of fish that are ranked according to their ecological impact. There was an interview on Campbell Live awhile back and the Conservation rep suggested sticking to the top ten fish on the amber list (not the alphabetical list by species) and asking questions about the fish from your fishmonger. Best Fish Shopping!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/features/228index.shtml
we have similar constraints in Australia. Great for the environment, but not so great for the pocketbook as fish prices are getting higher all of the time.
The other concern is that a large proportion of our fish is being exported to Japan, which means that finding the fish we want at an affordable price is getting harder and harder...