It all started with a pack of wild Alaskan salmon I bought at my local Waitrose grocery store. My first reaction was shock at seeing sockeye from the U.S. west coast way over here in London. My second reaction was surprise at how cheap the price was – a bargain at 6.99GBP for two portions. In the U.S. I would pay $20/lb and up. There were a lot of unanswered questions in my mind about how the fish got here and whether it was a better choice than farmed salmon, which is omnipresent throughout the UK.
This lead me to a class on sustainable seafood at the Billingsgate Seafood School in Canary Wharf. It started at an eye watering 6 a.m. and was headed up by the bubbly C.J. Jackson, Chief Executive of the school. We started off with a tour of the market, which was bustling at that time in the morning.
C.J. gave us the lowdown on sustainability and origin of product at every stop. Asian distributors are bringing in more exotic varieties, like these parrot fish.
Lots of native species were front and center, such as these pretty lobsters.
A dresser full of live eels gave me the quivers!
Seaweed harvested around the U.K. is becoming more and more popular.
Gorgeous farmed oysters from the island of Jersey.
After the tour we reconvened above the market. There are conference rooms, a comfortable dining room and a full-on professional kitchen. Kippers, buttered toast and coffee were served. For those new to kippers, the cook said, “They taste just like bacon” , which they did, if a tad bonier!
Presenters from some of the biggest wholesalers were up next. Direct Seafood, New England Seafood and the head of the Norwegian Seafood Council all gave background and updates on sustainability in the marketplace.
There are several certification organizations and watch dog groups that share information on wild fish as well as oversee farmed seafood. The most noteworthy for the consumer are the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). MSC certifies through a third party rating system what wild seafood is sustainable; in 2017 just 12 % of wild caught seafood was certified. Therefore farmed fish and shellfish is important to the future supply of protein to feed the world. The ASC oversees the operation of seafood farms verifying they are environmentally and sustainably managed. The MCS produces “The Good Fish Guide“, a valuable tool that consumers can use to determine which fish are the most sustainable, both farmed and wild caught.
It is ultimately up to the consumer, however, to make sure they are getting a fully sustainable product. If the packaging is labelled with an MSC or ASC sticker then you can be assured you are getting the most sustainable seafood on the market. If there is no label then you need to ask questions. For wild fish, find out where the fish comes from and how it was caught. For farmed seafood, ask where the farm is, what type of food the fish is fed and if any antibiotics are part of the diet. Download the Good Fish Guide app to your phone so you can refer to it.
The listings for what is sustainable are shifting constantly so it’s more imperative than ever to be informed. By voting with your pocketbook you can reduce the negative impact on the environment and contribute to healthy oceans while enjoying wonderful fish and shellfish.
By the way, that wild Alaskan salmon I get from Waitrose, is labelled with the MSC label. The carbon footprint is high for getting it to London from Alaska but it may just be more sustainable than farmed salmon and to my palate, it tastes better.
Garlic and Herb Butter Oysters
1 dozen ASC certified oysters
75 grams salted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
Preheat oven to 200C. Shuck the oysters and sit each one in the cup of a muffin tin to keep the liquor in tact. Mash the butter with the garlic and parsley and divide the mixture between the oysters. Roast in the oven until the butter melts and the oysters are just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve with fresh lemon for squeezing.
