To enhance your environmental wellness – as well as your own wellbeing – you need to eat more fish. Often, you may find yourself thinking “I really should include more fish in my diet,” but just hankering after “more fish” isn’t enough; you need the right kinds of fish. This is the ethos behind Andy Sharpless’ new book The Perfect Protein, which contains an innovative concept for preserving ocean life, beating the obesity epidemic on land, and feeding the world by shifting diets to the best fish.
According to Sharpless, who’s also the leader of Oceana (not the nightclub but the largest international organisation focused solely on ocean conservation), ‘The world’s industrial-scale commercial fishing fleets have basically over fished the oceans. That comes down to fishing above scientifically recommended catch limits, destroying nursery habitats for young fish, and catching non-target species and discarding them at sea—by-catch.’ So if you want any healthy fish to improve your wellbeing, you need to know which ones to indulge in, which to enjoy now and then, and which ones to avoid so that there are still fish in the oceans in 10 years time.
1. Stay small with sardines and anchovies: One rule of thumb that’s easy to remember is to stay small and eat little fish. These little guys reproduce really quickly, meaning that, in most cases, they are an abundant, strong, and fertile part of the food chain. In fact, if we were to manage these fish well, Sharpless asserts that we could could feed millions of people sustainably and healthily. He adds, ‘The lower down on the food chain, the smaller your footprint on nature. If you can develop an appetite and taste for them, you’ll have a lot to choose from, they’re cheaper, and they’re better for nature.’
2. Munch on mackerel: Wild mackerel is rich in omega-3s which is absolutely vital for your brain and heart health. As wild Atlantic mackerel is low in contaminants and toxins, it’s both a strong choice for you and the environment. You’ll notice that Sharpless keeps recommending “wild” and not “organic” mackerel, and there’s a reason: you should be wary of organic seafood. While some organic fish farms exist, they are yet to be certified by the proper authorities. Therefore, don’t take the risk, but look for healthy wild picks listed in reliable seafood guides.
3. Opt for oysters, mussels, and clams: You can enjoy shellfish until your heart’s content, be they farmed or wild. These shelled beauties help improve water quality, and tend to contain fewer contaminants due to the fact they don’t live that long. However, if you’re after scallops, you’ll need to find diver-caught or day-boat-caught scallops, as these ones have been caught with a minimal impact on the environment.
4. Shun shrimp: Sharpless argues, ‘If you want to be a responsible seafood eater, you have to say good-bye to shrimp.’ In shrimp catches, there tends to be other things going on in the net too. In fact, US statistics show that, per pound of shrimp caught, there is roughly five pounds of non-shrimp species in shrimp catches. Sharpless notes, ‘Much is dumped out on the deck, damaged, injured, killed, or discarded at sea.’ If you’re thinking of just going for farmed shrimp instead, watch out: farmed shrimp has been found to contain pesticides, banned antibiotics (even the ones that could cause cancer) and bits of insects.
5. Forgo farmed salmon: Here we’re back to our golden rule; eat wild seafood. Roughly a third of all fish caught are turned into fish meal or oil and, of that, 81% goes to farmed fish like salmon. To produce just one pound of farmed salmon, you need five pounds of wild fish – that’s just not a good footprint to have on the planet. Moreover, farmed salmon tends to be full of parasitic sea lice, which require high-dose toxic chemicals before they’re eliminated.
