While “sustainable” is a buzzword in the food industry, experts participating in Eat Vancouver’s “Taking Stock of Seafood” panel in the spring debated the definition and viability of sustainable fisheries. “Consumers have a lot of passion for sustainable seafood,” said Mike McDermid, co-owner of Vancouver’s Fish Counter, while also noting that the notion of what constitutes a sustainable fishery today may change tomorrow. “There’s been a shift in consumption, but that has a downward pressure through the system.” He explained: “Wild capture fisheries is the last ‘wild hunt’ on the planet, and we tend to hunt things to extinction before we stop.” Dr. Daniel Pauly, Ocean Sciences professor at the University of British Columbia, agreed, pointing out that management of fisheries in Canada, unlike the U.S., doesn’t include rebuilding. “Sustainable growth is self-contradictory,” said the professor. Traceability is a major issue, too, he said, stating that world fishery statistics are incomplete, as 40 per cent of fish sold is illegally caught, and 60 per cent of the fish we consume is from developing countries. “This is an ethical problem — grabbing fish in West Africa to feed fish on farms for our tables,” Pauly said.
Written By: Cinda Chavich
Issue 48, Number 5
