Many people ask the question ‘Should I eat fish?’ With increasing publicity about crashing fish stocks, discards and bycatch, and marine habitat destruction, it’s important to take a conscientious interest in what fish species you eat and where it comes from? Some ‘Food for Thought’….
Here in Looe, a busy fishing port in Cornwall, we are fortunate:
- To have a day boat fishing fleet – small fishing boats that return their catches to port daily. This is a prime example of sustainable fishing practice as Looe’s small to medium size boats harvest the sea producing a livelihood for local fishermen without otherwise damaging the enveloping environment.
- Looe day boats catch sustainable fish varieties that are not caught in many waters.
- The freshness and quality of fish and seafood landed and sold on a daily basis via Looe’s fish market is second to none.
- The fish is not only supplied locally to restaurants in Looe and Cornwall but is positively in demand from the finest restaurants across the country and abroad
What can you do?
- While you are in Looe, take the opportunity to eat fish in our local restaurants.
- BE ADVENTUROUS! In the UK, cod, salmon and tuna account for more than 50% of the fish that we consume. When eating out in Looe’s fish and seafood restaurants, if there’s a fish dish that you haven’t previously heard of, try it. Frequently appearing on the Looe menus are some often ‘unused species’ such as gurnard, megrim sole and spider crab.
- When buying fresh fish to cook at home, It’s important to source fish locally and also to buy seasonal fish rather than imported fish, plus try to select from the least destructive fishing methods.
- When cooking at home, the more unusual catches are just as simple to cook as the fish varieties you may be more accustomed to and most importantly, taste just as good!
Abby Crosby, Marine Conservation Officer at the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, says
“Fish is good for us, and if you choose your fish and sources wisely you can help contribute to the development of a sustainable future for our fishing industry, by increasing market demand for fish from sustainable stocks caught in a selective and ecologically sensitive manner.”
Through his Fish Fight Campaign, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is trying to change EU laws, encourage people to eat different fish and help change policy. More information www.fishfight.net
