I cannot believe an entire year has gone by already!  Today is Earth day and that means that I have successfully completed my year without eating any seafood.  I have to say that it wasn’t difficult at all, at least for me.

I feel that in accomplishing this I have been able to touch a few more people along the way in my mission to promote healthier oceans, fisheries and sustainable seafood.  For the most part, people actually understood my motives even though they themselves would never attempt to remove seafood from their lives even for a week.  However the conversation about sustainability and the truth about some of their favourite catches was eye opening to many and even though most will still choose to have their Ahi tuna at sushi restaurants I can’t help but feel that I  may at least continue to tug on some heart strings somewhere when those people decide to make such an unsustainable choice.

The point is, it is incredibly easy to make better choices when choosing seafood at a restaurant or at home for your family, the public just needs to be more educated and sustainable choices need to be accessible. As our world becomes more aware of our troubled oceans I truly believe that our selfish, destructive fishing practices of the past will become just that…the past.

So today is Earth Day!  How are you going to contribute?  Go with sustainable seafood.  Sustainable seafood products can ensure a better environment and security for ocean life in our future but only if we choose it.  It’s time we all do…and what better day then to start today?

I can’t believe we are already half way through March!  That means that I am approximately one month away from completing my year without seafood successfully!  April 16th is only 29 days away now, but what comes after the 16th of April for me?

Sustainable seafood choices of course!  I must say that I am so fortunate to live in British Columbia where most of our seafood is in fact sustainable so I absolutely have a wide variety of great seafood choices available to me.  However it will be difficult for me to refrain from my favourite sushi which is tuna.  Luckily British Columbia is also home to the only sustainable tuna left in the ocean which is Albacore Tuna and it is truly delicious, however it is harder to find at sushi bars.

The ironic part of all this is that I am still 33 weeks pregnant, so I can’t have sushi for a while anyway!  I can’t even have crab or any other type of shellfish which is what I miss the most!  Funny, it seems that my year without seafood will be getting an extension after all!

My husband and I just got back from a couple of weeks in Sayulita Mexico, our favorite little Mexican village just north of Puerto Vallarta.  We actually spent the winter there last year, and it was there that I became inspired to create this blog and begin my year without seafood.  So this year there was no Dorado (Mahi Mahi) or Camerons (Shrimp) for me but you could be sure to see it on every menu in every restaurant and street vendor in Mexico.

Towards the end of our trip, my husband and I went to dinner at a popular restaurant in Sayulita with family and friends and brought along our friend and surf instructor Javier, a Guadalajara native who has been living and operating his surf business in Sayulita for a few years.  As we took turns ordering our meals I could not help but take interest in the seafood choices made by everyone at the table.  My husband enjoyed taking playful shots at our family members for ordering things like shrimp fajita’s in front of me. “How can you order that in front of Jennie!” he laughs, while our friend Javier orders Ahi Tuna for dinner and then communicates his adoration for this particular fish by saying, “I just can’t resist ordering Ahi when it is on the menu, it is just so good.”  I couldn’t help but think, “Ahi Tuna is endangered…what is it doing on menus?!”

Then someone asks,  “why is there so much Mahi Mahi down here, it seems to be everywhere?”  Javier was quick to answer, after all he was the token local, “Dorado (Mahi Mahi) is a local fish in Sayulita and we have tons of it, so it’s super fresh, incredibly tasty and therefore on menus.”  I was immediately curious about that statement as I was unsure about the sustainability of Dorado, instead I assumed that he was wrong about Mexico’s abundance in this species and rather believed he, like most, mistakenly understand the reality of our troubled ocean inhabitants.  Judging by the way Mexico handles rules and regulations, I would assume those weakened philosophies would also hinder the well being of Mexico’s Fisheries.  But the truth was, I didn’t know for sure…Is Dorado an abundantly sustainable fish??

It turns out that Dorado actually grows and matures very quickly meaning that it can most likely sustain commercial fishing pressures, however they are often caught using long-lining techniques which does contribute to unnecessary bycatch and the potential injury or death of numerous other ocean species as well.

Dorado is an incredibly important fish to the Mexican economy as it is an excellent sport fishing species.  The travel sport fishing industry is a multi-million dollar industry and as they are also preyed on by Sailfish, Marlin, Sharks, some varieties of tuna and more, their presence along the Mexican coast is vital.

My brief research has lead me to believe that at this point it seems that Mexican Dorado is a safe seafood option where sustainablility is concerned but I have more questions now about what is actually happening in Mexican ocean conservation and what challenges they are facing today.

I feel terribly that I have neglected this blog for a month but for great reason!  I recently found out that I am pregnant!  The news has completely taken my attention away from the ocean as I started another blog to document my pregnancy journey called www.after-30.com .

Until last night…my husband and I met up with some friends for dinner at the Keg here in Whistler.  They had arrived early and had already ordered appetizers, escargot and cheese bread.  As we declined the offer of escargot, our quest to not eat seafood came up again.  At first my friend was confused as to why we weren’t eating seafood and said “but you’re pregnant…fish is the best thing for you right now!”  I responded by saying that my choosing not to eat seafood is more about advocating sustainability and less about not eating all seafood.

I believe that my giving up seafood for a year is an example that it is possible to refrain from the foods you love for the sake of the health and wellbeing of that species.  At some point as a society we are going to have to make a choice, and my choice is to save our oceans so that the generations below us can enjoy the same pleasures we have today.

However for that to happen, drastic changes MUST occur NOW!  Without change soon, we are destined to destroy this fragile ecosystem within a short few decades.  The only way we can successfully save our oceans is to eat sustainably.  There is no way we can convince the world to stop eating seafood…people will never understand and choose to look the other way as they do when they only hear what they want to hear.

What we can do is promote sustainable fisheries.  Choose your seafood product wisely and stop eating endangered species.  For more information on sustainable fish, please see my article on the Greenpeace Redlist under the sustainable seafood archive.

I had the honour to volunteer my services at a spiritual event in Whistler a couple of weeks ago  which hosted North America’s spiritual Guru Deepak Chopra.  The public event was a gathering of local residents as well as people from all over North America hoping to spend a couple of hours with this incredible figure and learn something deeper about themselves and the world.

Interestingly, the evening spoke more to a global consciousness than an individual awareness.  Deepak spoke of the evolution of our spirituality in North America and how we are making great strides to improve the way we think and perceive ourselves and each other, however it is our human responsibility to begin to take this knowledge and share it with a global consciousness.  His message was to make good on the World, share your passions, stand up for what you believe in and share it.

Guests that spoke at the event were incredibly inspiring, one little girl and her father took the stage after we all watched a news report featuring the two of them.  After a trip up north to the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, they were stunned to discover that the Grizzly Bears they traveled to see were being trophy hunted right before their eyes!  Kali, the little girl, was devastated by what she saw and decided she wanted to do something about it.  So they wrote letters to the Premier asking him to stop such a horribly barbaric hunt but to no avail.  Kali persevered and contacted Deepak Chopra who in turn offered to sign her next letter for support.  Again, there has been no response but Kali is not giving up.  A little girl with a big heart.  I realized that Kali and I shared a common goal, and at that moment I prayed that we would both have happy endings.

Later we were all asked to chat with the people next to us and discuss the ways that we have been contributing to the World.  This was such a great opportunity for me!  I jumped at the opportunity to share my blog and my decision to refrain from eating seafood for a year.  My group was slightly amazed and possibly confused and didn’t really offer much of a response.  Maybe because they weren’t expecting that anyone would actually be doing anything to discuss or maybe because they didn’t want to hear why I stopped eating seafood.

Regardless, that night I realized just how important my cause is, and how proud I am to have finally done something to give back and support our strained Mother Earth.

It was a magical night, full of inspiration, love and music all in the presence of the power of a collective spiritual energy.  We all left feeling like we were infact an important part of the big picture, one that we can fix if we put are hearts and minds into it.  A powerful gift indeed.

The program that caught my attention 6 years ago that has inspired me to do my part in communicating for Ocean awareness is Ocean Wise founded by the Vancouver Aquarium.  This conservation program was created to “educate and empower consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood”.  According to Ocean Wise, “sustainable seafood can be defined as species that are caught or farmed in a way that ensures the long-term health and stability of that species, as well as the greater marine ecosystem”.

Ocean Wise is a very simple classification program, a species is either sustainable or unsustainable.  Species are recommended if they are:

1. Abundant and resilient to fishing pressures
2. Well managed with a comprehensive management plan based on current research
3. Harvested in a method that ensures limited by-catch on non-target and endangered species
4. Harvested in ways that limit damage to marine or aquatic habitats and negative interactions with other species.

(Ocean Wise)

The Ocean Wise department at Vancouver Aquarium uses internal and external resources to assess the well being of all species, keeping up with all the latest scientific literature released so to relay this information to all participating partners.  Their seafood database is always changing and adapting to ensure appropriate classifications.

Seeing as many of us enjoy our seafood in restaurants, a great place to start protecting ocean habitats and stressed species would be in the kitchens of our favourite local chefs. Ocean wise set out to work directly with interested restaurants and markets to keep them well informed with the latest scientific research thus making ocean friendly alternatives an easy choice for their menus.

Robert Clark Executive Chef of C Restaurant, a man I have had the honour to work with, was one of the first on board with this program and continues to be a spokesperson and representative for Ocean Wise restaurants in the city of Vancouver.  Although Ocean Wise does all of the research, restaurants are required to follow  strict guidelines in order to be granted with the trademarked Ocean Wise logo.  This includes a mandatory training meeting with employees to ensure that staff are well informed about the Ocean Wise program and the sustainable seafood available on their menus to further educate the public they serve each night.  I was one of those people at Raincity Grill, and it was a eye opening lesson, one that continues to inspire me to educate those around me about seafood sustainability.

Today over 100 restaurants in British Columbia are Ocean Wise recommended and the success of the program has  inspired other restaurants across the country to become involved.  However there is much work to be done across the central provinces and the east coast of Canada.

If you own a restaurant and would like more information about the Ocean Wise program please visit www.vanaqua.org or as a consumer you can visit the Vancouver Aquarium’s  website to view their participating restaurants so that you can make wiser dining decisions for your family!

I decided to take on a mission this year and support a cause that truly inspires me, one that I believe can make a huge difference for the future.  Sustainable Seafood.

I’m taking it one step further though, I am choosing not to eat seafood for one year so that I can make a statement for sustainable seafood.  I work in the food and beverage industry and my not eating seafood is bound to raise several eye brows, that of course is exactly what I want.

I want to start a conversation about our oceans and their future.  Ocean Wise TM estimates that “over 90% of all predatory fish are already gone from the world’s oceans.”  These numbers are over whelming but indeed a fact!  Over 50% of the world’s oxygen comes from our oceans and with devastating extinction and habitat destruction it is very likely that we will witness the entire collapse of the World’s oceans by 2048!  What happens to us when our oceans die???

It may already be too late to save many marine species, but I’m willing to try.  Refraining from seafood will allow me to spark conversations with people and will provide a window for me to educate the public on a subject that is in the shadow of Green Living and  Global warming.

It will be interesting to write about the response that I get from my guests in the restaurant, my family, my friends and my colleagues.  I expect many to completely dismiss what I say entirely.  I only hope that I can reach those who do believe in this cause and  create a buzz on the Internet, through you!

Please pass on this blog to your friends and family, make comments,  support me, berate me, whatever you feel, just be a part of this important conversation and help people choose sustainable seafood!

Thanks!!

Jennie

"Imagine an ocean without fish. Imagine your meals without seafood. Imagine the global consequences."
Finally a documentary has been released to help combat the ever looming disaster that is over-fishing! "The End of the Line" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah on January 15-25, 2009. The film explores the unfortunate story of Newfoundland and the decimation of the World’s largest cod populations which took place in the early 90’s…approximately 17 years ago! Obviously the Newfoundland cod tragedy did not have an effect on the countless global fishing industries but it has grabbed the attention of many marine biologists, scientists, conservationists and of course worried citizens.
According to the film "Scientists predict that if we continue fishing as we are now, we will see the end of most seafood by 2048." A frightening prediction and a likely result if change does not occur immediately.
This film is a must see and supports my theory of taking responsibility for our choices at home. It is up to the consumer to change the way we look at seafood and demand sustainable products for our future, otherwise global marine extinction is a certainty.
Please visit www.theendoftheline.com for more information and to find viewings in your area.

Is your favourite seafood in trouble?

In their efforts to educate and ignite sustainability initiatives within supermarkets across Canada, Greenpeace created a fish stock RED LIST bringing much needed attention to those species who are in serious trouble for survival or whose fishing practices are negatively affecting the environment and the surrounding species.

According to Greenpeace, “each species was included because the fishery or production method has negative impacts on the target species or other marine species, leads to ecosystem alterations, has social implications, or is poorly managed or illegally fished.”

As consumers we have to do our part and refuse to purchase the fish on this list!  It is up to us to make others aware of this stunning category of endangered species.  You might be surprised…

• Arctic Surf Clams
• Atlantic Cod
• Atlantic Haddock
• Atlantic Halibut
• Atlantic Salmon
• Atlantic Sea Scallops
• Chilean Sea Bass
• Greenland Halibut
• New Zealand Hoki
• Orange Roughy
• Any Sharks
• Skates and Rays
• Swordfish
• Tropical Prawns and Shrimp
• Tuna – Atlantic Bluefin Tuna – Yellowfin Tuna – Bigeye Tuna

Greenpeace Red List 2009

Choosing not to eat and purchase the species listed here is one way you can make a difference for our oceans!  Print this list off, tell your family, bring it to work, these small efforts can lead to the survival of these species and help the ocean regain some much needed strength!

For more information about the Greenpeace red list please visit:

Greenpeace-redlist

I suppose it began well before April 16th 2009.  In fact somewhere between January of 2004 and 2005.  Although I do not recall the exact date, I will never forget this day.  At the time I was working as a server for a restaurant in Vancouver called Raincity Grill.  Our restaurant was one of two well known restaurants in the city and were operated under the watchful eye of Robert Clark, Executive Chef.

The staff of both C Restaurant and Raincity Grill were requested to meet at C for an educational meeting with the Vancouver Aquarium.    We were there to learn about Ocean Wise, a conservation program created by the Vancouver Aquarium to help educate and build awareness toward sustainable seafood.  Our restaurants were on board with this program choosing only to serve sustainable seafood products.  Of course what good is such a program when you do not have all of the facts.  Our teachers went on to explain why it is so important to promote sustainable fishing and consumption as our Oceans are facing enormous pressures from not only pollution, acidification but also over fishing.

That afternoon we learned some horrible statistics, and suddenly I felt compelled to share my new knowledge with my guests.  I soon found that I was very proud to be working for a company that was doing what they could to help in an industry that is generally focused only on the bottom line.

That was over four years ago, and much has changed in my life since then. I’ve grown up, I am now married, I have done a lot of travelling and yet something was still missing.  For some reason I felt that something was not finished somewhere, a missing passion that I can not access somehow.  And then it happened…

Earth day, April 16th 2009.  I was living in Mexico for the winter where Dorado (or Mahi Mahi) is fished everyday no matter what the size, where prawn boats are out everyday and where tourists pay $200 to deep sea fish only to give their prize away after the thrill was all gone.  My passion suddenly arose and I was finally aware of something that truly matters to me.

I decided that on Earth Day my contribution would be to refrain from eating any seafood for one year.  I created a group on Facebook called “Don’t forget our Oceans” and off I went, trying to spread my message.  I now have 41 members and it has come to a halt.  Probably because groups on facebook are shortly lived attractions and also because I’m not sure how many other people can really not eat seafood for that long.

So I had to adapt.  It’s not about eating seafood, it’s about making better choices and changing demand.  I needed something bigger, something with a better potential to reach more people.  Well…this is it.  An Oceans View was born.  My blog to write, educate and create awareness about sustainability and the welfare of our Oceans.

I hope to give our Oceans a voice in this world by keeping my blog updated with news about conservation, sustainable fishing, related events, anything that will help my cause so that you can be better informed at home.

So that is how it all began, this is the first post of many more to come and I hope you choose to participate with me and share “An Oceans View”.