4 Fish We Just Shouldn’t Eat

Dynamite fishing? This installment of my monthly Alternet column, “4 Oceans,” was originally published on April 1, 2011. The thunderous power of the dollar can obliterate nearly all barriers between consumers and the objects of our desire. If one is willing and able to throw out enough cash, there’s very little in this world that we can’t have. Sadly, this reach extends to a number of aquatic species that just aren’t built to cope with such pressure. In this month’s “4 Oceans,” we examine several seafood items that we just shouldn’t eat, even if we have the wherewithal to acquire them. Bluefin tuna This is probably old news to a lot of readers, but the current state of the world’s bluefin tuna populations have been…

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4 Surprising Places You Can Buy Sustainable Fish

A dangerous path This installment of my monthly Alternet column, “4 Oceans,” was originally published on April 26, 2011. Even as the plight of our oceans worsens, a large sector of the seafood industry continues to defend the status quo. Issues of grave concern like overfishing, bottom trawling, and piracy are swept under the carpet time and time again by the same tired argument: “sustainable seafood is too expensive.” This adage comes in many forms. “Sustainability is just for the rich,” is a common one. Or maybe the scoundrels go for the jugular with pseudo-patriotic poppycock like “real Americans can’t afford to eat sustainable fish.” This scare tactic is designed to end the conversation so conventional industry can get back to slinging the…

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