To the editor,
I'd like to thank Lezlie Lowe and The Coast for an engaging cover story this past week. There has been a flurry of talk about "food miles" and ethical eating in Nova Scotia as of late, and I thought September 20th's "Green meat" feature added a thought-provoking point of view to the growing discussions around a regional environmentally conscious diet.
Anyway, the article got me to thinking about another source of animal protein. Could fish be the other green meat? With 2,700 kilometers of seacoast, and large swaths of land either forested or unsuitable for farming, Nova Scotians have historically kept healthy with a diet rich in seafood.
Though some of our favourite fish are now considered endangered or unsustainably caught, I believe that we can make seafood choices that promote marine conservation and sustainable livelihoods in Nova Scotia.
For example, you could ask your local fishmonger or server for bottom hook-and-line-caught groundfish (currently available at Home Grown Organic Foods on Allan Street). Eating lower on the marine food chain is also a generally a good bet, so why not try out some smaller species like sardines, mackerel and herring, which are, after all, part of our heritage? Nova Scotia-farmed mussels and oysters are another nutritious and sustainable choice.
You can check out seachoice.org to find Canada's Seafood Guide, and tonness more information on sustainable seafood, or feel free to write to [email protected].
By Sadie Beaton
