Wednesday, October 18, 2006

The minefield of buying fish and chips

I have started to do my bit in trying to eat fish from sustainable sources only. So the other day, when I was offered fish and chips, I asked for "anything other than cod or haddock" (as I understood that these species are at risk).

I was brought a delicious meal of battered Skate and chips. My hunger and conscience were satisfied in one fell swoop...until I happened to surf onto the Marine Conservation Society's list of "fish to avoid" ...which includes skate!

They also have a list of fish to eat.

It turns out I am OK eating haddock as long as it is not from Rockall. I am OK eating Cod from the Atlantic as long as it is organically farmed and Cod from the Pacific as long as it is MSC certified. And it is OK to eat Mahi Mahi as long as it is handline caught from targeted fisheries only.

So the next time I go to the Fish and Chip shop I will present the chippie with a questionaire as to the provenance of her or his fish:

Cod?
Pacific? Y/N
Atlantic? Y/N
MSC certified? Y/N
Line caught? Y/N
Haddock? Y/N
From Rockall? Y/N
...you get the picture

...or perhaps I will just ask for cod and chips, as I don't really want to get a name for being a bit of a pernickety fish wuss.

Mind you, buying fish from supermarkets is a little easier as the Marine Stewardship Council publishes a list of fish in supermarkets which is from sustainable sources (click on "where to buy").

3 comments:

  1. Apparently the generic "Fish" I have been getting from the Supermarket is wild Alaskan pollock. How exotic.

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  2. Paul, I would be interested in your view on my article here.

    By all means delete this comment as it has nothing to do with fish or chips.

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  3. I agree with you Joe. I don't think compartmentalisation can happen in a million years. However, it depends on the person and their religious views as to whether they are suited to a particular government role. (And I agree with your point about having someone in the equality role who agrees with Opus Dei policy - very precisely put).

    If we imagine Simon Hughes being in Ruth Kelly's role - do we think this would be an issue? I suspect not. Simon has a deep faith but it is, like mine, very much a Southwark Cathedral Anglican faith, rather than an Opus Dei faith or Anne Atkins-Anglican or a US evangelist/G Bush faith.

    I can't think of Ruth Kelly without imagining her wearing a long black cloak and smoking a cheroot - this is because there was an episode of Morse which included a Catholic female sect and the murderer was one of them - dressed in black with a cheroot - I digress.

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