Seafood Watch is a very cool and very practical conservation effort led by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Basically, it is a regularly updated guide to which lake and ocean critters should or should not be devoured each year. At its most convenient, they print a handy business card sized reference guide which you can carry around in your wallet. Impress your animal loving, patchouli wearing date when you take her out to your favorite seafood restaurant and tell her what she is not allowed to order off the menu. In all seriousness though, it is incredibly handy, they will send you one or more for free, and those of you with iPhones can browse away right at the dinner table by clicking here.
Central US Guide
They have a number of different guides tailored to the tastes of different regions of the country. Out of curiousity, does Zooillogix even have any readers in the Midwest besides for me?
I'm sure some of our fellow bloggers beat us to this (Blogfish - I'm awaiting your snarky remark) but I do want to bring attention to it all the same. Particularly because they have an extensive partner program that provides free printed guides to local organizations that support the cause and have a means to distribute them. If you have a local zoo, aquarium, nature center or similar organization that might be interested in getting involved, point them in Seafood Watch's direction.
Comments
Yes, you have readers in the midwest.
Posted by: stogoe | December 31, 2007 2:33 PM
amazing! now tell me you are in nebraska, iowa, mississippi or oklahoma and you will have made my day
Posted by: Andrew | December 31, 2007 2:36 PM
Just the place for a Snark! the bellman cried. Glad you guys came around to conservation, but too bad you couldn't make conservation as much fun as zoology. Now how about finding a picture of a real Snark? If anyone can do it, it must be the brothers B.
Posted by: Mark Powell | December 31, 2007 3:53 PM
I'm in Iowa. Do I win something of high cash value? Or could I, perhaps?
Posted by: mr_subjunctive | December 31, 2007 7:31 PM
Does Mid-Western Canada count? ;)
I've tried to follow this chart for a while now and it's not always easy because there are some companies that market some fish under other names or as totally different "animals," altogether. Our Northern Pollok numbers suffer for the "fake crab meat" market.
Tilapia is ALWAYS a safe bet. In fact, it's one of the very best animal proteins out there in terms of conversion rates. They are almost always inland farmed and in farms that are great for using their waste water for hydroponic fruits/vegetables. :) It's also a very mild white fish that you can do almost anything with.
Posted by: arachnophile_grrl@hotmail.com | December 31, 2007 7:55 PM
Former Iowan here! Although I guess some people consider Pennsylvania midwestern??
Anyways, I used to volunteer and work the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They are doing some great work there.
Posted by: kevin z | January 1, 2008 3:12 PM
mr subjunctive - you win! if you ever make it to chicago, i will lend you my free parking pass for the lincoln park zoo!!!
... im still holding my breath for an oklahoman...
Posted by: Andrew | January 2, 2008 11:09 AM
At its most convenient, they print a handy business card sized reference guide which you can carry around in your wallet. Impress your animal loving, patchouli wearing date when you take her out to your favorite seafood restaurant and tell her what she is not allowed to order off the menu.
Cool! I wonder if Charley the talking tuna is going to be lobbying to get tuna moved from the best choices to AVOID! LOL!
Dave Briggs :~)
Posted by: Dave Briggs | January 2, 2008 11:42 AM
Woo hoo!!!!!!!1!!1!1!11!!!!eleven!!!!!!
Posted by: mr_subjunctive | January 2, 2008 6:22 PM
I live right near Monterey. =P Awesome aquarium, and awesome work they do.
Posted by: Meg | January 6, 2008 1:13 PM
The people who made the movie Happy Feet included the reference card with the DVD release. FYI.
Posted by: mayaa | January 9, 2008 10:16 PM