The Importance of Seafood Sustainability

In recognition of National Seafood Month, The Marine Stewardship Council and Nobilo Wines held an event to discuss and educate individuals about the importance of sustainable seafood. Growing up, seafood was part of our regular diet. My mom often opted to cook it because it was lighter and healthier than eating red meat. To be honest, although I grew up eating seafood frequently, I’ll admit I knew very little about seafood sustainability prior to this event.

Did you know over the past fifty years overfishing has pushed many fish stocks to the point of collapse? According to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) more than 30% of the worlds fisheries have been pushed beyond their biological limits and are in need of strict regulation. This event opened my eyes to the importance of keeping our oceans healthy for the future. So what is seafood sustainability? It’s simple; sustainable fishing means leaving enough fish in the ocean, respecting habitats and ensuring people who depend on fishing can sustain their livelihoods.

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is a non-profit certification program who, for the past two decades, has focused on helping to keep our oceans healthy by recognizing and rewarding sustainable fishing practices, influencing the choices people make when buying seafood and working with partners to transform the seafood market to a sustainable basis.

They are also committed to the following:

Preventing food fraud;
Combating overfishing and keeping our oceans healthy;
Promoting transparency in supply chains;
Supporting fishermen and fishing communities;
Ensuring a robust supply of seafood for future generations.

Not only were we educated on the importance of seafood sustainability, but we also learned just how easy it is to cook delicious meals from sustainable seafood and how to pair those meals with tasty wines from Nobilo Wines. The great thing about each of these dishes is how incredibly easy they are to make at home.

To start, we enjoyed a tropical shrimp ceviche paired with Nobilo Wines Sauvignon Blanc, a tropical wine with fruity pineapple, cantaloupe and citrusy flavours. Chef Langley prepared this delicious starter for us using MSC certified cold water shrimp, which to my surprise can be found at your local IKEA!

Next up, we were treated to a delicious lobster saffron risotto paired with Nobilo Icon Sauvignon Blanc. This rich and creamy dish was phenomenal and definitely my favourite meal of the night.

And finally, to end the night, we were treated to a delicious tomato ricotta tart with roasted cod paired with Nobilo Icon Pinot Noir.

Choosing seafood that’s healthy isn’t as difficult as you think. The MSC has made it super easy for seafood lovers (like me) to purchase seafood that’s not only healthy for you, but good for the environment. If you want to purchase seafood that is wild, sustainable, traceable and caught responsibly just look out for the MCS blue fish label!