One way to be a climate hero is by checking the SASSI list and making a sustainable seafood choice. This is in line with 4 principles that actually govern the 26th COP (Conference of the Parties) summit that will bring states together to accelerate action towards Climate Change. These are:
Encourage healthy living; Encourage more sustainable behaviour; Promote the use of responsible sources and responsible use of resources throughout the supply chain; Leave a positive legacy
The best you can do to combat climate change effects is to choose local seafood!
Did you know that choosing certain seafood 🐠 over others can satisfy the palate and also help reduce climate impacts? The where and how of fish matters!
⛽ Seafood’s carbon footprint is mostly affected by fuel consumption. For example, a large boat 🛳 traveling the high seas to catch a migratory species is going to burn a lot more fuel than a small boat 🛥 traveling less distance to catch a local species.
📍Where the seafood is processed also can increase its carbon footprint. Even if caught without much travel, shipping seafood for foreign processing and then importing it for sale can skyrocket fuel and energy consumption, leading to higher emission rates 🏭
The tools used to catch seafood can also have variable climate impacts. Purse seines – large nets that can be drawn closed, like a bag – have among the smallest carbon footprints of capture methods. Opting for locally caught and processed seafood can be one of the best ways to combat the high fuel consumption resulting from foreign catch and processing.
🐟Small, lower trophic, pelagic species (those at the near bottom of the food chain) like anchovies & herring have much lower carbon footprints.