Catch of the Day is Going Extinct

I’m with a dear friend who happens to have been a Green Beret, about 6’6” and he’s definitely someone you want to keep on your side.

“There aren’t really any fish left in our waters.”  I say to him.  He replies, “Good, then I don’t have to worry about mercury poisoning.”

“I am not sure we should be eating any fish at all.” I responded.  “We should eat them all up now ‘cause there really won’t be anything to eat in 5 years.”

“You know, I can’t live without my fish and chips.” he said.

“Really, what kind of fish is that?”  I wonder aloud.

“Catch of the day.” he states.

Catch of the day?  What the hell?  Is there still such a thing?  I wonder.

So, I respond  “That could be any one of 200 endangered fish!”

His reply:  “We might as well eat ‘em while they are still here!”

I’m always getting into trouble with conversations like this.

I am learning to enjoy my friend’s perspective and not get into a righteous battle about how we need to save our oceans.

This is a tough one for me.  I sell fish to catering clients all the time.  I offer them Wild Pacific Halibut, Wild Salmon and Striped Bass.  Not a lot of choices.  Having fish flown from the West Coast to the East Coast is a waste, even given any off-set from eating fish that is sustainable, but I do it.

And I look for fish that is local and sustainable:

• Mussels
• Clams
• Oysters
• Scallops
• Smelt
• Conch
• Bluefish
• Mackerel
• sea perch
• squid
• lobster

So, my angst continues when I venture to the fish market the other day with my son Oren. Oren wanted a fish sandwich, claiming I never made him one.  (He’s right. Bread and fish don’t go together for me.)

The only fish I found available at the fish market that was local was cod.

Now there’s a problem - Do I get into it with our fish supplier, (who is just trying to make a living), that he should not be selling cod?

Admittedly, Oren gets tired of going to the store with me – he has also become great at arguing his point on deprivations:

“Mom, the fish is already dead.  I just want a fish sandwich.”  He says to me as we see our only choice is cod.

I purchase this cod and we return home to make a fried fish sandwich.  I do it because there will not be any fish for his kids someday and he’ll be able to say to them:

“I remember when my mom made me a fried cod sandwich before she knew they were going extinct!”