Pescetarianism – the ethical choice?

Pescetarianism — the ethical choice?

Written by Jeremy Head on 03 February 2012

: Image via Wikipedia

Last week I decided to cut meat out of my diet. As I will continue to eat fish and seafood, I will be known as a pescetarian – not a vegetarian as some would have it. But just how virtuous can I feel about this lifestyle choice?

The primary reason for me turning my back on meat is one of health. I find it difficult to digest meat, especially the red variety, and I am aware that it doesn’t carry as many health benefits as fish, which is full of good fats, protein and vitamin D – also good for healthy skin and nails. Luckily for me I love fish and seafood, and generally ate more of it than meat anyway.

Plenty more fish in the sea?

So, I feel virtuous in the knowledge that I am being kind to my body, but can I score extra points by playing the ethical card? Sadly, I fear not. Granted, fish and their water-loving friends aren’t as cute and cuddly as their farmyard counterparts, but they are still living, breathing creatures that are killed for our culinary pleasure.

Awareness of the devastating effect that over-fishing is having on the environment was also heightened earlier this year, both by the controversy surrounding celeb-favourite Nobu’s refusal to take endangered species bluefin tuna off the menu and by the End of the Line documentary. Scientists involved in the film predict that if the fishing industry continues to operate as it currently does, most of the world’s seafood resources will have run out by 2048.

Savvy shopping

But choices for the ethical fish-eater are growing. Perhaps buoyed by the increased publicity, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) reports that sales of fish products certified from sustainable sources, as well as the number of such products on the market, are increasing.

The blue MSC label assures consumers that the seafood in a product has come from a “well-managed, sustainable source”, minimising environmental impact. Rupert Howes, chief executive of the MSC says that since 2006, the number of MSC-labelled products available worldwide has quadrupled, reaching the 2,000 mark at the beginning of the year – with 300 of these in UK supermarkets and eateries.

The big four supermarkets – Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco – all now stock MSC-accredited products, as do Marks & Spencer, Somerfield and Waitrose. Seafood producers Young’s and Birdseye have also added MSC-certified products to their range.

Still, it’s hard to escape a heavy conscience when eating my favourite – king prawns, which are widely farmed and therefore not terribly sustainable. But last month, Cumbrian Seafood, one of the UK’s largest seafood suppliers, launched the first king prawns to be sold in the UK under the Best Aquaculture Practice. Hoorah!

If you want to know what other fishy dishes you can enjoy with a clear conscience, this handy website lists the species of fish available to the UK which the MCS believes are fished within sustainable levels and which do not cause unacceptable damage to the environment.

So, is being pescetarian more ethical than eating meat? Inherently not, I would say. Being an ethical eater is all about savvy shopping, and this applies just as much for fish as it does for meat.

Image by Flickr user

DMahendra

Sainsbury’s sluggish after a winter cold (telegraph.co.uk)
Widen choice to save fish stocks, supermarkets told (guardian.co.uk)
Big in Japan? (news.bbc.co.uk)
WWF nets Marks & Spencer commitment to sustainable fishing (guardian.co.uk)
How to eat fish ethically: Maps through the maze of sustainable seafood (nationalpost.com)

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