A groundbreaking consumer awareness campaign between conservationists, industry and seafood retailers on sustainable seafood choices will be launched in Sydney tomorrow. More often found on opposite sides of the debate, common ground has been found around which seafood species people can eat this Easter and not feel guilty about their impact.
“Australians enjoy fresh seafood but a number of overfished and even threatened species can end up making their way onto our dinner plates,” said Cate Faehrmann, Executive Director of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.
“Some seafood species are at risk from overfishing but we can relieve pressure on them by purchasing other species that are relatively abundant and resilient to fishing pressure.
“The Nature Conservation Council has worked with the fishing industry and other experts on the Nice Choice! project which identifies five seafood species the community can comfortably consume with minimum impact on numbers: Australian Sardines, Eastern School Whiting, Luderick, Sea Mullet and Spanner Crab.
“Fishmongers and leading Sydney restaurants will support us in promoting better seafood options by stocking booklets containing new recipes created by some of Sydney’s top chefs and food consultants, along with information on all of our five chosen species.”
At the Nice Choice! launch at Dank Street Depot on April 9, Executive Chef, Jared Ingersoll, will serve a selection of delicious canapés highlighting the five Nice Choice! seafood varieties that not only taste great but can be harvested at sustainable levels.
“There is a massive sea-change coming. People are excited about it and want to be part of it,” Mr Ingersoll said.
“There is a groundswell of dynamic, enthusiastic food producers, customers and general
public who love it and want to latch onto it – but it is a case of connecting the two.”
Information on making a better sustainable seafood choice, inspirational recipes featuring
creative ways of preparing the five Nice Choice! species and a list of participating retailers
are available on the new website, http://www.nccnsw.org.au/nice-choice.
