Eating wild caught fish can be a rewarding and eco-friendly way to support sustainable seafood production. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) was founded by WWF in 1997 to reward sustainable fishing practices and harness consumer purchasing power for environmentally friendly practices. Today, MSC certified fisheries account for over 11 percent of global wild catch harvest.
Unlike farm-raised fish, wild caught fish is incredibly fresh. You can’t trust the fish at your local grocery store, so the only way to guarantee it’s fresh is to catch it yourself. Unfortunately, not everyone lives near the sea. For that reason, there are all-inclusive Alaskan fishing vacations that allow you to catch your own fish.
The methods used to catch wild fish are varied and can range from handlines to pole-and-lines to trolling lines. Traditionally, fishermen have used nets to catch specific species. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop them from accidentally catching other fish, such as porgy. These methods are more environmentally friendly than nets because they allow the release of caught animals without damaging their environment.
The main issue with wild caught fish is that their populations are becoming smaller while demand stays at the same level. This is unsustainable and harmful to the ocean and the sea creatures that live in it. Moreover, the fish that are caught aren’t fresh in many areas because they have to travel long distances before reaching the market. This means they won’t taste as good as local fish.