What fish are you eating?

I have been avoiding fresh water fish because of horror stories I have heard about doughnuts and bread being fed to fish in contained ponds. I also avoid species like tilapia because of the algae taste when grown in smaller bodies of water.

Then I recently met a fish expert who exports frozen and processed fish and he corrected some myths, much to my surprise. He says that fish producers no longer use bread or doughnuts because it has been found that they do not produce good results. Check!

Next, the algae-taste in tilapia is because of a process small fishers miss – the “cleansing” of the tilapia gut in clean water tanks after they are caught. And the secret is to find the dark species of tilapia, not the light ones. Check!

So I asked: how will I know where the fish comes from? I know that exporters have to state provenance of their products because the European Union (EU) and Japan have the most stringent standards for importation of fish. So I asked him for tips on what to buy and where to buy fish.

For fresh frozen fish, our best bets are bigger companies who follow standards prescribed by developed countries. For as long as these big companies do not cross the 15-kilometer line of municipal waters, which endanger the livelihoods of our fisherfolk.

Next, to get the most Omega 3 benefits, you can choose sardines. Yes, our good old sardines are the best source and they are plentiful and repopulate fast, too. So do not look down on sardines as poor man’s food. “Poor man” actually knows what’s good to eat. And they are fish caught from the deep blue sea. Because we do not have refrigeration in many fishing communities, the other species of fish are sold as dried fish, another poor man’s food but is actually a good source of protein, and may be the cheapest, next only to monggo (mung bean).

While it’s good to know that fish exporters observe sanitary and environmental laws, we must also check if they undermine the livelihood of our fisherfolk. They must support communities around the islands where they catch their produce. Not just as corporate social responsibility (CSR), but as part of their business plan or strategy. The community must get paid or rewarded for the bounty found close to where they live, as areas around ocean fronts are reserved for small fisherfolk and not for the big corporations. There must be a way to check what fish we are eating.

The other food item we need to know the provenance of are shrimps. There is a variety of shrimps called Vannamae and I asked our fish expert about this. They are grown in enclosed spaces but salt water is pumped into the ponds, he says. I now eat shrimps only occasionally because I want my seafood to have lived in salt water.

This is why I am not a fan of fresh water fish, which is similar to vegetables grown in hydroponic systems. I prefer natural media as opposed to man-made media. It’s just more natural and less prone to adulteration. But when you eat out, who knows? That’s the big question for most consumers.

I stay safe by buying fish from suppliers who support communities, so that assures me that the fish are compliant with fishing laws from municipal waters and that they only catch fish that repopulate fast, therefore not depleting our marine resources faster than they can reproduce.

It is safe to buy bottled fish –tinapa, tuyo and sardines – as well as dried fish like tabagak, brought to us by USAID-supported fishing communities in Roxas, Palawan.

Make sure you get your Omega 3 from these salt water species and not just from fresh water or farmed fish, which may be exposed to a lot of chemicals, unlike salt water fish which Nature has already prepared for us. Be choosy when you eat your seafood, more particularly fish, shrimps and crabs.

I have to admit I also am a fan of smoked salmon and yes, it is imported. But I need to choose the Red sockeye variety as opposed to regular farmed salmon. If I have to spend occasionally on imported fish, I would choose wild-caught salmon or canned sardines (called conservas in Spain, for example) because these Europeans know how to get the best Omega 3 from fish and they can them immediately at source.

I have had the opportunity to find Slow Fish when we go to Turin for the Terra Madre Slow Food event, and soon maybe we can find such varieties also in our waters. This is why I am excited for the Terra Madre Pacific, which happens in our very own Negros Occidental this November. I am sure we will meet fish suppliers who follow Slow Fish principles – good, clean and fair fish.

So, fish is not such a simple food to choose and consume. With today’s situation of overfished oceans, we need to be more mindful of the origin of our marine choices. We need to know and educate ourselves about species that are safe to eat as well as ensuring we do not contribute to overfishing.

Dhang Tecson, our friend who is a fish social entrepreneur, keeps us abreast of the developments in her sector like having blast freezing facilities, clean drying facilities and other post harvest equipment our fisherfolk need to make sure we get good fish from our own waters.

There even is a “fish ruler” which Dhang will distribute so we will know how big a fish should be before we buy or eat them. It matters. A fish may not have reached its optimal size yet and it is already on our plates. Be mindful. Mind your fish and we can ensure a continuous supply of these marine favorites much longer.

Ask your provider or favorite restaurant: where is your fish from?