We're a thousand miles away from the nearest ocean, but we do impact them.
"We're so far away from the ocean that a lot of people don't know exactly how the seafood gets to their grocery store, gets to their restaurant," says Grant Spickelmier with the Minnesota Zoo.
The Minnesota Zoo has teamed up with seven restaurants in the Twin Cities to educate people about sustainable fish and seafood. It started with their third annual "Fish First" ocean-friendly event Thursday night.
"About 75-percent of the world's fisheries are overfished or at capacity," says Spickelmier. "In the last 100 years, about 90-percent of the world's fish have been taken out of the ocean."
The facts have prompted scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to issue seafood watch guidelines on what fish to eat and what to avoid.
What things does the group suggest Minnesotans avoid?
"Most shrimp we have here in Minnesota is imported from southeast Asia," says Spickelmier. "When it is farmed, it's not wild caught. The farming practices in southeast Asia have a lot of environmental problems."
The group encourages Minnesotans to buy only shrimp farmed or wild caught in the United States. Spickelmier says unfortunately, it's a lot harder to find in markets and restaurants.
Our Minnesota favorites like walleye and trout are just fine.
"Walleye is great. Walleye, trout, any of the local freshwater options are really good options," says Spickelmier.
He says for salmon lovers, the Alaskan salmon is very well maintained and managed.
Spickelmier adds that asking some questions about where your fish comes from can go a long way. "There are some wonderful, sustainable options out there that people can choose."
Minnesota Zoo's 3rd Annual "Fish First" Event
Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch
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