Louisiana is a region of our country that’s rich in seafood. Sustainable fisheries play a major part in ensuring that the seafood continues to be available to grocery stores and restaurants throughout the area. At Tommy’s Seafood, we believe that sustainable fishing practices are the key to not only maintaining fish populations in the area but also bringing you the best quality seafood. If you’re not sure about why sustainable fisheries are important, we’ve put together a guide with five benefits of buying from them.
Better for the ecosystem and environment
A balanced ecosystem requires more than ample food for plants and fish at the bottom of the food chain. There needs to be a sufficient supply for the fish all the way to the top. Overfishing practices disrupt the ecosystem and the food chain by taking away a crucial piece of this puzzle.
Sustainable fishing practices ensure that this doesn't happen. A large part of sustainable fishing helps the ecosystem flourish by regulating how much fish is caught and preventing the fish population from declining. By keeping the fish population strong, the entire ecosystem will remain in balance and there will always be healthy fish to eat.
Help grow the industry
No matter what industry we’re talking about, it requires money from the consumer to continue to grow. Wild fishing boats will often try to catch as much fish as possible in a single run in order to maximize profits. Without catch limits and systematic rotations, certain fishing grounds can run dry and the industry will suffer.
In contrast, sustainable fisheries monitor fish populations to maintain strong harvests. Your support for sustainable fisheries allows them to continue growing, which will grow the industry and provide restaurants and grocery stores with more healthy fish from sustainable fishing grounds.
Helps endangered species
A major ideal behind sustainable fishing is maintaining the fish population. As previously mentioned, this helps to minimize the impact on the ecosystem and food chain. This means that species that have become endangered still have the necessary food that they need and provides an opportunity for the species to thrive. Should the food chain be disrupted, endangered species of fish would not have a chance to recover and could be lost forever.
Healthier to eat
A significant benefit of buying from a sustainable fishery is that the seafood is healthier for you. Because of the controlled environment from which the fish are harvested, bioaccumulation of mercury is lower. Bioaccumulation is when the mercury that is ingested by fish lower on the food chain is passed up to bigger fish. It starts in small quantities with krill and other prey fish, then is passed on as those fish are eaten, and so forth. Sustainable fisheries are a more controlled environment than wild fishing grounds so the fish have lower mercury content, which also makes for higher concentrations of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Supporting the local economy
Part of sustainable fishing is staying local. Most sustainable fisheries are local to the areas in which they distribute their seafood. We’re no different. When New Orleans businesses buy sustainable fish from a local fishery, the money supports local businesses and goes back into the local economy.
Get in touch for more
At Tommy’s Seafood, we’re proud to practice sustainable fishing so we can provide you with some of the best seafood available. You can get in touch with our team to learn more about our sustainable fisheries and why they’re the best source for fresh seafood. Give us a call at 504-271-9735 or send a message using our online contact form. We look forward to providing you with fresh and delicious seafood.
