Seafood Watch

I would like to apologize for not doing anything on my blog for the 4th and would like to stress that this won't happen again. Therefore, I'll make sure to wish you happy [insert holiday here]s early. Happy Thanksgiving, by the way.

Now to the point. I would like to make a comment to all of you sushi lovers out there. During my visit to the Monterey Aquarium I found out about. Seafood Watch. Seafood Watch is campaigning to stop overfishing and fishing or farming that is unhealthy to the environment. Myself being a sushi lover, this is quite an impact to what I can eat. For example, I like octopus, but the handouts told me that I should avoid consuming it. I don't plan to consume it anytime soon. To finish, I would encourage getting to know Seafood Watch and start to change your seafood diet, and then pass it on to your friends, who should pass it on to their friends, and the friends of their friends, and so on! Yay for Eco-friendliness!

-Kaires, who would like to stress that he hasn't had octopus in a while.

Avoid These Fish:

• Awabi/Abalone (U.S. Farmed)
• Iwana/Arctic Char (Farmed in Recirculating Systems)
• Masago/Smelt roe/Capelin (Iceland)
• Mirugai/Giant Clam/Geoduck (Wild-caught)
• Mackerel, Atlantic (Canada)
• Sawara/Mackerel, Spanish (U.S. Atlantic, U.S. Gulf of Mexico)
• Muurugai/Mussels (Farmed)
• Kaki/Oysters (Farmed)
• Gindara/Sablefish/Black Cod (Alaska, British Columbia)
• Sake/Salmon (Alaska Drift Gillnet, Purse Seine, Troll)
• Ikura/Salmon Roe (Alaska Drift Gillnet, Purse Seine, Troll)
• Iwashi/Sardines, Pacific (U.S.)
• Uni/Sea Urchin Roe (Canada)
• Amaebi/Spot Prawn (British Columbia)
• Suzuki/Striped Bass (Farmed)
• Suzuki/Striped Bass (Wild-caught)
• Izumidai/Tilapia (U.S. Farmed)
• Shiro Maguro/Tuna, Albacore (U.S. Pacific, Canadian Pacific Troll, Pole-and-line)
• Katsuo/Bonito/Tuna, Skipjack (Troll, Pole-and-line)

• Masago/Smelt roe/Capelin (Canada)
• Kani/Crab, Blue
• Kani/Crab, King (U.S.)
• Kani/Crab, Snow
• Imitation Crab (Alaska Pollock)
• Mackerel, Atlantic (U.S.)
• Market Squid (California Purse Seine)
• New Zealand Tai Snapper (Bottom Longline)
• Pollock, Alaska
• Tai/Red Porgy (U.S.)
• Gindara/Sablefish/Black Cod (California, Oregon, Washington)
• Salmon (British Columbia)
• Sake/Salmon (California, Oregon, Washington Drift Gillnet, Purse Seine, Troll)
• Hotate/Scallops, Sea (U.S. Atlantic Wild-caught)
• Uni/Sea Urchin Roe (California)
• Ebi/Shrimp (Thailand Farmed in Fully Recirculating Systems)
• Ebi/Shrimp (U.S. Gulf of Mexico, U.S. South Atlantic Wild-caught)
• Ebi/Shrimp, Northern (U.S., Canadian Atlantic Wild-caught)
• Sole (U.S. Pacific)
• Amaebi/Spot Prawn (U.S. Pacific)
• Squid/Squid, Argentine shortfin (Imported)
• Squid, Japanese Flying
• Izumidai/Tilapia (Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras Farmed)
• Shiro Maguro/Tuna, Albacore (Hawaii Longline)
• Shiro Maguro/Tuna, Albacore (South Atlantic Troll, Pole-and-line)
• Maguro/Toro/Tuna, Bigeye (Troll, Pole-and-line)
• Maguro/Toro/Tuna, Yellowfin (Worldwide, Except Pacific and U.S. Atlantic Troll, Pole-and-line)

• Kani/Crab, King (Imported)
• Unagi/Eel, Freshwater
• Hirame/Flounder (U.S. Atlantic Wild-caught)
• Hirame/Halibut, Atlantic
• Ankoh/Monkfish
• Ankimo/Monkfish Liver
• New Zealand Tai Snapper (Danish Seine, Trawl)
• Tako/Octopus, Common
• Sake/Salmon (Farmed)
• Sardines, Atlantic (Mediterranean)
• Uni/Sea Urchin Roe (Maine)
• Shrimp (Mexico Farmed in Open Systems)
• Ebi/Shrimp (Imported Wild-caught)
• Ebi/Shrimp (Imported Farmed in Open Systems)
• Tai/Snapper, Red
• Hirame/Sole (U.S. Atlantic)
• Izumidai/Tilapia (China, Taiwan Farmed)
• Shiro Maguro/Tuna, Albacore (Worldwide, Except Hawaii Longline)
• Shiro Maguro/Tuna, Albacore (North Atlantic)
• Maguro/Toro/Tuna, Bigeye (Worldwide, Except U.S. Atlantic Longline)
• Hon Maguro/Toro/Tuna, Bluefin
• Hon Maguro/Toro/Tuna, Bluefin (Ranched)
• Aku/Tuna, Skipjack (Imported Longline)
• Maguro/Toro/Tuna, Yellowfin (Worldwide Purse Seine)
• Maguro/Toro/Tuna, Yellowfin (Worldwide, Except U.S. Atlantic and Hawaii Longline)
• Hamachi/Yellowtail (Australia Farmed)
• Hamachi/Yellowtail (Japan Farmed)

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Today was the last day we had scheduled in Monterey. We had planned ahead of time to go to Monterey's aquarium, so we accordingly did so. It was, put simply, absolutely amazing. Every variety of fish and mammal you could name was there. Seahorses, sea otters, jellyfish, crabs, anenomes, even octopi were among the multitude that were there.  The best exhibit were the jellyfish, hordes of them just drifting. It was beautiful in that mindless way jellyfish have. Even better, there was an interactive display that seemed to come straight out of a science fiction movie. Using a touch-screen, you could pull up zoom views of plankton and move them around.

The zoo wasn't all smiles and rainbows, however. The aquarium spent quite a bit of time describing the dangers posed by humans to the undersea environment. Before this ends up as "please, take the pledge to reduce water consumption or feel indescribable remorse", I'm just going to simply say that watching what you do and being as efficient as possible; you could save a cute sea creature. These guys are counting on you.