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The sustainability of fish served at most restaurants can be as murky as a muddy lake. But one company, Sea to Table, is giving consumers better products while supporting small fisheries at the same time. Though it started small, with the idea of connecting small fisheries that use sustainable practices directly to chefs, this company has expanded to serve 600 restaurants.

 

Founded by Sean and Michael Dimin, the company is committed to supporting both the small-time fishery — which have a hard time competing against the big guns in the marketplace — as well as not buying fish on the “red list” of sustainable rating systems (such as those published by FishWise, Seafood Watch and the Blue Ocean Institute). At-risk fish are not purchased. 

 

Part of the group's strategy is sharing the story of each fish and each fishery. Not only do consumers get delicious fresh fish, but they also know where the fish came from and how it was caught. The company even sends out high-definition video cameras with their fisherman to capture sustainable practices first-hand.

 

As a consumer, I appreciate these practices. My husband recently took me out for my birthday to a local sushi place that only uses sustainable fish. Not only was the fish amazingly fresh and delicious, but it was also so nice to know that everything we ordered was sustainable.

 

Watch this short video for an introduction to Sea to Table.

 

 

Related sustainability story on MNN: 5 sustainable seafood recipes