The fish made me do it.

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Let me start by saying, tonight I had my heart (and palette) set on sushi. I could almost taste the cool, sweet rice, and the fresh tuna mixing with the salt of the soy sauce… then I happened to glance at a small Ocean Wise brochure my son brought back from a recent screening of the film, Sharkwater [2].

This movie illustrates the threats facing the world’s fish stocks, most notably the predators – such as sharks, and the ever-tasty tuna. The Ocean Wise Program [3] is an initiative developed by the Vancouver Aquarium to make it easier to identify ocean-friendly seafood that has been harvested in a sustainable manner from stocks that are abundant and resilient. Looking through this little guide to Western Canadian restaurants, I was somewhat crestfallen to discover there were no sushi restaurants listed. Guess that officially puts my favourite Japanese delicacy on the Guilty Pleasures List. So instead, I chose the Cactus Club Cafe and settled for Cajun Halibut Tacos. The Ocean Wise logo was featured quite prominently on their menu, but almost completely buried on the Cactus Club website [4] and pretty much lost on my server. (“It’s from the north shore, not farmed or caught with nets or anything…”) 

Now, I’m more susceptible to eco-guilt than most, but it occurs to me this could and should become a growing trend. A sign inside the huge aquarium at the front door would be a great place to start.

Now if I could just get them to offer organic wines by the glass.

Image credit: Lorne Craig