A conversation with the InSeason Fish team this World Oceans Day
World Oceans Day is a global initiative to celebrate the oceans and recognize the issues that are harming our marine ecosystem. The initiative’s Facebook page is filled with posts that bring to notice problems of plastic pollution, ocean conservation and how we can change the situation through actions both big and small. As marine Biologist, Dr Samantha Joye says in her interview with BBC– “If the oceans weren’t healthy, and the oceans don’t stay healthy and regain their health, human beings are doomed- that’s the bottom line. The oceans make the earth a habitable planet.”
InSeason Fish founders- marine geographer Divya Karnad and wildlife biologist Chaitanya Krishna spoke to me about what seafood consumers can do to make the oceans a better place and what they want people to know this World Oceans Day. Here is an edited version of the conversation I had with them.
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TYT: What do you think are the most significant issues plaguing the oceans, today?
Divya Karnad: The most immediate threat, of course, is fisheries. Larger looming threats which are more challenging to tackle are the issues of plastic pollution and climate change. When we look at issues, the question that arises is are we are looking at something that is very proximate, which we can potentially stop vs more significant global concerns, where everyone has to come together to make a change.
TYT: In your article “Sea through the eyes of fisherfolk” you write- “The sustainability of our fisheries depends on the ethical fishing practices developed by fisherfolk. Their ethics are, in turn, shaped by their knowledge and perceptions. That’s why exerting external, government-led control on fishing practice will not work.” Do you think we need to revive some of the traditional fishing methods to address the issues we are facing?
Divya Karnad: More than the methods I think what we need to revive are the deep-rooted experiences of the fishers. Fishing does not merely translate to going into the sea and catching the fish. We are talking about fishing from a cultural perspective, and experiences that are steeped in the fishers for generations. When we talk about methods, of course, some methods are more destructive than others. But what people don’t realize is that the way these methods are implemented also matters. For example, if the fishing gears are used for a few hours and then they are taken out of the sea, as opposed to them being left in the sea for hours together- that itself will make a huge difference. When I was working in Maharashtra, some of the fishing communities would share that they would go into the sea for a few hours in the morning, fish, and come back. They would probably go again for a few hours in the evening. The perspective of these communities is vastly different from someone who is one step removed from the whole experience- like someone who owns boats and sends out people to do the work. Experienced fishers believe in going into the sea to get what they need, and not more. They are witnessing the changes in the oceans, and they take necessary measures based on practical methods. Through InSeason Fish, these are practices we support and promote.
TYT: What can people do to contribute to healthy oceans?
Divya Karnard: People don’t realize how their smallest actions have a significant impact- be it flushing chemicals down the toilets, throwing disposable plastics or their choice of food. The main focus of initiatives promoting sustainability has been trying to control the practices of the fishers. Their practices are shaped based on what the market demands, and the market is us- the consumers. Our choices therefore matter.
What is equally important is paying attention to our activities. For a long time now fishing communities have been pointing out areas in the oceans where there are no fishes. This is long before we termed these regions hypoxic zones or dead zones. At that time it was thought of as hearsay or playing the blame game until research proved it all to be true.
The most direct way to begin our journey towards sustainability is through the fish itself. We felt that might be a good way to connect people to the oceans. Also, it’s important to understand where the inherent knowledge is coming from. We need to start conversations about different species, different varieties, where they live, and where they are no longer available. Consumers should engage in such dialogues.
TYT: How important is it to get chefs and restaurants on board to spread the message of seafood sustainability effectively?
Divya Karnad: Prior to InSeason Fish we had conducted studies with restaurants to see what kind of seafood they serve. We found that they were serving a very small variety of seafood- four or five species like pomfret, basa, mackerels and sardines. A lot of people eat seafood outside, and the younger generation brings this knowledge back home Since they ate it at a restaurant, they feel it is probably OK to make the same at home. There is no scope to talk about seasonal fish or reducing the load on a few species if that is the case.
Fishers in certain communities have regulations in place for themselves. As a result of the regulations, they are not able to go chasing after the high-value commercial species. They have to go with the seasonal fish available. But then where is the market for that? By educating chefs about all this and bringing them on board, we can create a demand for these diverse species. During our interactions with chefs, we found that these aspects are not talked about during their culinary training. We hope that as people get exposed to these different species in restaurants, they will follow suit at home as well.
TYT: Along with seafood guides, would certifications and eco-labels help in better consumer education?
Divya Karnad: An ideal approach would be to buy as local as possible. Labels work if you are away from the coast, and you have absolutely no connection with the source of your seafood. Even then labels generally increase the opacity and the distance between producers and consumers. It boils down to the information that the labels convey and how they are designed. Honestly, that’s not very easy to figure out. After all, there are so many factors to consider when it comes to seafood.
Team @inseasonfish on @worldoceansday, making healthy oceans possible and the #inseasonfishchallenge Click To TweetTYT: What do you think lies in store for the future of seafood in India?
Divya Karnad: Our initiative has been in the works for many years. Before we launched the website, we did a lot of work on the ground. When we spoke to people, we found that they are interested in contributing to a sustainable seafood culture. However, their biggest concern was that they did not know how to consume these other diverse species. I think this is what is going to define the future. If people are going to continue to consume the same set of species, and even if they claim to do so seasonally- it doesn’t have a tangible impact on fishing practices. We are hoping through seafood guides and social media; there will be a change in the future. As more and more people get used to these species, the fishing communities stand a chance of putting in place their regulations and getting support from the market for the results.
TYT: What message would you like to convey this World Oceans Day?
Chaitanya Krishna: An unfortunate fact of our current food culture is that we are disconnected from the source. While there are initiatives to understand the source of our vegetables and fruits, or to grow our own food, for seafood this disconnect is slightly more amplified. In cities, people no longer purchase from the source, and therefore don’t have conversations with the fishers about what is available, where did they get it from etc. What we would really like to convey on this World Oceans Day is that people should start thinking about where their seafood is coming from. They should try and find out more about what they are eating. The more questions they ask, and the more openness there is, people will begin to comprehend the larger issues.
We would also like to suggest that if people live by the coast and are interested, they should try and engage with the fishing communities, and participate in related activities like beach clean-up drives. This will help people visualise the impact of the problems which are widely discussed. It’s one thing to read about them, and it’s another thing to see the garbage and plastic polluting the oceans. Also, when people interact with the fishing communities, they will be able to understand how they work and what are the difficulties they face on a regular basis. This understanding will form the foundation of consumer’s choice of seafood.
Most importantly we want people to extend support to small-scale fishers. The practices they implement have a very small ecological impact when compared to larger mechanised boats and trawlers. We also need to ensure their knowledge of the sea gets passed on to future generations.
Arun Velekkat aka The Take It Easy Chef is a food blogger passionate about “simple and honest recipes using local and organic produce”. For the #InSeasonChallenge Arun cooked up a traditional Kerala prawn curry with Indian White Prawns.
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Contributing to this conversation, Arun shares that challenges of this nature are critical in spreading the message about seafood diversity. “A decade ago, the seafood that we used to get was a lot more seasonal and locally sourced. That is not the situation now. We can buy almost any variety of fish at any time of the year, of course paying a premium. We are not aware of the environmental impact of this buying behaviour. We are also abandoning local, seasonal, sustainably caught fish for fancier varieties. Commercial overfishing has already made many species critically endangered. For fishers and sellers, the economic incentives of selling the expensive and the “not-in-season” species are depleting our fish stocks. Inadvertent consumption of harmful chemicals in the form of preservatives used while transporting the seafood and an overall increase in the carbon footprint are all adverse effects of our changing seafood consumption patterns.
This is where InSeason Fish and contests like the #InSeasonFishChallenge can help build awareness. The InSeason Fish team is doing a great service by educating us about eating right and choosing sustainable seafood. With their seafood guide and monthly calendars, it is easy for us consumers to avoid fish that is out-of-season. They also share a lot of information on breeds that are in season which are otherwise overlooked for the more popular varieties.”
Arun also says that chefs play a key role in bringing this change. “Home chefs, like our moms and grandmoms, always had the conventional wisdom to cook with seasonal varieties of fish. However, this knowledge has not been imbibed by the current generation, especially the urban dwellers. Our food habits have changed, and the increasing trend of eating out or ordering in vs cooking at home comes with its consequences. We are only aware of select few breeds of fish that are commercially fished. Many chefs and restaurants use the same species of fish for all their recipes throughout the year. Customers are not even aware of the alternatives they have! Restaurants and chefs can help improve the situation. They can experiment with lesser known, in season varieties as replacements for the overfished, endangered species.
The education doesn’t have to stop there. Some of the species of fish used in restaurants are harvested from highly polluted commercial aquaculture farm waters. Our chefs can promote local, in season alternatives that are healthier and travel fewer kilometres from the sea to our plates. This will, in turn, have a positive impact on the local fishing communities.”
Featured Image Courtesy: InSeason Fish Facebook Page
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