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Monday, April 01, 2013

The Salt

Eat Fish And Prosper?

Sablefish, anyone? This fish is rich in omega-3s, which have been tied to lots of health benefits.

April 1, 2013 In a 16-year study, adults age 65 and older who ate fish regularly were observed to live longer and were less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. It's the latest finding to bolster doctors' recommendations that people should eat one to two servings of fatty fish per week.

Summary

Friday, March 22, 2013

The Salt

Are Younger Catholics Abandoning Fish On Fridays?

A young parishioner carries plates filled with fried fish and potatoes to a table during a Lenten Friday fish fry at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church in Littleton, Colo., in 2009.

March 22, 2013 Seafood consumption typically increases during Lent in the U.S. The jump is traditionally attributed to Catholics observing the church's Lenten ban on eating meat on Fridays. But data suggest younger Americans aren't keeping up the fish tradition.

Summary

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

The Salt

Eating Eyeballs: Taboo, Or Tasty?

Fish Eyes

March 6, 2013 Sit down to eat in Iceland, and you might be served boiled sheep's head, complete with the eye. In some cultures eyeballs are considered a culinary treat, but for most of us they're still in the category of "eww."

Summary

Thursday, February 21, 2013

The Salt

One In Three Fish Sold At Restaurants And Grocery Stores Is Mislabeled

Escolar, right, is often substituted for more expensive Albacore tuna (left), a report on mislabeled seafood found.

February 21, 2013 Fish fraud is often just a form of swindling when a cheap fish, like tilapia, is sold as pricy red snapper. But a conservation group says it also puts consumers at risk of health issues and makes it harder to avoid buying fish that are being overfished.

Summary

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Salt

Marine Stewardship Council Responds To NPR Series On Sustainable Seafood

Swordfish from Canada feature a label from the Marine Stewardship Council at a Whole Foods in Washington, D.C.

February 13, 2013 NPR "did not present a complete or balanced view" of its program, the MSC writes in a statement.

Summary

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Salt

Most Americans Eager To Buy Seafood That's 'Sustainable'

Swordfish from Canada are marked with a label from the Marine Stewardship Council at a Whole Foods in Washington, D.C. The MSC says its label means the fish were caught by a sustainable fishery, but critics says it's not always so clear.

February 12, 2013 Consumers are increasingly being marketed seafood with labels that are supposed to certify that it's good for the environment. We asked about consumers' seafood eating habits and whether they prefer to buy "sustainably caught" fish.

Summary

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

The Great Dying And Climate Change

Not the only way to bring about a mass extinction!

July 11, 2012 About 95 percent of life on Earth disappeared 252 million years ago. The causes seem to be surprisingly close to what is happening now due to climate change.

Summary

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Salt

Buying Sustainable Fish Is Getting Easier, But It's Still Hard

Fish on display at a Whole Foods Market in Hillsboro, Ore., in 2010.

April 25, 2012 Even as some retailers are turning to certification schemes and rating systems to offer consumers trustworthy choices, the art of sustainable seafood buying now requires a sophisticated understanding of geography and science on the part of the consumer.

Summary

Friday, April 06, 2012

The Salt

Lust, Lies And Empire: The Fishy Tale Behind Eating Fish On Friday

Did the pope really make a secret pact to sell more fish? No, but the real story of eating fish on Fridays is much more fantastical.

April 6, 2012 A long-standing myth holds that Catholics eat fish on Fridays because of a secret pact a medieval pope made to sell more fish. That's just a fish tale. The real story behind fish Fridays is much better.

Summary

Monday, March 05, 2012

The Salt

Sustainable Sushi: See The Video. But Don't Eat The Eel

Odds are the local sushi joint's fish is less than sustainable.

March 5, 2012 Can sushi be sustainable? Yes, says one Oregon restaurant. It's selling that message in a popular new video. But most sushi purveyors aren't on the sustainability bandwagon.

Summary

Monday, January 30, 2012

The Salt

Pacific Mackerel Stocks That Feed Farmed Salmon In Decline

A Chilean purse seiner catches jack mackerel.

January 30, 2012 At current rates of overfishing, jack mackerel stocks in the southern Pacific could collapse soon, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists reports.

Summary

Friday, January 20, 2012

The Salt

Sustainable Seafood Swims To A Big-Box Store Near You

Sustainably caught fish are no longer found just at fancy fishmongers.

January 20, 2012 Buying sustainable seafood used to require a trip to a fancy fishmonger. But no more. Big-box stores like Target, Walmart, and Costco are switching to sustainably harvested fish in a big way.

Summary

Thursday, December 08, 2011

The Salt

Environmental Claims For Farmed Fish Don't Hold Up To Scrutiny

Fish on display at a Whole Foods in Hillsboro, Ore. The retailer is one of the few with its own environmental standard for farmed fish.

December 8, 2011 A study released this week found that many eco-labels for farmed seafood don't guarantee the fish was raised in a way that protects the marine environment.

Summary

Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Salt

Snuffing Out Snakehead By Putting It On The Plate

A snakehead is filleted for a dinner this week hosted by the Oyster Recovery Partnership.

October 27, 2011 The snakehead fish is invasive, destructive, and, some say, delicious. Maryland chefs, fishermen, and conservationists hope that by putting it on menus, they can eliminate it from regional waterways.

Summary

Friday, October 14, 2011

The Salt

Scientists Seek A Break In Aquaculture's Fish-Eat-Fish Chain

Fish feed contains fishmeal and fish oil

October 14, 2011 A new report from Food and Water Watch turns up the heat on how we feed farmed fish and the environmental toll it takes. It takes three pounds of wild fish to feed one pound of farmed salmon, so scientists are looking for alternatives.

Summary

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