Casting The Fine Fishing Line

By Carla Pratt on January 2, 2013 in News

If you’ve ever been dumped, duped or fired you’ll be all too familiar with the proverbial phrase “there’s plenty more fish in the sea”. There will always be more – more lovers, more jobs, more fish. But the truth is, there isn’t much more. Fish, that is.

It seems our seafood-y friends aren’t fornicating as fast as they used too. We could blame the fishing industry or our buying habits – for god’s sake, we could even blame Sammy Salmon’s lack of libido! Yet the facts stay the same. Over six tonnes of fish are flipped and fried along the famous Bondi waterfront every day and about half that amount is likely to come from depleted fish stocks. It’s simple: we’re taking fish from the ocean faster than it’s able to replenish.

Non-profit organisation Blue Starfish knows that the stats aren’t good, and have cast their net to make Bondi Beach the first sustainable seafood destination in Australia. Blue Starfish is pushing for all restaurants and cafes to provide only sustainable seafood to their diners in the hope of keeping our big blue backyard alive and kicking.

According to Blue Starfish Campaign Coordinator Sandra Marshall, Bondi is the best place for the campaign to start.

“Bondi beach is a magical, iconic and internationally recognised destination. We have a deep affinity with the ocean, so where better to come together and feast on the bounty of the Pacific in a sustainable and visible way?” Marshall said.

They’ve already recruited top chefs from local favourites The Bucket List, Fish & Co, Bishop Sessa and Bondi’s Best to start the conversation. Ms Marshall says they are the ones who will pioneer the campaign.

“We are targeting chefs to take the lead, as they are best equipped to navigate through the currently murky waters of sustainable seafood. And through the chefs’ influence on both consumers and suppliers, we aim to leverage change”.

If enough of us push for sustainable seafood, a ripple can easily become a wave and a wave can become a tsunami. It’s time for the Eastern Suburbs to get amongst the conversation – hook, line and sinker.