Eco-Travelers and ‘Seafood for Thought’: An Interview with Lindblad Expeditions

The image of sun-kissed travelers eating fresh fish at a seaside tavern has probably graced scores of brochures, postcards and promotional films. But is a craving for this iconic fish dinner contributing to the collapse of 75 percent of the world’s fisheries?

The business of seafood is big: The international trade in fish and fish products rakes in some $50 billion annually. But trawlers are fishing sea life faster than it can replenish itself. As a result, once-bountiful fish such as the Mediterranean bluefin tuna—the so-called king fish of the global sushi industry—will collapse by 2012, according to the World Wildlife Federation.

I spoke with Mathew Lachesnez-Heude, the environmental manager for eco-progressive small-ship tour operator Lindblad Expeditions, about sustainable seafood and the choices travelers can make to help restore the world’s sea life.

World Hum: What role can ecotourism lodges and eco-tour operators play in promoting sustainable seafood choices?

Mathew Lachesnez-Heude: Like the broader food service sector, ecotourism providers have a significant role in not only enhancing the market for sustainable seafood choices but in also educating their clients about seafood. Our guests are often surprised that we do not serve shrimp but imports of shrimp into the United States are the largest of all types of seafood both in value and weight. The National Marine Fisheries Service reports that shrimp imports in 2007 by volume were 1.2 billion pounds and by value equaled $3.9 billion.

I believe ecotourism outfits are poised to promote sustainable seafood because their clients are already interested in lessening their environmental impact. As a result, these travelers are open to learning about sustainable seafood and trying new types of seafood that are caught locally. Furthermore, ecotourism providers are in a perfect position to expose their clients to a wide array of rich local foods, including seafood. 

How should travelers view sustainable food choices?

Travelers are in a position to support local food systems when they travel around the globe. They are also able to learn about food systems in the community they travel to and can in turn bring that knowledge back with them so that they have a better understanding of how things work back home. As a society we have become extremely detached from our food and where it comes from. The same holds true on the seafood side. As food, and seafood especially, has become a globally traded commodity the relevance of most fish being a wild resource derived from natural ecosystems has been lost.

What would you suggest to travelers who want to make smart seafood choices?

There are several things travelers can do on this front:

• Be conscious of what you eat. There are countless populations of fish and shellfish that have collapsed or are on the verge of collapse.
• When you’re traveling ask questions about different types of seafood that you’re being offered. Is it regionally appropriate? Was it caught by a local fisherman?
• There are thousands of different types of seafood offered around the world so it’s impossible to know all of the greenest options. But there are many tools available for consumers about what types of seafood to look for or to avoid. Memorize at least five of the most “red” (or endangered) types of seafood, such as caviar from wild-caught sturgeon, farmed Atlantic salmon, farmed shrimp, shark, Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut, Chilean sea bass (also known as Patagonian toothfish), orange roughy and groupers.
• Remember that eating lower on the seafood chain is better for the environment. Farmed clams, mussels and oysters are low on the seafood chain and are a few of the most environmentally friendly choices.

What is Lindblad Expeditions’ policy on sustainable seafood? How do you promote it within your own organization?

Several years ago we launched our Seafood for Thought program, which weeds out unsustainable options from our menus while also educating our guests about the types of seafood we’re serving. Initially it began with a systematic review identifying every fish we could possibly procure and more on our fleet.

From there we’ve worked with a variety of partners such as the Blue Ocean Institute and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and Oceanographer Sylvia Earle to figure out which types of seafood were greener than others. Over time we’ve sought out information on what’s available and how it is caught or raised from local sellers to larger vendors in all of our core itineraries. We’ve put together a list that identifies the available seafood in every region we operate, local names, species name and how “green” it is considering things like lifespan, how it’s caught, population health, etc. The list is color-coded and shared with our hotel managers and chefs. 

On the education front, since some of what we’re serving on board may never have crossed the palate of our guests, we’ve put together “Seafood Briefs” that provide our guests information on exactly what it is we’re serving. These briefs are posted next to the daily menu with a picture of the fish or seafood in question and additional information about them. In addition, Lindblad Expeditions provides its guests with copies of the Blue Ocean Institute’s wallet-sized Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood.

Grist blogger and North Carolina organic farmer Tom Philpott recently criticized New York Times food writer Mark Bittman for offering a recipe with red snapper, an endangered stock. Bittman apologized but also rightly pointed out that the preponderance of overfishing and environmentally dubious fish farms is making nearly all seafood choices difficult. Do you think chefs who work for hotels, tour operators and cruises should be criticized for choosing endangered fish for their own menus?

Certainly. Seafood is the last vestige of our “hunter and gatherer” past. But with a world human population approaching seven billion we have to be smart about how we extract resources from the ocean. As a species, we have fundamentally changed marine ecosystems around the world. We have overexploited marine resources that, according to some evolutionary biologists, are directly connected to our evolution as a species. Everyone from consumers and chefs to fishermen and wildlife scientists have an obligation to understand our connectedness to the water, whether it is the ocean or river systems in their backyard.

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