Get Hooked

By Brandon Hernandez
(Published in the May 2010 issue

)

Gazing at the Pacific from San Diego’s equally picturesque beaches, it’s easy to take this seemingly endless azure expanse for granted. Ditto for the millions of species of wildlife living just beneath that thin blue line. We’ve grown up hearing, “there’s plenty of fish in the sea,” but sadly, the ocean’s finite supply of wildlife is fading fast thanks to rampant overfishing throughout the world.

Reckless and ecologically-irresponsible practices by fishing companies have rendered many fish and shellfish species extinct and pushed others to the brink. But it’s not just the fish that are negatively affected. A number of maritime communities, and, in some cases whole countries, have watched their once-thriving economies go belly-up in tandem with their suddenly defunct fishing industries.

Consumer demand is the primary driver of the overfishing epidemic. Fishing companies set out to catch what the public wants to eat. In an effort to school the dining public on which breeds of fish are safe to eat and which should be avoided (at least for now), a group of local chefs have banded together to put on the first ever San Diego Sustainable Seafood Week. This seven-day span is comprised of dinners and food events featuring delicacies crafted using only seafood procured from sustainable sources, all of which will be served with a side of education and an ice-cold glass of awareness.

Unless things change, experts have 2048 pegged as the year the planet’s seafood resources will be completely depleted. Mark the first week of June on your calendar and find out what can be done to keep this grim prediction from becoming a reality.