Vibrant Chef: Seafood de Cliquot: A Conversation with Marine Biologist Sarah Harper

I have a confession: I love seafood. As a strict vegetarian, it is the one animal product I miss.

For years I've struggled to reconcile my morality with my tastes. But I think I may have found a way to satisfy my palate and preserve my integrity. On my birthday.

For that one day of the year I give in to temptation and eat as much sustainably caught seafood as my 5'1" frame can handle.

But is that my best option? Is there an ideal solution?

Marine Biologist Sarah Harper feels passionately about seafood: about it's conservation and its gustatory value.

She shares her personal and professional views on this poignant issue with Vibrant Fare:

Truffles appear only at certain times of the year, in very specific locations and are harvested with the help of a well-trained truffle hog. The effort involved in finding them along with their scarcity cause these lumpy little fungi to cost as much as nice bottle of vintage wine. People pay a high price for having the opportunity to eat such rare delicacies.

Why shouldn't rare things cost more? Certain fish could be considered equally rare, however people want access to cheap fresh fish, every day. It's no wonder fish stocks are reaching dangerously low levels the world over.

For some people, fish is their main, and sometimes only, source of protein. Fishing is a way of life for tens of thousands of coastal dwellers in developing nations around the world who depend on seafood for their diet and livelihood. But for many of us, particularly in the developing world, we have options as to what, when and how much to eat. Our survival doesn’t depend on tuna tataki or ebi mayo, as lovely as that would be.

As a marine biologist witnessing the global fisheries in decline, I often tackle the question, “what is the most sustainable seafood to eat?”

There are many great tools out there to help educate even the most disinterested consumer as to which seafood dish is more sustainable than the next. SeaChoice has developed an iPhone application that will help answer this question while you are out and about. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a handy wallet-sized booklet for the less tech-savvy that lists best and worst seafood choices (mailed upon request from Ocean Wise Program at the Vancouver Aquarium.)

But my personal response to this question is this: Treat seafood as you would a fine champagne. Have it very rarely, such as special occasions, and be willing to pay a little extra to get the trap caught spot prawns from BC or the wild sockeye from a healthy Alaskan salmon run.

I love eating seafood, but I also love the ocean for its amazing diversity of life. I have a vested interest in preserving that diversity. I am after all, a marine biologist and I would hate to see my profession go extinct!

-Sarah Harper, December 2010, Vancouver

For wonderful recipe ideas, check out
The Ocean Wise Cookbook: Seafood recipes that are good for the planet

I'll likely be dipping into this when my birthday rolls around again.
Tuna Tataki with Green Papaya Slaw? Yes please!

For More information about how to identify and source sustainably caught seafood please visit:

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Ocean Wise

Independant and Local Salmon Fisheries

For more information about the state of fisheries in Canadian and abroad please visit:

The Sea Around Us

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization

And remember, when in doubt, Polenta with Roasted Veggies or String Beans with Miso Gravy are always waiting in the wings to make your belly happy!