A new $119 million industry is taking the east coast by storm. The burgeoning aquaculture industry is redefining the way consumers get their seafood.
Chef Jekyll, one of the most acclaimed personal culinary chefs on the Emerald Coast panhandle of Northwest Florida advises his clientele on benefits of sustainable seafood and the promising industry of aquaculture.
The word “sustainable” is used in abundance these days. Many consumers strive to fully partake in the effort, especially when it applies to food. The definition truly means to have the ability to continue over the long term.
In the growing world of aquaculture (the farming of species that live in the water) these efforts are the basis of using land and water wisely, especially in terms of the foods they can produce. The hopeful outcome is harvesting foods in ways that consider the long-term vitality of harvested species and the well-being of oceans.
The state of Delaware is looking to become the next state to adopt an aquaculture industry according to an April 22 article on the ABC-affiliate WMDT website.
Furthermore, a 2012 article written in the Christian Science Monitor, states that aquaculture stands as a potentially sustainable alternative, and recent innovations promise to enhance the efficiency, safety and sustainability of aquaculture while improving the lives of its fish farmers.
While it may seem that aquaculture would be a good thing across the board, Chef Jekyll recommends that consumers who strive to buy organic investigate production methods and find out whether farming operations may be polluting nearby waters, or if they are using large amounts of wild fish as feed for farms.
These practices would be detrimental to the environment and to the marine ecosystem as a whole. Some types of aquaculture, like shellfish farming, can actually be beneficial to the marine environment when practiced conscientiously.
As a private chef, Chef Jekyll has had the opportunity to educate his clients about the impact of the decisions made when purchasing foods.
