Stop & Shop Groceries to Stop Selling Threatened Fish

[bicentennial_baby]

The Stop & Shop supermarket chain says it will stop selling some species of fish that are threatened by overfishing.

Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. of Quincy announced last month that it would stop buying fresh shark. Tracy Taylor, a senior buyer for the largest supermarket chain in New England, says stores also won't restock frozen Chilean sea bass and orange roughy.

Senior manager Ken Pentheny says it's the first time the company has removed fish from its inventory for conservation reasons.

Heather Tausig, director of conservation at New England Aquarium, says Stop & Shop's example could encourage other grocers to pull certain fish from their shelves.

Stop & Shop is owned by Ahold USA, a unit of Dutch company Royal Ahold NV. Royal Ahold's Giant Food chain in the U.S. will also stop selling the threatened fish. (AP)

http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2008/08/stop_shop_will.html

[Warpy]

1. That's a step in the right direction

although it's really sad to see the sea bass go.

I find myself eating more fish that isn't endangered, like sole and pollock. They're also smaller, lower on the food chain, and therefore lower in mercury and other pollutants. I still don't eat much of it.

Most of the time, I slay the fatted tofu and am content.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

2. My friend the oceanograper/marine biologist

who works at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution long ago warned me about eating fish of any kind. All the waters are polluted, he said, and he and his cohorts never eat any of it. None. Zero. Nada. Zip.

By the way, the name "Chilean sea bass" was made up - there's no such fish - but the real name for the fish marketed with that phony moniker is "Patagonia toothfish," which didn't sound nearly as yummy.