Today I went to the fish market. Lately we’ve been eating just way too much chicken. In one week, we’ve had jerked chicken, curried chicken, BBQ chicken and stir-fried chicken. I feared we would all grow feathers and wings and fly away if we had one more chicken dinner. So, this week I decided to mix it up, hence the visit to the fish market this morning. Now, I’m sure a lot of us worry about farmed or wild when we go to buy fish, and if you’re like me it has been beaten into your heads that wild is the way to go. It costs a little more, correction, a whole lot more, but it’s safer and cleaner, right?
Well, I’ve got news for you. My son had been doing a class over the summer about the dangers of ocean plastics that I got just a tad bit way too involved in. At the risk of boring you to death as it did him, I’ll make it quick. The takeaway is, all the plastics that make their way into the ocean, which is a whole lot, unless they are removed, they never go away. These little suckers never decompose but they break down into micro pieces, called microplastics and they stay floating out there in the “pristine” blue waters forever. They are then swallowed by those fishes in the “wild”, big fish, small fish, all fishes and creatures of the sea. The same fishes we spend more money to buy thinking they’re safer. As you have probably guessed these plastics are harmful to the fishes and harmful to us, the consumers of fish.
So, the next time you go to the fish market, and the choice comes up, “wild” or “farmed” it will make you wonder “does it really make a difference?” Sorry didn’t mean to geek out on this Monday morning, but I just had to share this fishy little story.
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Sincerely Jan 
Plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems we face, when it comes to environmental matters. I agree that the choice between “wild” or “farmed” becomes tricky, indeed and especially with food prices going up everyday. A brilliant and educational post, Janice.
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It really is a big problem and sadly a lot of us are not even aware of it.
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Thank you for this, Jan. “Wild” and “organic” are two food labels that always come with much higher prices that I often don’t choose to pay on my retiree’s fixed income. I will be buying freshly caught fish and shrimp when I move to Portugal, where seafood fresh from the Atlantic Ocean (with its forever plastics) is cheap. My confession is I don’t know what to do with a whole fish, so I’ll need some YouTube videos to show me how to clean, cook, and eat whole fish. 🤷🏾♀️
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Don’t rub it in😂😂. Good for you! Steam it in some coconut milk seasoned to taste with pumpkins, ocra and onions or season and stuff it with vegetables and put it on the grill. Possibilities are endless, get the Yumly App. Good Luck in Portugal 🇵🇹!
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We certainly learn from our kids. My farm raised fish will preferably be from the USA. Everything in moderation, I say.
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Yes my dear, the lady married to the fish king😂
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❤️❤️
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True story!! Well I guess it’s pay back in a way to us litter bugs – the fish eat the plastic “we feed” them, then we get to eat the plastic from the fish – how you like me now!!
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You know they say, “payback is a B!”
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Considering I never see these labels on our fish, I guess Jamaican fish vendors don’t think the consumer cares to know if our fish is coming from the sea or a farm? Anyway, I’ll bear this in mind if buying fresh fish overseas. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Perhaps it’s because all fish is from the wild in Jamaica, just hope it’s not coming out of the Kingston Harbor 😂.
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I don’t eat fish but I have read about the plastic issue and apparently all wild fish have digested some amount of plastic in their life either directly or indirectly. It’s so sad we’re destroying everything around us and ourselves.
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Yeah we don’t realize the negative cycle we’re creating just by littering.
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I also had heard that wild fish were better than farm fish, but wasn’t really sure why. And it turns out that may not be true anyway! Thanks for the informative post.
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Yep, one thing I’ve found out is we never truly know what’s good for us or what’s not. We just have to live our lives the best we can and not stress it.
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Great post Janice! And a lot of information here. I’m going to think twice about eating fish now! 😅 But like you, I’m also sick of chicken. In India, 80 or 90% of the non-vegetarian food is chicken. Chicken Kebab, chicken curry, chicken darbari. I’m so tired. They’ve banned my favourite meat because of religious and political reasons, ideology and authoritarianism. But that’s a whole other discussion, which I’m scared to talk about openly!
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I hear you, there are only so many ways we can do chicken and they get tired real easily. Don’t give up on fish, I have a few chicken stories too but I’ll keep them to myself😂. I wonder if your favorite meat is what I’m thinking. If that’s it there’s no chance if me giving that up.
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Lol chicken stories sound frightening 😅 My favourite meat is good old tenderloin (as a few restaurants who serve it here call it to avoid getting caught!) I don’t think anyone who eats it will want to give it up. But political ideologies, totalitarianism, madness… I could go on.
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I hear you. So much to question about food production here and there. Even our veggies/fruits are questionable right now. I trust that God hears me when I bless the food I consume. We try but do we really know the truth! Let’s run away and develop an island by ourselves. Wanna join me?? 😂😂
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Yep just name the island and the location and I’ll be right there 😂😂.
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🤣🤣! I’ll keep you posted….
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I spent the last 16 years eating only fish and always spent the extra for wild vs farmed. SMH. Humans, we are our own worst enemy.
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Aren’t we though, and some of us refuse to acknowledge.
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Thanks for sharing this information. I have heard about fish consuming plastic in the ocean but refuse to eat farmed fish. I’m not sure which is worse so we pray before we eat😌
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Yep 😊😊.
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Hey this experience is familiar with so many of us
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Yeah, pollution is a bigger problem than we think!
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