Fish Finders

CleanFish knows where your salmon's been

You know where your organic free-range chicken and gem lettuce come from, but what about your shrimp and salmon? Thanks to San Francisco-based CleanFish, your seafood is now just as traceable.

It's no secret that the world's fish populations are quickly being depleted and, to meet demand, fish farms are producing at an all-time high. But they aren't all as environmentally sound as they should be, and that's not good for seafood lovers. To remedy this, CleanFish finds sustainably minded fisherman and farmers around the globe and matches them with shops and restaurants across the country.

You might see Laughing Bird Caribbean white shrimp (no hormones or preservatives), Wild Nunavit arctic char (from cold Arctic waters) and Loch Nuart salmon (farm-raised, sans antibiotics or pollutants) at restaurants such as Del Posto in Manhattan and The French Laundry in Napa Valley, and at retailers, including Whole Foods, across the country.

When it comes to buying quality seafood, CleanFish culinary director Polly Legendre suggests asking your local fishmonger three things (and listening for these responses):

1. Do they know where the fish were raised and if they were treated with chemicals during processing? (They should know the answers.)
2. What catch method was used? ("Troll-caught" is good; "long-line" is bad.)
3. Does the fish have certification or a traceability program? (The Marine Stewardship Council and the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch are popular examples.)

Can't find a retailer near you? CleanFish purveyor San Francisco Fish Company ships anywhere in the U.S.

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