Five Things You Can Do to Celebrate World Oceans Day

By Rebecca Gardon

June 8 is World Ocean’s Day. The annual recognition honors the world’s oceans and celebrates the offerings they provide, including seafood. Here are five things you can do to pay your respects.

Choose a sustainable seafood for dinner

Sustainable seafood is primarily defined as seafood that is either caught or farmed in ways that consider the long-term vitality of harvested species and the well-being of the oceans, as well as the livelihoods of fisheries-dependent communities. Lucky for us, Baja and Southern California provide some of the tastiest choices available in the marketplace. Much of what we sell is sustainable in that it is local, seasonal and harvested from smaller, well-managed fisheries or farms. For menu inspiration, look to our local sea urchin, black cod, bigeye, albacore, opah, varieties of rockfish such as sculpin, as well as farmed products such as Baja oysters and abalone, and Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon. NOAA’s FishWatch is an excellent source of additional information on sustainable seafood. Use its Fish Finder function for details on specific species.

Try something new

According to the National Fisheries Institute, shrimp, salmon and tuna are among the most consumed seafoods. It’s not hard to find sustainable sources of such options, but unless we distribute pressure across an array of species, we will eventually overfish even the largest fisheries. The easiest way to avoid exploitation is by expanding your palate. Make a conscious effort to eat underloved or underutilized species such as sardines, mackerel, bonito, spiny dogfish and sheepshead. A trusted fishmonger will be more than happy point you in more adventurous directions, as well as provide cooking tips if you’re unsure about what to do.

Drink a Screamin’ Reels IPA

Many of the plastic six-pack rings used to hold together cans of soda and beer end up in our oceans and pose a serious threat to wildlife. Saltwater Brewery, a small craft beer brand in Florida whose primary target are surfers, fishermen and people who love the sea, decided to tackle the issue head on and make a statement for the whole beer industry to follow. Together with We Believers agency, it ideated, designed, prototyped and manufactured Edible Six Pack Rings. Constructed of byproduct from the brewing process, the six-pack ring packaging is 100% biodegradable and can be safely eaten by marine and land animals.

Clean up your favorite beach spot

You don’t have to participate in a community event with hundreds of people to make a difference. Simply grab a few friends or family members and head to your favorite beach to pick up trash. Make a day of it by following your outing with a cookout featuring sustainable seafood!

Share a “Selfie for the Sea” on social media

Whether you live inland or on the coast, we are all connected to the ocean. Take the time to think about how the ocean affects you, and how you affect the ocean. Can you make a promise to change something in your life to benefit the ocean? Write it on a sign and hold it as you take a selfie. Examples of promises include:

• I promise to participate in a beach day clean up
• I promise to choose sustainable seafood whenever possible
• I promise to use a resuable water bottle

Share your photo with the world! Post to Instagram and/or Facebook and tag #WorldOceansDay and #SelfieForTheSea. Be sure to tag us, too, at @CatalinaOffshoreProducts or hashtags #CatalinaOffshore #CatalinaOffshoreProducts!