Councilmember concerned about seafood sustainability

January 31, 2011 11:00 am by Tracey Taylor

Sustainable fish? Photo: Tracey Taylor

Following our January 26 story about the difficulties many restaurants and suppliers face sourcing sustainable seafood, Anthony Sanchez, chief of staff for Berkeley city Councilmember Jesse Arreguín, wrote in to remind us that this issue has been discussed at the local government level.

“Sustainable seafood is a serious environmental issue that has luckily been brought to the public’s attention by organizations like the Monterey Bay Aquarium and good reporting,” he writes. “Also, the Berkeley City Council is interested in sustainable seafood and directed the Community Environmental Advisory Commission to deliberate the details of a possible sustainability label proposal on fish sold in retail last year. Hopefully some good will come of it.

Sanchez is referring to a July 7 2010 recommendation tabled by Arreguin which suggests referring to the Community Environmental Advisory Commission for study the issue of sustainable seafood and labeling requirements of fresh or frozen fish.

When Sanchez chased the CEAC this week, he found out that the study had not yet made it on to the agenda, which has been dominated by discussion of the West Berkeley Plan. Sanchez said he’s hopeful that sustainable seafood will get onto the agenda for this Thursday’s commission meeting.

6 Comments

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  • Tim C

    One person can tell you exactly what needs to happen, and his credentials are impeccable: Paul Johnson of Monterey Fish. (and nobody say, oh he’s a business man, he’ll vote his pocketbook). If you know him, you know different.

  • Jarad

    It’s safe to say that everyone living and breathing has an interest in ecology & sustainability issues, but what does this have to do with the business of governing the city of Berkeley? This is the type of distraction that the city council in general spends too much time on to the detriment of governing the city and improving the quality of life for people living in Berkeley.

    This truly is an issue where the city needs to pick it’s battles and use it’s limited resources to focus on issues where it can make a difference. I’d really appreciate it is our elected officials would run the city instead of trying to spearhead global causes that have nothing to do with the betterment of this city.

  • deirdre

    Jarad: thanks for that.

  • Name Withheld

    Right on, Jarad.

    The City Council’s job is to try to run the city, not figure out ways that they can use their office to practice political activism and self promotion.

  • http://twitter.com/tereneta Tim

    Amen, Jarad.

    Along similar lines, I’d like to suggest to Mr. Sanchez that the City Council direct one of the City’s Advisory Commission to deliberate the details of a possible relevancy label proposal on issues taken up by the City Council, so that citizens concerned about the good governance and livability can make informed choices. (Like the Seafood Watch list, perhaps a color coded system to label issues taken up by the Council as “material” (green), “germane” (yellow), and “extraneous” (red).)

  • Tim C

    all valid points…but if someone doesn’t start it, who will?