Consumer Guide for Buying Local Seafood

Posted on September 4, 2023 by The Local Fish Team

As educated consumers, we need to start the conversation with markets and restaurant staff about local seafood. You have the right to transparent information regarding the origin of your seafood. It’s also important to understand that if a restaurant or market sells local seafood, it does not mean they always sell local seafood or that all the seafood they sell/serve is local. Remember to be kind, as sometimes the staff may not know – and that’s okay. What’s great is you’ll get them thinking about it and hopefully inspire them to learn more themselves. 

When visiting a market, go early for the freshest selection. Take a walk around the seafood cold case to observe the displays. Look for cleanliness, proper temperature control, and a well-organized setup. A reputable market will have clean, well-maintained counters and displays. Fresh seafood should have a clean, ocean-like scent, not a strong, fishy odor. The flesh should be firm and moist, not mushy or dry. Eyes of whole fish should be clear and slightly bulging, and the gills should be bright red or pink, not brown. Some questions to ask when buying seafood at a market:

  • Where did this seafood originate?
  • Do you have any seafood caught in San Diego waters?
  • Do you know who caught it?

And if you’re dining out at restaurant, some questions to ask while your making decisions on what to order are:

  • Do you have anything on the menu with locally caught seafood?
  • Do you know where the seafood in this dish comes from?
  • Do you know who caught it?

You can also state, with a smile, “I’d love to see more local seafood options”. 

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