Responsible shopping tips.

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I like the idea of ethical shopping but am very lazy about finding out what to boycott. I avoid Nestlé stuff, ridiculous out of season imported cash crops and South American bananas, and buy fair trade coffee. That's a bit of a haphazard list.

Anyway, as a semi-vegetarian, I'm always aware that the fish I eat is a v.dodgy area and try not to eat cod. I was interested to read this h andy guide to other non-sustainable species. No more swordfish and monkfish for me bah.

Comments? Advice? Jibes?

― N., Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think it's an excellent article, but the whole issue is so bleeding complicated. Australia has the best seafood I've ever tasted though, I wish I could get Coral Trout over here, it's possib;ly the nicest fish I've ever eaten.

― chris, Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

haha i saw a news piece on this some years ago in which they said the fish trade were trying to find the New Cod (seeing as the Old Cod is run out for decades to com): they had decided on a v.common and tasty north atlantic fish which is unfortunately hem hem known as RAT FISH => hence they were rebranding it as ROCK TROUT.

― mark s, Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'd avoid farmed salmon and trout, fish farms have been doing immense damage to the scottish eco system, i'm even slightly suspicios of organic farmed fish. I personally won't buy anything from isreal at the moment and try to limit what I buy from the USA, (due to hormone treatments, current foreign policy, attitudes to GM, daft trade wars....). I won't buy any fruit which I think has been in a plane, (out of season soft fruits), or stuff that's just come to far, aus/new zealand produce. Although not an issue for you I buy my meat free range, organic, if possible and british, the last 10 years of agricultural crisis have given us some of the safest, best meat in the world.

― Ed, Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

that would be the Hoki of which the article speaks.

The coral trout looks like an American bass but with spikier fins and bigger teeth.

― chris, Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hoki is num and but not really that new. My mum used to buy breaded fillets in the 80s from Sainsbury's I am sure.

― N., Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

it has been around for some time yes, originally from New Zealand's deep waters iirc. They've only really started marketing it as the environmentally friendly fish recently though.

― chris, Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the nestle thing started in the 70s - i've never seen any actual proof that a) they do starve 3rd world mums or b) the boycott has made a sherrick of difference - can anyone persuade me otehrwise?

― Queen G, Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nick, if you boycott Nestlé you will miss out on my discovery of the day, the delicious new milk and cereals Graham Garden Bar.

― PM, Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's not so much the third world babies thing, geoff. I just don't like the Swiss.

― N., Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the boring fuckers

― chris, Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I want reprehensible shopping tips. i.e. Apparently the best Mahogany products come from Myanmar, buy them instantly.

― chris, Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Buy your class A drugs from Afghan sources, they need all the help they can get. Boycott Colombia!

― Mark C, Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

watch it mark - some of my best jim morrison moments have been from columbia,a nd i have friends who could give a FARC

― Queen G, Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Whats the problem with south american bananas?

― Chupa-Cabras, Monday, 25 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Wicked business practices.. In particular, Caribbean growers are getting fucked over.

Guide to good bananas.

Generally, avoid enormous bananas (usually means dodgy growing practices) and try to get ones from the Windward Islands (ie. not Dole and Chiquita).

― N., Tuesday, 26 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Those articles are really more about central american bananas, taht ive already herad of, not brasilian or agentinian those are the ones i wanted to know about

― Chupa-Cabras, Tuesday, 26 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sorry - you're right. I'm crap at geography.

― N., Wednesday, 27 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't like bananas, but if I did like bananas I'd get them from the Canary Islands to support the EU. Mind you, they're probably harvested by exploited immigrants anyway.

― PM, Wednesday, 27 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

[actually harvested by trained canaries]

― N., Wednesday, 27 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That's a damn lie, Dastoor. It's actually trained dogs that do the banana picking.

― RickyT, Wednesday, 27 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the canaries dig up the famous potatoes

― chris, Wednesday, 27 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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