I spent an amazing afternoon at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Tuesday. The Aquarium’s mission is to “inspire conservation of the oceans” and they do, in part because of their location on Monterey Bay: after you’ve gazed at the 40′ high “Kelp Forest” exhibit, and watched fish nibble something tasty off the kelp leaves, and watched a school of mackerel follow itself around in circles like an undulating lava lamp — you can look out of the huge windows at the ocean, right there, and think, ‘all of this is going on, right now, right out there.’

Fish. It bothers me when people say, “I’m a vegetarian, but I eat fish.” I think vegetarian ought to be restored to its hardcore origins: no animals, period. Fish are just as much animals as chickens or cows — but somehow they get put in another category? And in kosher terms they also end up in a third column: fish is parve, you have have it with milk or meat because it is technically neither. Huh? Tell that to a self-respecting tuna! I think fish is worth paying a lot more attention to, and, incidentally, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has some tips for how to do just that.

One of the programs at the Aquarium, called Seafood Watch, works to “raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources [by recommending] which seafood to buy or avoid, helping consumers to become advocates for environmentally friendly seafood.” Seafood Watch publish a handy little card that you can keep in your wallet that tells you about which fish are good for you and the world, and which aren’t. They’ve got a national version, but also different ones for different regions, and spanish language versions. If you don’t already have one, get one here.

After we came out of the Aquarium we stumbled upon a Farmer’s Market — conveniently open on the one day of the week that we happened to be in town. Before heading out to camp at Big Sur, we stocked up on supplies for Fish Stew (recipe below). Ironic? No, I think realistic. The fish, from the market, was caught in the bay and was from a sustainable fishery. And while it may be that not eating fish at all is one way to protect it, it’s also possible to forget about it. Eating some fish, some times, in a responsible way, reminds me that I like fish, and that it’s important for the oceans and the world that there continue to be fish, and that’s not something we can yet take for granted.

Anna’s Fish Stew (great for camping!)

1-2 small red onions, diced
3 carrots, chopped
2-3 small summer squash, chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 c. fresh peas
large handful fresh spinach, chopped in 1″ ribbons
olive oil
water
1/2 lb. Petralie sole, cut in 1-2″ pieces
1/2 lb. snapper, cut in 1-2″ pieces

Saute onions in olive oil till tender. Add carrots; saute 3-4 minutes. Add squash, peas, and enough water to cover everything by about an inch. Bring to a boil and simmer until peas, carrots and squash are tender. Add brocoli and spinach. When soup returns to a boil, place pieces of fish on top of the soup. Cover, cook for 3-4 minutes (test the fish - dont’ overcook). Season with salt & pepper.