Sustainable Fish For Your Food Truck

By Ramel M Acedo

There was a short time period at the start of this catering truck craze when individuals wondered whether or not food trailers serving fish products would do well. Now, though, we see these trucks popping up all over the nation - and there's little doubt in our minds that this was a successful maneuver on the part of the food truck industry.

Food trucks like The Lobsta Truck, Feelin' Crabby, Rockin' Roll Sushi are prime examples of mobile food vendors who sell seafood - and get away with remarkably higher priced items compared with other food trailers. What's the point? These trucks are serving quality seafood dishes, and everyone's catching on. So how can you differentiate yourself from the competition if you're looking to serve fish from your mobile food stand?

The best way to go is to go is serving sustainable seafood. This type of seafood refers to seafood that is farmed or fished from sources that can maintain or increase productivity without damaging the ecosystem and threatening the availability of future seafood supplies. And if your customers are seafood lovers, they'll know and appreciate the sustainability movement on behalf of your truck. You can also educate customers who don't know the benefits of using sustainable seafood so that they are aware of the environmental efforts your catering truck is taking on.

Here are the top benefits for your truck, customers, and environment that are associated with serving sustainable seafood:

• Avoiding heavy metals - Although seafood is rich in vitamins, minerals, lean protein and heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, it can contain unhealthy amounts of mercury in it. However, sustainable seafood is known to have far less mercury in it. Your customers will thank you, as mercury and other heavy metals can build up in the flesh of fish that are marine-caught or farmed. Sustainable seafood comes from sources that are better maintained and decrease the chances of mercury getting in the fish.
• Lower environmental impact - The environmental impact of over-fishing is similar to deforestation and slash-and-burn farming techniques. Entire underwater ecosystems can be wiped out, which leads to the death of fish species. In contrast, sustainable seafood farming methods work to protect aquatic ecosystems and assure that species of fish do not become extinct.
• Increased profits - Strain on the food supply causes increased prices, which can turn customers away - especially in this economy. If more sustainable seafood raising methods are used, the supply will increase and the price of expensive seafood dishes will come down to level that is more appetizing to customers who are visiting your food trailer.
• Better quality seafood - Both overfishing and environmentally damaging fishing methods strain ecosystems so that they no longer provide the ideal living conditions to raise health fish. In these environments, fish that are caught are prone to be sick, underdeveloped or have other health-associated problems. In contrast, sustainable seafood is fresher, purer, and has better taste.

So, how can you secure tasty, sustainable seafood for your food truck? The easiest way to know if your seafood is from a sustainable source is to look for the blue seal from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which is an independent organization that works closely with the World Wildlife Fund to make the seafood industry more sustainable.