𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡?

The easiest way to shop for local food is right from the farm, and here I am. It is 2016, and I am visiting the Providenciales, the Caicos Conch Farm.

I was lucky to visit this wonderful place, Caicos Conch Farm, and meet some farmers, because damage caused by hurricanes Irma and Hurricane Maria a year later in 2017, continues to be unrepaired, and the site no longer produces much conch.

The Caicos Conch Farm on Providenciales was the world’s only conch farm. For centuries locals have harvested the queen conch and served it fresh in a multitude of dishes to tourists and natives alike.

So it’s troubling that now there seems to be little to no queen conch to be found.

In many Caribbean and tropical Atlantic countries, wild conch populations have seen significant decline due to overfishing, wasteful fishing practices, massive overconsumption and lack of action from the government, which still permits conch to be exported.

Conch has at times been the island’s biggest export. Florida, which is just 600 miles (965km) away and which has itself banned conch fishing for decades due to its own shortages, is a prime customer.

Turks and Caicos’ annual conch exports have topped one million pounds (453,600kg) of meat in years past, equating to roughly 200,000 animals.

The world’s oceans are so big we thought for a long time that there was nothing humans could do to hurt them. Here we are in 2020, we’re facing a forthcoming and global collapse of our fisheries.

You may ask what we can do about it? Here are small 3 steps we can do now:

* Buy local. It is really about the journey — the longer food spends on a truck or in storage before being delivered to you, the greater the loss of its nutrients, Plus, less energy is used to store and transport the food when you buy local.

* Eat small fish. 90% of the big fish are gone, and they’re important for the ecosystems. Small fish, such as anchovies, sardines, and herring, are some of the best choices to keep both your body and the ocean happy. They have low mercury levels compared to big fish like swordfish, shark and tuna.

* Raise Awareness with your questions. Ask your restaurant/chef if the fish is sustainable. If they have none, choose another option. Just asking them will raise awareness and make them look into sustainable seafood. We need to remember, our desire creates the economy.

***𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐦.

𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓

Agnes

Agnieszka K. Wielgosz serves as a vocal sustainability/ regenerative wellness advocate. She is the woman behind CEI Collective, serving the creative needs of wellness professionals, regenerative & green living brands to grow and make a dynamic impact.

Through documentaries, visual storytelling and media content creation she searches for those big ideas, and the individuals behind them, that create a lasting change — ideas that address a gap or an opportunity that changes the way things are done, the way society views regenerative wellbeing of people and the planet.

You might be curious what the CEI acronym stands for; it stands for CONNECT EDUCATE INSPIRE. These are her three driving pillars to achieve societal planetary wellbeing.

Beyond her work with clients, she is well-known as an ardent mixed media artist who cultivates a mindful living approach. Agnes is passionate about creating a ripple effect and is excited to bring her skills and enthusiasm to your world.

Connect with her on IG: @ceicollective FB: @ceicollective
📧agnes@ceicollective.com