The theme for this year’s UN World Oceans Day (Sunday 8 June) is Wonder: Sustaining what sustains us which highlights the imperative for us to understand how our consumption habits can support ocean health and in turn benefit our own vitality.
Octopus is rich in nutritional value and health benefits, a sustainable seafood choice not to mention delicious! I’ve curated this dish that features Spanish-Style Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified Fremantle Octopus available from Coles and sourced from a sustainable fishery in Western Australia with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens.
Octopus contains more vitamin B12, selenium, iron, copper, magnesium, iodine and calcium than beef. The iron content is great for women’s health – 100g raw octopus contains 5.3g iron – for comparison 100g raw trimmed rump steak has 2.1g. It contains haem iron, which the body absorbs and utilises more effectively than the non-haem iron found in plant foods.
Octopus is resilient to climate change and the industry has adopted a range of ethical fishing practices. For example, the Western Australia octopus fishery uses smart, low-impact trigger trap technology that mostly catch male octopuses leaving more females increasing the reproductive opportunity for the species. It also results in less than 1% bycatch preserving other species. It was the first octopus fishery in the southern hemisphere to achieve MSC certification for sustainability with octopus the twelfth MSC certified species from this fishery.
Currently 38% of the worlds fish stocks are overfished and consumption of aquatic animals has risen from 9.1kg per capita in 1961 to 20.7kg in 2022 (State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture Report). Together we protect our ocean through making sustainable choices.Sustainable fishing means more fish. Enough to feed an extra 72 million people per year. Research shows wild-caught fish populations targeted by MSC certified fisheries have higher relative abundance than non-MSC populations To ensure you’re supporting ocean sustainability when at the supermarket selecting seafood, look for the blue MSC tick which confirms it comes from a well-managed fishery that minimises its impact on the ocean and protects fish stocks for the future.
Want to reap some of these benefits of octopus? Whip up this recipe for Spanish-Style MSC certified Fremantle Octopus with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens.
Dr Joanna McMillan is a Marine Stewardship Council ambassador, internationally renowned nutrition scientist, author, speaker & food futurist.