ABALOBI rethinking the way we eat fish

RETHINKING THE WAY WE EAT FISH

Humans love stories. Proof of this is in the battlefield-depicting panoramas of prehistoric cave paintings, the sweeping sagas written by ancient philosophers and poets, and the past century of cinematic history, from the earliest black-and-white shorts to the modern blockbuster. People will learn anything and heed any advice, so long as it’s plot-driven, and it’s this very human trait that ABALOBI leverages in its e ort to protect both South Africa’s smallscale fisherfolk and our coastal ecosystems.

It does this by connecting restaurant diners, via a QR code, with the story behind the seafood on their plate, from what it is and where it was caught to the name of the fisherfolk who caught it, which adds a most wonderful dimension of appreciation to the dining experience. But there’s a more profound importance to ABALOBI than just story-telling.

This non-profit community initiative eliminates money-sapping middlemen from the food equation, thus allowing restaurants to directly source super-fresh, sustainably caught seafood. This, in turn, returns the vast majority of profit of the catch to the small-scale fisherfolk, which means they no longer have to catch two or three times the amount just to make ends meet. And this is where ABALOBI’s agenda is truly fulfilled: in protecting both South African marine life and the socio-economic health of the fishing communities it supports.

So, the next time you have a hankering for fresh seafood, dine at a restaurant that supports the ABALOBI initiative. On the other end of your meal will be a story about real humans who responsibly fish to support their families while protecting the plethora of animals that call our coastal waters home.

www.abalobi.org