Making
the right choices when buying, serving and eating seafood
can be very challenging. This month we are pleased to
announce that help is on hand thanks to Sonja Tiegs.
Sonja Tiegs is conservation programs coordinator at
the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Her work can
take her to local rivers and creeks to survey fish and
mussel populations or to remote islands in the Bahamas
where she assists during Shedd's annual rock iguana
research expedition. Sonja also heads the aquarium's
advocacy team, which helps shape institutional positions
and actions on conservation and legislative issues.
In that role, she has helped build Shedd's Right Bite
program, which educates guests about sustainable seafood
choices and guides internal policy for seafood purchases
for the Aquarium's restaurants and the animal collection.
Sonja attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee,
where she received a B.S. in Biology and Conservation.
She's ready to answer your Seafood Questions. What's
your question?
Questions So Far
April 2003
Have you ever heard of "Quo Haugs?" I understand
it's supposed to be some kind of fish. Thanks, James
The Ocean Quahog (pronounced KO-hog) is a type of
clam found in the Atlantic from Newfoundland to Cape
Hatteras. They are very slow growing and long lived
- 70 to 150 years! The quahog fishery is well regulated,
but populations are still depleted (because they are
so slow-growing). They are usually harvested with hydraulic
dredges which unfortunately do a lot of damage to the
ocean floor.
Can you tell me, does farmed salmon possess as much omega 3 as
its wild counter part? I'm not a nutritionist, but many fish are considered to be rich in the
heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon in general, is one of the seafoods
high on that list. Studies have shown that wild caught salmon can have as
much as 2-3 times more Omega-3's than farmed salmon. Farmed salmon is also
higher in unhealthy saturated fats than wild caught salmon.
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