The following article was submitted by Meredith Gadzinski, an Adult Services Associate at the Manitowoc Public Library.
A couple of years ago, the Library asked Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Fisheries Specialist, to present a program on the changing ecology of Lake Michigan. That program was eye-opening for me. It actually came in handy over a year later when I was talking with friends about the kinds of fish that our local restaurants offer.
The conversation moved on to discussing how rainbow trout isn’t offered at restaurants in our area anymore, because when they were kids it was offered everywhere. We all wondered out loud why? I said, well from what I can remember from our program at MPL, the lake ecology has changed a lot due to invasive species. As such, the makeup of the fish available in our lakes has changed, too, and that could be a reason the local fish offerings at restaurants has changed.
I also told them that, not being an expert on the subject, I didn’t know that for sure. However, there’s a great book about the Great Lakes that you can read called The Life and Death of the Great Lakes that might shed some light on the topic. I don’t know if my friends checked out that book, but one of the things I love about being a librarian is that even when I don’t know the answers I can always find a reliable resource that can help to reveal the knowledge you need to make an informed choice.
That conversation also got the wheels turning in my head about creating another program. Friday Fish Fries are a huge part of local tradition in Manitowoc County and wouldn’t it be nice to know where the fish come from that we are eating whether that’s cooking fish at home or eating at our favorite Friday evening eatery. So. I asked Titus to make a return trip to Manitowoc Public Library to talk about the fish we eat in a program called, What’s on Your Plate?: The Pathways of Seafood from Local to the Whole World.
Meredith Gadzinski
Titus will be sharing his knowledge on where fish comes from, both wild caught and farm-raised, how our local fisheries have changed, and how we connect with the world through seafood. Being a Fisheries Specialist with Wisconsin Sea Grant, he’s more than qualified to speak on that subject. As an aquatic ecologist and fisheries scientist, he studies the ecology of streams, rivers, and wetlands, as well as the Great Lakes.
I have it on good authority from Titus that more than sixty-percent of the seafood Americans eat is imported. Personally, I don’t know much about the fish we eat and where it comes from other than standing at the seafood counter trying to figure out if I should pick farm-raised or wild caught fish for dinner. I am excited to learn more and hopefully this knowledge will help me purchase wisely in the future and do more to support our local fisheries.
What’s on Your Plate?: The Pathways of Seafood from Local to the Whole World will air on MPL’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/manitowoclibrary) on Thursday, June 10 at 6 PM. You do not need a Facebook account to watch the program. Just go to head to MPL’s page at 6 PM this Thursday to watch. I am sure that this program will not disappoint us and not only will it be dynamic, but also informative.
