Something smells fishy in here!

Living in Italy has really taught me how to respect the aquatic ecosystem. When I visited San Lorenzo restaurant in Rome, I had the chance to understand how Italians handle their seafood in the restaurant industry. Coming from a family of fishermen, it was very interesting for me to see how other fisherman treat the aquatic environment. I learned that fishing is dependent upon the condition of the sea. The fishermen only catch the fish that are in the water that day. They aim to catch only large fish because catching smaller fish during their reproductive stages could harm the ecosystem. I also learned that charters that don’t respect the ecosystem will catch large amounts of the fish and preserve it for mass production and storage. After talking with the manager of San Lorenzo, I was able to tell if a fish is fresh. A fresh fish’s gills aren’t black and the under belly is still white and not yellow. The eye is elastic and not sunken in. The muscle on the back of the fish is firm and the fish smells fresh and like the sea. A fish can stay fresh up to 12 hours until it goes bad. At the restaurant, the fish comes into the harbor at 2:30 in the afternoon, arrives at the restaurant at 8 pm and are cooked for that night’s dinner. San Lorenzo is respected for its loyalty to the sea and the way they prepare the freshest seafood dishes.