See I thought maybe they’re using sustainable seafood in prisons. Wow, that’s great. Just like Bon Appetit Management Co. is doing with sports venues and college campus cafeterias. Really. That’s what I thought when my Google Alert tuned to let me know what’s swimming around the ‘net that has to do with “sustainable seafood” showed me this headline.
Mackerel Economics in Prison Leads to Appreciation for Oily Fillets
Then I read the sub head:
Packs of Fish Catch On as Currency, Former Inmates Say; Officials Carp
Ruhroh Rastro. Something’s fishy here. Maybe this won’t be the Teach a Man to Fish feature of the week...
Apparently, the new coin of the realm in prisons in California is mackerel. First it was canned but that led to some weapons issues. Now it’s food service plastic or foil packs.
So prisoners trade “mack” for – well, whatever prisoners trade for, I guess. Sales for Mackerel outstrip more expensive tuna, oysters and such, according the supplier. “Unlike those more expensive delicacies, former prisoners say, the mack is a good stand-in for the greenback because each can (or pouch) costs about $1 and few — other than weight-lifters craving protein — want to eat it.”
The comments after this Wall St Journal article are almost too good. Only their readers could make macroeconomic – or is it microeconomic ? – theories, jokes and puns tying this to the bail out. Well worth a read.
Holy Mackerel, Batman!
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