The Seafood Watch Program at Monterey Bay Aquarium researches the environmental impacts of fisheries and aquaculture operations so that consumers can make the best possible seafood choices that are good for the oceans. To assist consumers, the Seafood Watch program compiles a national guide (see Table) and updates it on a regular basis. The Seafood Watch program also provides regional guides that contain the latest information on seafood in your area. You can view the national and regional cards on-line or download a pocket-size version at: www.montereybayaquarium.com/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_regional.aspx. The recommendations in the guides are based on how fish are raised and caught, and where they are from.
Using the Seafood Guides
The seafood items in these guides may occur in more than one column based on how they are caught or farmed or where they are from. Be sure to read all columns, check product labels, and ask questions when shopping or eating out:
- Where is the seafood from?
- Is it farmed or wild-caught?
- How was it caught?
Your consumer choices make a difference. Buy seafood from the Best Choices or Good Alternatives columns to support those fisheries and fish farms that are healthier for ocean wildlife and the environment.
Best Choices: These are your best seafood choices. These fish are abundant, well managed, and caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways.
Good Alternatives: These are good alternatives to the Best Choices column. However, there are some concerns with how they’re fished or farmed—or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Visit www.seafoodwatch.org to learn more.
Avoid: Avoid these products, at least for now. These fish come from sources that are overfished and/or caught or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment. (Also see FDA and EPA recommendations.)
Reprinted with permission from: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA. Visit www.seafoodwatch.org to download the national and regional Seafood Guides.
The Seafood Watch Program at Monterey Bay Aquarium researches the environmental impacts of fisheries and aquaculture operations so that consumers can make the best possible seafood choices that are good for the oceans.
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