Seafood Watch

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Seafood Watch is a program designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources. It is best known for publishing consumer guides for responsible seafood purchasing in the United States. Seafood Watch is a program of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and is a part of the Seafood Choices Alliance.

The fast-growing and resilient Atlantic croaker, currently on the "best" choice list (August 2006)

It gives lists of the best seafood choices, fish to avoid, as well as "good alternatives". The "avoid" category is for seafood which is overfished and/or fished or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment. Examples of fish that Seafood Watch currently (August 2006) advises consumers to avoid include Bluefin Tuna, Orange Roughy, Chilean Seabass, Atlantic Halibut, and Monkfish.

Health alerts for fish with high levels of mercury or PCBs are also noted, although they may appear in any category.

The Seafood Watch website includes both regional and country-wide guides for the United States. Pocket guides are available from the aquarium and further information is on the web site. The guides are also available in Spanish. The guides are updated twice annually, while the website is updated more often.

Recommended seafood includes Sardines, US-farmed Sturgeon (but not wild caught), Atlantic Croaker, Pacific Halibut, Wreckfish, White Seabass and Dungeness Crab.

Restaurants and retailers are also targeted with an educational program developed by Seafood Watch.

1 Similar programs worldwide
- 1.1 Guides and advisory lists
- 1.2 Certification and labelling
2 External links

[edit] Similar programs worldwide

Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide, and Pocket Guide, published by AMCS.

[edit] Guides and advisory lists

Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) produces Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide, a similar consumer guide, advising consumers which species are in danger of being fished out. [1] [2]
The Blue Ocean Institute Seafood Guide, [3]. Based in New York.
Oceans Alive: Best & Worst Seafood Choices
Audubon's National Seafood Wallet Card (USA)
Monterey Fish Market Seafood advisory list (West Coast, USA)

[edit] Certification and labelling

The Marine Stewardship Council has a certification program for consumer seafood products, and lists certified products on its website [4]
Ocean Wise, a Vancouver Aquarium conservation program certifying restaurants, and publishing a dining guide.
Sustainable Fishery Advocates operates the FishWise program for labelling seafood by retailers.