Sustainable seafood is seafood from either fished or farmed sources that can maintain or increase production in the future without jeopardizing the ecosystems from which it was acquired. The sustainable seafood movement has gained momentum as more people become aware about both overfishing and environmentally-destructive fishing methods.
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In general, slow-growing fish that reproduce late in life, such as orange roughy, are quite vulnerable to overfishing.[1] Seafood species that grow quickly and breed young, such as anchovies and sardines, are much more resistant to overfishing. Several organizations, including the Marine Stewardship Council and Friend of the Sea, certify seafood fisheries as sustainable.[2]
In the US, the Sustainable Fisheries Act defines sustainable practices through national standards. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has created FishWatch to help guide concerned consumers to sustainable seafood choices.[3] The NOAA Fisheries’ position is that the "ten National Standards of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, backed up by the principles of other applicable law such as the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Act, function as the US fisheries sustainability standards".[4]
Nonprofit groups addressing seafood sustainability include the Marine Stewardship Council, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Oceana, John G. Shedd Aquarium and Greenpeace. Many of these groups produce consumer guides for sustainable seafood. The Marine Stewardship Council has also implemented a "Fish Forever" label on ocean-friendly seafood in markets.
In March 2009, the tuna industry, scientists and WWF, the global conservation organization, announced a global partnership and formed the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). The group's website says its mission is to work toward the science-based management and conservation of tuna stocks and the protection of ocean health.[5]
Due to growing public concern about overfishing, many seafood restaurants have begun to offer more sustainable seafood options, with some restaurants specializing in sustainable seafood.[6] The Seafood Choices Alliance aims to educate chefs about the choices they make in order to encourage more chefs and restaurants to offer sustainable options.[7]