Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch is a program to guide restaurants and consumers in making seafood choices for healthy oceans.
From the site: “We believe that seafood from sources, either fished or farmed, that can exist over the long-term without compromising species’ survival or the health of the surrounding ecosystem is sustainable. We favor conservation of the resource in the face of scientific uncertainty.”
They summarize the environmental effects of fishing or farming each species, provide scientific studies on the sustainability of each fish species, and list regional partners (restaurants and nonprofits, such as other aquariums). The partners are provided with handy pocket guides which consumers can keep in a wallet or purse.
The summaries are informative but don’t always give a complete picture. Look at the factsheets. I was surprised to read that farmed trout are considered “Best Choice.” The summary states that farmed populations contribute minimally to disease outbreaks and lauds trout farmers for reducing their impact on wild fisheries. The factsheet agrees with the summary as far as disease and fishmeal use, but rates ecosystem effects, pollution and chemical use as moderate risks.
The pocket guide ratings match the summaries and are a good visual reminder that certain species are not sustainable. The guide won’t tell you that a farmed trout has moderate risks, but it will remind you that Chilean sea bass are considered over fished using methods that are harmful to the environment.
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Humor:
May 11th, 2006 at 8:36 pm
Hey ManOLM, does that mean that they’re not taking the environmental effects of fish farming seriously? Or that overfishing far outweighs them? You know, I don’t know a whole lot about fish farming and what it entails, other than feeding salmon, which are carnivorous, corn — I think further investigation is required!
May 17th, 2006 at 1:20 pm
Hey Dairy Queen,
SeaWatch does take these matters seriously, but they compress a lot of information into three categories. Take a look at the descriptions of their methodology and the wealth of information they provide on their site.
They make their rating system simple so it is easier for consumer to use, but in the process they sacrifice detail to fit the ratings on their pocket guides. Best Choice means that a particular fish scored low in a majority of categories. Good means that the particular fish method scored moderately, or is better than similar fish in the Avoid category.
The example I cited for farmed trout meets their criteria for Best Choice — Farmed trout score low in most (4/7) categories, and trout farmers are working to reduce the moderate environmental impact. Best Choice means the best available, not the best of all worlds. Consumers should use the guides but not necessarily pat themselves on the back for their choice.
This ethicurean pledges to do more research into SeaWatch–how often they review their ratings–and seafood in general.
- Man of La Muncha