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RedditOverfishing, harmful fishery techniques and habitat destruction have brought into question whether many of the world's fish stocks can sustain themselves. Does that mean we should stop eating fish if we care about the sea? "Definitely not," says Carole Baldwin, National Museum of Natural History marine biologist and coauthor of One Fish, Two Fish, Crawfish, Bluefish: The Smithsonian Sustainable Seafood Cookbook.
There are plenty of fisheries that use eco-friendly methods and limit their take with species' long-term survival in mind, Baldwin says. Although Chilean sea bass should be avoided in general because of overfishing, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has certified a fishery off South Georgia Island near Antarctica as sustainable. Several other ventures aiming to produce environmentally sound farmed fish have recently launched. Australis Aquaculture in Massachusetts, for instance, raises Australian barramundi. "The operation emphasizes clean and healthy procedures—99 percent of the water is purified and recycled, there are no hormones, antibiotics or colorants and by using pure artesian well water they can assure that the fish is virtually free of mercury and other contaminants," says Baldwin.
With assistance from Baldwin, Smithsonian.com offers the following guide to ocean-friendly eating.
(Download a pocket-sized guide.)
BEST
Of all the seafood choices a consumer in North America can make, these are the most eco-friendly.
- U.S. farm-raised oysters, mussels and clams: Cultivated on both coasts in sound farming operations, these filter-feeders actually improve water quality.
- U.S. farm-raised barramundi, striped bass (rockfish), white sturgeon, catfish, tilapia and trout: These inland aquaculture operations cause minimal environmental harm.
- Sablefish: This tasty, eco-friendly alternative to Chilean sea bass is an example of a well-managed deep-sea fishery; it's certified as sustainable by the MSC.
- Ecofish brand canned albacore tuna (www.ecofish.com): It is sustainably caught using single fishing lines and is tested for contaminants, including mercury.
- Alaskan salmon: Wild Alaskan chum, coho, king, pink and sockeye salmon fisheries are all MSC-certified as well-managed and sustainable.
- Pollock (aka frozen fish sticks, imitation crabmeat): This MSC-certified operation is an excellent example of how an enormous fishery can be sustainably managed.
- Pacific halibut: Another example of a well-managed, West Coast fishery that's MSC certified.
GOOD
For the most part, fish from this group are safe to eat without harming the ocean.
- Mahi mahi/dolphin fish (U.S.): If available, choose fish caught with single, trolled fishing lines; mahi caught on longlines are sometimes associated with high rates of bycatch.
- Organic farmed salmon from British Columbia, Ireland and Scotland: Stocking density, feeding and growing methods make these fisheries more environmentally sound than typical farmed Atlantic salmon.
- Squid: These mollusks reproduce often, so they can withstand heavy fishing pressure—though many are caught in trawls with moderate bycatch rates.
- Anchovies, sardines, Atlantic herring and smelts: These species also reproduce enough to withstand heavy fishing.
- Pacific cod: All right to eat from MSC-certified fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, Alaska.
- Atlantic and Spanish mackerel: These fast-growing fish are abundant.
- Farmed bay scallops: Most found in markets are farmed in safe systems in Asia.
- Atlantic sea scallops: If possible, choose diver scallops, which are hand-harvested rather than caught by dredges that can destroy ocean bottoms.
- American lobster: Cooperation among fishermen, scientists and authorities has helped maintain these populations, particularly through low-bycatch traps.
- Ocean shrimp (aka salad or cocktail shrimp), Northern pink shrimp, spot prawns: Not the typical shrimp found in seafood markets, these coldwater species are caught in special trawls or traps with minimal bycatch.
- U.S. Crawfish: Though U.S.-farmed crawfish, mostly in Louisiana, are an excellent choice, beware of Asian-farmed crawfish, which may be contaminated with potent antibiotics that are banned in U.S. operations.
OK, BUT
Thank you so much for your informative list. I will keep this in mind next time I am shopping for seafood. Just one request though, could you please also include the mercury levels thought to be contained in each particular type of seafood? For instance, though the Spanish Mackeral are listed under GOOD since they reproduce quickly, I've often read that they contain unsafe levels of mercury...
Posted by Una Chung-Iwasaka on January 5,2008 | 07:09PM
best of luck . save the world
Posted by arya on January 13,2008 | 06:25AM
Thanks for the downloadable pocket sized guide; I'm including one in each Christmas gift I give!
Posted by Jan Smith on December 10,2008 | 02:14PM
Thanks. I will share this with my fellow divers here in the Philippines. Would you happen to know if SE Asia and the Philippines have their own list also? If you do, kindly email link so I can spread the word. More power to you! Ordinary people like us are with you on this. Let us know how we can also help.
Posted by Gi on February 1,2009 | 09:59PM