Sustainable seafood is
seafood
Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...
that is
caught
Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in cricket. A batsman is out caught if the batsman hits the ball, from a legitimate delivery, with the bat, and the ball is caught by the bowler or a fielder before it hits the ground.
If the ball h ...
or
farmed
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
in ways that consider the long-term vitality of harvested species and the well-being of the oceans, as well as the livelihoods of fisheries-dependent communities. It was first promoted through the sustainable seafood movement which began in the 1990s. This operation highlights
overfishing
Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing fish stock), resulting in th ...
and environmentally destructive fishing methods. Through a number of initiatives, the movement has increased awareness and raised concerns over the way our seafood is obtained.
Sustainable seafood is from either fished or farmed sources that can maintain or increase production in the future without jeopardizing the
ecosystems
An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...
from which it was acquired. The sustainable seafood movement has gained momentum as more people become aware of both
overfishing
Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing fish stock), resulting in th ...
and environmentally destructive fishing methods. Fish farming can also have negative environmental effects, such as the destruction of natural wetlands and marine pollution.
Importance
Marine environment
Marine habitats are habitats that support marine life. Marine life depends in some way on the saltwater that is in the sea (the term ''marine'' comes from the Latin ''mare'', meaning sea or ocean). A habitat is an ecological or environmental ...
s are currently under immense pressure. Their problems primarily arise through
anthropogenic
Anthropogenic ("human" + "generating") is an adjective that may refer to:
* Anthropogeny, the study of the origins of humanity
Counterintuitively, anthropogenic may also refer to things that have been generated by humans, as follows:
* Human im ...
causes, such as overfishing and environmental destruction. However, research suggests that fisheries are able to recover or stabilize their populations when responsible management and regulations are in place.
Unfortunately, most seafood is obtained through "irresponsible fishing practices that continue to modify some marine ecosystem."
This has resulted in record depleted stocks.
For example, "85 percent of the world’s fisheries are fished at or beyond their maximum sustainable limit."
Considering the rising global population and the pressure that it has, and will continue to exert on the Earth's resources, a more sustainable method of fishing is necessary if humans wish to utilize its natural abundance.
Sustainable Seafood Movement
The Sustainable Seafood Movement is an initiative born through the realization that the
marine ecosystems
Marine ecosystems are the largest of Earth's aquatic ecosystems and exist in waters that have a high salt content. These systems contrast with freshwater ecosystems, which have a lower salt content. Marine waters cover more than 70% of the surf ...
of the world were being overexploited and destroyed.
It began in the 1990s and was driven by
social marketing
Social marketing is a marketing approach which focuses on influencing behavior with the primary goal of achieving "common good." It utilizes the elements of commercial marketing and applies them to social concepts. However, to see social marke ...
through
Ecolabel
Ecolabels (also "Eco-Labels") and Green Stickers are labeling systems for food and consumer products. The use of ecolabels is voluntary, whereas green stickers are mandated by law; for example, in North America major appliances and automobiles us ...
and awareness campaigns.
Through social marketing, the collaboration between environmental
non-governmental organizations
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
(NGOs) and industry allowed for the consumer to make informed choices, potentially contributing to the conservation of marine
biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
.
Ecolabeling
Ecolabeling programs evaluate the production process with environmental standards set by an independent third party. Should the process fulfill the specific requirements, the producer or marketer may purchase a license to use an ecolabel in its marketing. This label allows the consumer to know that the product was produced sustainably.
Labeling is not only an effective regulatory tool in encouraging consumers to make environmentally friendly choices, but it also provides a financial benefit to producers. In 1996 the
Marine Stewardship Council
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is a non-profit organization which aims to set standards for sustainable fishing. Fisheries that wish to demonstrate they are well-managed and sustainable compared to the MSC's standards are assessed by a te ...
(MSC) implemented the first certification program
Since then, they have not only made a distinct effort to maintain the health of ecosystems, but they have also contributed to more financial success for producers. For instance, once the American Albacore Fishing Association had its tuna certified to the MSC standard, they were able to obtain premium prices for their product.
For the small fishing community in Bonita, California, certification allowed them to sell direct, as opposed to depending on the instability on the dock.
They were able to make a profit of $2,260 rather than $1,700 per tonne.
More companies and organizations are choosing to use environmentally sustainable production, such as ecolabeling, to gain a greater market share and higher profits.
Awareness Campaigns
Awareness campaigns focus on educating the public and encouraging them to purchase products that consider the vitality of marine species.
They do so through boycotts of certain species and products as well as through seafood guides. Seafood guides highlight which species are acceptable to consume and which are not based on their environmental impact.
Guides are typically constructed into three categories, some using the analogy of a traffic light's colours: red, yellow, and green.
These rankings are based on how the fish responds to fishing pressure, abundance, gear impact,
bycatch
Bycatch (or by-catch), in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juve ...
, and management. Red represents items to avoid, yellow is a good alternative, and green is the best choice.
Several organizations, including the
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit public aquarium in Monterey, California. Known for its regional focus on the marine habitats of Monterey Bay, it was the first to exhibit a living kelp forest when it opened in October 1984. Its biologists ...
, have developed their own guides or wallet cards to be distributed to the public.
In September 2016, a partnership of Google and
Oceana and
Skytruth SkyTruth is a nonprofit environmental watchdog that uses satellite imagery and remote sensing data to identify and monitor threats to the planet's natural resources. Its stated mission is to "share the view from space to promote conservation for peo ...
introduced
Global Fishing Watch
''Global Fishing Watch'' is a website launched in September 2016 by Google in partnership with Oceana and SkyTruth "to provide the world’s first global view of commercial fishing activities." At any moment, 200,000 vessels are publicizing thei ...
, a website designed to assist citizens of the globe in monitoring fishing activities.
Sustainable Seafood in Africa
In 2004, the
South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
(SASSI) was established as an initiative of the
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...
(WWF). The main goal was to inform the supply chain about sustainable seafood. In 2018, the four-year project ''Fish for Good'' started to guide fisheries in South Africa towards more sustainable fishing practices. In
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
, subsidies use to be unfavorable for small-scale fishers internationally, while benefiting large-scale fishers, who are responsible for illegal and overfishing problems. The government has to look at how to help small-scale and commercial fisheries to avoid overfishing and illegal activities on our seas.
Seafood Guide
The Seafood Guide below, made by SeaChoice, highlights which species are best to eat, and which should be avoided based on their management, abundance, and whether they have been caught or farmed in environmentally sustainable ways. It allows consumers to be informed of their choices and vote with their wallets.
Fishing Methods
![Chilean purse seine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Chilean_purse_seine.jpg)
There are a wide variety of fishing methods used. Each has its own environment impact that varies on intensity. The table below highlights a fishing method along with its environmental repercussions.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...
(NOAA) is a national
government agency
A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administrati ...
that has authority over conservation, marine fisheries, and management.
[FishWatch](_blank)
/ref> The NOAA has created FishWatch to help guide concerned consumers to sustainable seafood choices. The fisheries in the United States are overseen by the Ten National Standards of the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
The Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA), commonly referred to as the Magnuson–Stevens Act (MSA), is the legislation providing for the management of marine fisheries in U.S. waters. Originally enacted in 1976 to as ...
. Therefore, the National Standards are protecting the fish population and eliminating overfishing. Along with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, U.S. fisheries are also regulated under the Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or "The Act"; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of ec ...
and Marine Mammal Act.
The NOAA fisheries service has started using aquaculture to produce sustainable seafood. Aquaculture
Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
is fish or shellfish farming.["NOAA:Aquaculture"](_blank)
/ref> The aquaculture fisheries hatch and raise the fish until market size. By using aquaculture the wild fish will be able to repopulate without the threat of overfishing. The aquaculture fish have a variety of uses including: food, nutritional, and pharmaceutical. Two types of aquaculture exist. Marine aquaculture farms the fish species that live in the ocean and fresh water aquaculture is the fish species that live in freshwater. NOAA is focusing on an alternative seafood source to help repopulate and save the ocean's ecosystems.
Sustainable Seafood Organisations
Aquaculture Stewardship Council
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is an independent non-profit organisation and labelling organization that establishes protocol on farmed seafood while ensuring sustainable aquaculture. The ASC provides producers with a certification of e ...
(ASC) is an independent non-profit organisation
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
and labelling
Labelling or using a label is describing someone or something in a word or short phrase. For example, the label "criminal" may be used to describe someone who has broken a law. Labelling theory is a theory in sociology which ascribes labelling ...
organization that establishes protocol on farmed seafood
Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...
while ensuring sustainable
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livin ...
aquaculture
Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
. The ASC provides producers with a certification of environmental sustainability and social responsibility. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council was founded in 2009 by the World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...
(WWF) and the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH).
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
The Marine Stewardship Council
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is a non-profit organization which aims to set standards for sustainable fishing. Fisheries that wish to demonstrate they are well-managed and sustainable compared to the MSC's standards are assessed by a te ...
is a global non-profit organization looking to conserve the oceans. Their mission is to use a combination of certified fisheries and ecolabeling to make people aware of how important it is to preserve our oceans. The MSC works with fisheries, scientists, seafood companies, conservation groups and the public to encourage environmentally friendly seafood choices. The two main ways the MSC regulates sustainable seafood is by setting standards for certified fisheries and ecolabeling.
The certified fisheries are judged on the three standards the MSC provides. The MSC, however, does not certify the fisheries. They are certified by a third party system to remove any bias.[ ] The standards were created to decrease overfishing and maintain healthy ecosystems.
The three standards are:
* Maintaining Sustainable Fish Stocks
:* The fishery may not overexploit any of its resources.
* Environmental Impact
:* Each fishery is judged on the amount of environmental impact they contribute to the ocean. The fishery may not use any form of fishing that destroys the structure, productivity, function, or diversity of the ecosystem.
* Effective Management
:*Not only does the fishery have to follow the two other MSC standards, but they also have to follow all local, national, and international laws.
Once a fishery has been reviewed and certified, their certification lasts for five years. In that five years, the fishery will be inspected and held to the environmental standards of the MSC. After the five years have passed, the fishery will have to go through the approval process again.
The second way the MSC regulates seafood to the public is by using their ecolabel
Ecolabels (also "Eco-Labels") and Green Stickers are labeling systems for food and consumer products. The use of ecolabels is voluntary, whereas green stickers are mandated by law; for example, in North America major appliances and automobiles us ...
. The ecolabel on seafood products guarantees the seafood has come from a sustainable source and certified fishery.[http://www.msc.org/get-certified/use-the-msc-ecolabel/why" ] The ecolabel can be found around the world. The consumer can feel good about buying seafood with a MSC ecolabel.
Before a seafood product can carry the MSC eco-label, the fishery must acquire the MSC Fisheries certification
Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
. Additionally, all companies in the supply chain that take ownership of the product including distributors, wholesalers, manufacturers, pack houses, traders, retailers, catering organizations and restaurants must acquire the MSC Chain of Custody Certification.
Criticism of the Marine Stewardship Council
Critics condemn the Marine Stewardship Council for certifying specific fisheries that may be in trouble, harmful to the environment, or where there is a lack of information available. For example, the Antarctic toothfish fishery in the Ross Sea was awarded an MSC label, despite a lack of basic information on the stock itself. A ''Marine Policy'' study that analyzed the stocks of MSC fisheries found that 31% of the stocks were overfished, and 11% did not have suitable information available.
Richard Page, a Greenpeace oceans campaigner, stated "I will go as far as to say consumers are being duped. They think they are buying fish that are sustainable and can eat them with a clean conscience."
Friend of the Sea
Friend of the Sea
Friend of the Sea is a project of the World Sustainability Organization for the certification and promotion of seafood from sustainable fisheries and sustainable aquaculture. It is the only certification scheme which, with the same logo, certifies ...
is currently a project of the World Sustainability Organization, an international trademark registered with humanitarian and environmental conservation mission.
It was founded by Dr. Paolo Bay who started the sustainable seafood movement in Europe. The certified fisheries are audited by International Organization for Standardization. The criteria to become a certified fishery is:
* The fish stock may not be overexploited
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Continued overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource, as it will be unable to replenish. The term ap ...
* No habitat destruction
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
* No bycatch
Bycatch (or by-catch), in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juve ...
of endangered species
* Must follow all laws and regulations
* Reduction of the carbon footprint
A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, place or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Greenhouse gases, including the carbon-containing gases carbo ...
*Social accountability
The Friend of the Sea also participate in the certification of aquaculture farms. The establishment of aquaculture helps reduce the number of wild species caught. The criteria of aquaculture is:
* There is no environmental impact where the farm is placed
* Must follow all waste water guidelines
* A very low percentage of escapes
* No genetically modified organisms, growth hormones
*Use of antibiotics only if it is necessary
* Reduction of the carbon footprint
*Social accountability
In 2004, aquaculture accounted for 32% of the total production of fish. Aquaculture is becoming more popular with an 8% rise per year in the last 30 years.
Chefs and restaurants
Due to growing public concern about overfishing
Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing fish stock), resulting in th ...
, many seafood restaurants have begun to offer more sustainable seafood options, with some restaurants specializing in sustainable seafood, exemplified by Miya's
Miya's was a restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut, United States, credited as the first sustainable sushi restaurant in the world. The restaurant was founded by Yoshiko Lai, a Japanese nutritionist. As of 2021, they are permanently closed.
Cu ...
, a restaurant headed by chef Bun Lai
Bun Lai (born 1973) is a Hong Kong-born American chef. He is a leader in the sustainable food movement. His family restaurant, Miya's in New Haven, Connecticut, is the first sustainable sushi restaurant in the world. His mother, who received an ...
, the first sushi restaurant to specialize in sustainable seafood and a 2016 White House Champions of Change for Sustainable Seafood recipient. Today, there are sustainable sushi
Sustainable sushi is sushi made from fished or farmed sources that can be maintained or whose future production does not significantly jeopardize the ecosystems from which it is acquired. Concerns over the sustainability of sushi ingredients arise ...
restaurants throughout the U.S., Canada, and England, and many more sustainable seafood restaurants in general. Due to eco-labeling, seafood guides, traceability schemes, sourcing policies, and awareness initiatives there are more chefs and restaurants involved in the sustainable seafood movement than ever before.
The rising "trash fish" trend of expanding the species of popular seafood consumption, is another way chef's and restaurants are supporting sustainable seafood. NOAA approximates 20,000 species of seafood in the world and most of them edible. Ten species account for 86% of seafood consumption in the United States, chefs and restaurants engaging in the trash fish trend are looking to increase the amount of species consumed. The desired outcome is to decrease overfishing and revitalize populations of the more popular fish and redirect the attention to more sustainable species.
Organizations such as Seafood Choices Alliance
The Seafood Choices Alliance was a program of the nonprofit ocean conservation organization, SeaWeb. It was established in 2001 to bring together the disparate elements and diverse approaches in a growing "seafood choices" movement in the United ...
have helped educate chefs about the choices they make in order to encourage more chefs and restaurants to offer sustainable options. This is in line with the strict international standards set by 'Eco Friendly Chef' www.ecofriendlychef.com and 'Eco Friendly Approved' www.EcoFriendlyApproved.com in association with Oceans 5. www.oceans-5.comSeafood Choices Alliance
Advisory lists
Sustainable fish by region
See also
* Environmental Defense Fund
Environmental Defense Fund or EDF (formerly known as Environmental Defense) is a United States-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group. The group is known for its work on issues including global warming, ecosystem restoration, oceans, and hu ...
* Fisheries Law Centre
The Fisheries Law Centre (FLC) is a grassroots non-profit research centre headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Although FLC is based in Canada, its outreach is global with researchers located in many countries around the world. FL ...
* List of seafoods
* Marine Stewardship Council
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is a non-profit organization which aims to set standards for sustainable fishing. Fisheries that wish to demonstrate they are well-managed and sustainable compared to the MSC's standards are assessed by a te ...
* ''One Fish, Two Fish, Crawfish, Bluefish
''One Fish, Two Fish, Crawfish, Bluefish: The Smithsonian Sustainable Seafood Cookbook'' () is a collection of seafood recipes specifically chosen for their environmental sustainability. It was written by Carole C. Baldwin and Julie H. Mounts, ill ...
'' (book)
* List of harvested aquatic animals by weight
This is a list of aquatic animals that are Commercial fishing, harvested commercially in the greatest amounts, listed in order of tonnage per year (2012) by the Food and Agriculture Organization. Species listed here have an annual tonnage in exces ...
* Sea Fish Industry Authority
The Sea Fish Industry Authority (or Seafish) is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Established in 1981, and charged with working with the UK seafood indust ...
* Seafood Choices Alliance
The Seafood Choices Alliance was a program of the nonprofit ocean conservation organization, SeaWeb. It was established in 2001 to bring together the disparate elements and diverse approaches in a growing "seafood choices" movement in the United ...
* Seafood Watch __NOTOC__
Seafood Watch is a sustainable seafood advisory list, and has influenced similar programs around the world. It is best known for developing science-based seafood recommendations that consumers, chefs, and business professionals use to i ...
* Ocean Outcomes
Ocean Outcomes (O2) is an international nonprofit organization which works with commercial fisheries, seafood industry, local communities, government, NGOs, and other fishery stakeholders to develop and implement solutions towards more sustainable ...
* Overfishing
Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing fish stock), resulting in th ...
* Fisheries management
The goal of fisheries management is to produce sustainable biological, environmental and socioeconomic benefits from renewable aquatic resources. Wild fisheries are classified as renewable when the organisms of interest (e.g., fish, shellfish, am ...
* Fisheries science
Fisheries science is the academic discipline of managing and understanding fisheries. It is a multidisciplinary science, which draws on the disciplines of limnology, oceanography, freshwater biology, marine biology, meteorology, conservation, eco ...
* Fisheries law
Fisheries law is an emerging and specialized area of law. Fisheries law is the study and analysis of different fisheries management approaches such as catch shares e.g. Individual Transferable Quotas; TURFs; and others. The study of fisheries law ...
* Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) is an issue around the world. Fishing industry observers believe IUU occurs in most fisheries, and accounts for up to 30% of total catches in some important fisheries.
Illegal fishing takes pl ...
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
GoodFish Project - Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide
InSeason Fish
A sustainable seafood guide for India
David Suzuki Foundation: Choosing Sustainable Seafood
FishSource
Smithsonian's Ocean Portal
Sustainable seafood section
Seafood Watch
SeaChoice
FishChoice
Ocean Wise
Ocean Outcomes
{{fishery science topics
Seafood
.
Sustainable food system