Sustainable Seafood

In a community that values the ocean so much, we understand that each of us can have a huge impact when it comes to helping – or hurting – our environment. Many of us have stopped using plastic water bottles, faithfully bring reusable containers with our lunch, and have become more ethical anglers; but there are other pieces to the puzzle where you can continue to make a difference. Sustainable seafood is today’s topic. The decisions we make when it comes to choosing which types of seafood to eat can have a big impact on the environment. Sustainable seafood is not a new topic, but as the health of the world’s oceans continues to decline, we are seeing a new emphasis on eating in a way that minimizes our impacts on the environment. At the Coastal Center, we believe that even small individual actions – like using reusable grocery bags or making sustainable choices about food – can have enormous additive impacts as more people get onboard.

An easy way to start making sustainable seafood choices is by downloading the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch app and accompanying Consumer Guide for your state. The Seafood Watch app is an easy-to-use resource right at your fingertips for when you are out to eat or purchasing seafood at a store. At restaurants, be sure to ask where a fish is from and how it was sourced. Then, double check with the Seafood Watch app to see whether it’s a good choice. The Consumer Guide is a helpful compilation of sustainable seafood choices for your state. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has been a leader in sustainable seafood research and advocacy. To learn more about how your seafood choices are helping or harming our oceans, please visit www.seafoodwatch.org. Additional information such as Consumer Guides can be downloaded from https://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations/consumer-guides.

Contributed by Education Specialist Dakotah Tanczuk.