Be conscious of what you consume!

Overfishing and other destructive practices are eliminating many of the fish species we currently consume – but alternatives exist and many fisheries are working to improve. You can make an impact, just by choosing one type of seafood over another.

Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Seafood Watch” program was designed to spread awareness about sustainable seafood, guiding consumers and businesses to make conscious choices for healthy oceans.  Their up-to-date recommendations are science-based, peer reviewed, and use ecosystem-based criteria, indicating which seafood items are “Best Choices,” “Good Alternatives,” and which ones you should “Avoid.”

Seafood Watch raises consumer awareness through consistently updated pocket guides, website, mobile applications and outreach efforts.  With close to 200 partners across North America, including the two largest food service companies in the U.S., restaurants, distributors and seafood purveyors are encouraged to purchase from sustainable sources.

Vision of Sustainability

Seafood Watch helps to sustain wild, diverse and healthy ocean ecosystems that will exist long into the future.  Consumers and businesses are encouraged to purchase seafood that is fished or farmed in ways that doesn’t harm the environment. When there is scientific uncertainty, Seafood Watch errs on the side of conservation.

Why Do Seafood Choices Matter?

Nearly 75% of the world’s fisheries are fished to capacity, or overfished. Our seafood choices have the power to make this situation worse, or improve it. Seafood Watch recommendations don’t hinge on any single issue. Instead, they consider the fishery, habitat, species, management, and a host of other factors that affect each species. In this way, Seafood Watch offers a complete vision of sustainability.

How Does Seafood Watch Develop Recommendations?

A team of scientists research government reports, journal articles and white papers. They also contact fishery and fish farm experts. After a thorough review, sustainability criteria is applied to develop an in-depth Seafood Watch Report. All reports are reviewed by a panel of experts from academia, government and the seafood industry and are available on the website. From these reports, the seafood recommendations are created.

Visit the website for more information about the movement, a complete list of Seafood Watch recommendations, sustainable recipes, and much more!

Boise Co-op proudly adheres to the “Seafood Watch” recommended alternatives for our seafood offerings and has pocket guides available at the Meat Department counter.