[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/EW-05-31-12-Seafood-Watch.mp3|titles=EW 05-31-12 Seafood Watch]
Some fish populations are declining, and some types of fish are high in mercury or contaminants that can threaten our health. There are several resources that help consumers and businesses make informed choices when purchasing seafood. One of them is Seafood Watch…
“Seafood Watch is one of the programs that the aquarium does in its conservation area.”
Sheila Bowman is the senior outreach manager at Monterey Bay Aquarium, which runs Seafood Watch.
“We are really about creating recommendations that consumers and businesses can use to make environmentally-friendly purchasing decisions, whether they’re buying seafood at their local grocer, or they’re a really large business contracting millions of tons of seafood a year.”
Researchers affiliated with the Monterey Bay Aquarium review data about populations, habitat, management, and other factors.
You can consult a simple wallet card—or now, a smartphone app—to determine if a species is a Best Choice, a Good Alternative, or To Be Avoided.
Seafood Watch also works with restaurants to help them make environmentally friendly choices when they source seafood. Bowman says individual consumer decisions can really affect the health of fisheries…
“If consumers ask questions, they really start the cycle that moves all the way through the seafood chain, right up to making changes in the oceans and in our waterways that are positive for the environment.”
Scientists know a lot about how to keep our oceans and fisheries healthy. We can do our part by staying informed about which fish are ocean-friendly options.
Web Extra
Full interview with Sheila Bowman, the senior outreach manager at Monterey Bay Aquarium, which runs Seafood Watch…
[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Bowman_full_edited.mp3|titles=Bowman_full_edited]Web Links
Seafood Watch program, Monterey Bay Aquarium
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx
Get a pocket guide or app
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/download.aspx
Photo, taken on April 6, 2008, courtesy of Jim Brickett via Flickr.