The Best Guides to Buying Sustainable Seafood
Choosing seafood that is sustainable can often feel like a shot in the dark. It’s not that there is too little information out there. In fact, it’s quite the opposite! There is a lot of information and much of it is contradictory.
But there is good news: With just one trustworthy resource you can make choices on-the-go that are better for you and the planet.
We’ve got plenty of vetted recommendations that take your knowledge of sustainable seafood a little further too! Choose the path that makes sense for you.
Quick & Easy
Seafood Watch – The program by the Monterey Bay Aquarium is dedicated to helping consumers make good choices when it comes to seafood with its science-backed recommendations. Download the app or print and pocket their consumer guide for a list of seafood that is designated a Best Choice species that are good alternatives, and those to absolutely avoid depending on where you live. It is our go-to because Seafood Watch is the only consumer guide that includes wild-caught and farmed recommendations.
Take the Deep Dive
In addition to Seafood Watch, we recommend the following resources and books to gain a greater understanding of why our seafood system is the way it is. They require a bit more time and effort, but will give a valuable context that you can act more intelligently on.
Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg – In this The New York Times Bestseller, writer Paul Greenberg examines our relationship with wild fish. He finds that wild fisheries are exploited and overfished and that many fish farmers ignore practical criteria for domestication. Ocean life is essential to feeding the growing population. Greenberg recommends that we sustainably farm fish while maintaining our wild aquatic food systems.
You can also watch Greenberg’s PBS documentary The Fish on My Plate to find out what happened when he ate fish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a year.
Aquaculture Is Good for You and the Planet from Love the Wild – This infographic from Love the Wild, a company vested in ocean health and offers sustainable fish meal kits. The graphic explains why eating responsibly-farmed fish is good for you and the planet.
Read this interview with Love the Wild’s co-founder Jacqueline Claudia to find out how she is passionately changing the world by making sustainable seafood more accessible.
4 Reasons You Should Consider Fresh Vs. Frozen Fish – Contrary to conventional thought, the fresh vs. frozen fish debate is much more nuanced than you might think. Read this article to understand why in some cases frozen is a better (and more sustainable) choice than fresh.