Sustainable seafood advisory lists and certification
Encyclopedia
Sustainable seafood advisory lists and certification are programs aimed at increasing consumer awareness of the environmental impact and sustainability of their seafood purchasing choices.
California-based Seafood Watch
and Marine Conservation Society
's fishonline are some of the best known guides. One of the best known certification programs is Marine Stewardship Council
's scheme for consumer seafood products.
Other programs include regional guides, such as that produced by the Australian Marine Conservation Society
(AMCS), and certification of restaurants as done by Vancouver Aquarium
's Ocean Wise.
California-based Seafood Watch
Seafood Watch
Seafood Watch is one of the best known sustainable seafood advisory lists, and has influenced similar programs around the world. It is a program designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources...
and Marine Conservation Society
Marine Conservation Society
The Marine Conservation Society a UK charity for the protection of the seas around the United Kingdom, and for the protection of their shores and wildlife.According to their website MCS's Vision is:Their website also states:...
's fishonline are some of the best known guides. One of the best known certification programs is Marine Stewardship Council
Marine Stewardship Council
The Marine Stewardship Council is an independent non-profit organization with an ecolabel and fishery certification programme. Fisheries that are assessed and meet the standard can use the MSC blue ecolabel. The MSC mission is to 'reward sustainable fishing practices’...
's scheme for consumer seafood products.
Other programs include regional guides, such as that produced by the Australian Marine Conservation Society
Australian Marine Conservation Society
Australian Marine Conservation Society is an Australian independent and not-for-profit organisation, founded in 1965, is dedicated solely to protecting the health and vitality of Australia's coasts and oceans...
(AMCS), and certification of restaurants as done by Vancouver Aquarium
Vancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, the aquarium is a centre for marine research, conservation and marine animal rehabilitation.The Vancouver...
's Ocean Wise.
Guides and advisory lists
- Marine Conservation SocietyMarine Conservation SocietyThe Marine Conservation Society a UK charity for the protection of the seas around the United Kingdom, and for the protection of their shores and wildlife.According to their website MCS's Vision is:Their website also states:...
(MCS), Fishonline website and Good Fish Guide (UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) and Northeast AtlanticAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
) - The Monterey Bay AquariumMonterey Bay AquariumThe Monterey Bay Aquarium is located on the former site of a sardine cannery on Cannery Row of the Pacific Ocean shoreline in Monterey, California. It has an annual attendance of 1.8 million visitors. It holds thousands of plants and animals, representing 623 separate named species on display...
Seafood WatchSeafood WatchSeafood Watch is one of the best known sustainable seafood advisory lists, and has influenced similar programs around the world. It is a program designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources...
(recommendations) - GreenpeaceGreenpeaceGreenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
: International Seafood Red list - Australian Marine Conservation SocietyAustralian Marine Conservation SocietyAustralian Marine Conservation Society is an Australian independent and not-for-profit organisation, founded in 1965, is dedicated solely to protecting the health and vitality of Australia's coasts and oceans...
(AMCS) produces Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide, a consumer guide, advising consumers which species are in danger of being fished out. http://www.amcs.org.au/default2.asp?active_page_id=137 http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20199760-5004581,00.html - Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New ZealandRoyal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New ZealandThe Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc. is an environmental organisation specialising in conservation of indigenous plant and animal life in and around New Zealand....
, Best Fish Guide - The Blue Ocean Institute Seafood Guide, http://blueocean.org/seafood/. Based in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. - Audubon SocietyNational Audubon SocietyThe National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. Incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and uses science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission...
's National Seafood Wallet Card (USA) - Monterey Fish Market Seafood advisory list (West Coast, USA)
- Canada’s Seafood Guide (SeaChoiceSeaChoiceSeaChoice is a program of Sustainable Seafood Canada that produces sustainable seafood advisory lists. The program is designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources. It is best known for publishing consumer guides for responsible seafood...
), initiative of Sustainable Seafood Canada - The Environmental Justice FoundationEnvironmental Justice FoundationThe Environmental Justice Foundation is a [non-governmental organisation]] founded in 2001 by Steve Trent and Juliette Williams that promotes the non-violent resolution of human rights abuses and related environmental issues in the Global South...
(EJF) Consumer Guide To Prawns
Certification and labelling
- The Marine Stewardship CouncilMarine Stewardship CouncilThe Marine Stewardship Council is an independent non-profit organization with an ecolabel and fishery certification programme. Fisheries that are assessed and meet the standard can use the MSC blue ecolabel. The MSC mission is to 'reward sustainable fishing practices’...
has a certification program for consumer seafood products, and lists certified products on its website http://eng.msc.org/ - Ocean Wise, a Vancouver AquariumVancouver AquariumThe Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, the aquarium is a centre for marine research, conservation and marine animal rehabilitation.The Vancouver...
conservation program certifying restaurants, and publishing a dining guide. - Ocean Wise Australia, to be launched by the Australian Conservation FoundationAustralian Conservation FoundationThe Australian Conservation Foundation is an Australian non-profit, community-based environmental organisation focused on advocacy, policy research and community outreach.-History:...
in 2007, is an offshoot of Vancouver's Ocean Wise program. - Sustainable Fishery Advocates operates the FishWise program for labelling seafood by retailers.
- Earth Island InstituteEarth Island InstituteThe Earth Island Institute was founded in 1982 by environmentalist David Brower. It organizes and encourages activism around environmental issues and provides public education. Funding comes from individual members and supporting organizations...
's Friends of the Sea certification scheme for products from sustainable fisheriesSustainable fisheriesSustainability in fisheries combines theoretical disciplines, such as the population dynamics of fisheries, with practical strategies, such as avoiding overfishing through techniques such as individual fishing quotas, curtailing destructive and illegal fishing practices by lobbying for appropriate...
and aquaculture. Also an SMSShort message serviceShort Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
-based seafood sustainability advisory service.
Consumer health
- OceanaOceana (non-profit group)Oceana is the largest international ocean conservation and advocacy organization. Oceana works to protect and restore the world’s oceans through targeted policy campaigns....
's Campaign to Stop Seafood Contamination (USA)
See also
- Conservation statusConservation statusThe conservation status of a group of organisms indicates whether the group is still extant and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future...
- EcolabelEcolabelEcolabels and Green Stickers are labelling systems for food and consumer products. Ecolabels are often voluntary, but Green Stickers are mandated by law in North America for major appliances and automobiles. They are a form of sustainability measurement directed at consumers, intended to make it...
- Ethical consumerismEthical consumerismEthical consumerism is the intentional purchase of products and services that the customer considers to be made ethically. This may mean with minimal harm to or exploitation of humans, animals and/or the natural environment...
- OverfishingOverfishingOverfishing occurs when fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level. This can occur in any body of water from a pond to the oceans....