SeaChoice and the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program have released six new seafood recommendations, paying particular attention to closed-containment aquaculture.
Five of the six strongest recommendations, bearing the “green” label, include species farmed in recirculating systems in Canada and the United States — white sturgeon, Nile tilapia, gilthead sea bream, European sea bass, and yellow perch. The sixth recommendation, listed as “yellow,” is Atlantic halibut farmed in recirculating systems in Canada.
“These systems separate production from the natural environment, which minimizes the risk of escapes and disease transfer to wild fish,” said Bill Wareham, SeaChoice representative from the David Suzuki Foundation. “Water is purified to remove potential pathogens, eliminating or greatly reducing the need for antibiotics and chemicals, and then recirculated to reduce discharge. Effluent from the systems can also be treated before being released to mitigate negative impacts, and in many systems, waste products can be used as fertilizers.”
SeaChoice partnered with the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey Bay, Calif. to produce the list of recommendations.
“We are pleased to see the aquaculture industry implementing environmentally responsible practices,” said Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly, director of the aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program. “Such innovation is critical to ensuring ocean health, especially as more of our seafood supply comes from farmed sources.”
