Sustainable Seafood
Seafood is an important staple in the world’s diet. To fulfill the worldwide demand for seafood many of our oceans are being overfished. Overfishing can damage fish populations, fishing industries and marine environments around the world.
· 52% of fish are fully exploited, which means that species are fished at their maximum biological capacity.
· The diets of 2.6 billion people depend on fish as a source of animal protein.
· 200 million people worldwide earn all or part of their income from fishing and related activities.
Source: http://www.msc.org/
What is sustainable seafood?
Sustainable seafood is seafood from sources, either fished or farmed, that can maintain or increase production in the future without jeopardizing the ecosystems from which it was acquired. Supporting organizations that harvest fish in a sustainable way is important to the survival of many aquatic species. Linked below are some resources that will help you make an informed decision about the seafood you purchase.
1. David Suzuki Foundation report State of the Catch: A professional’s guide to sustainable seafood.
2. National Directory for Seafood pocket guides.