Sustainable Seafood | Industries | WWF (2023)

FAQs

What seafood is sustainable? ›

What are the most sustainable types of seafood? The most sustainable picks range from farmed favorites such as tilapia and arctic char, to wild-caught stars like albacore tuna and rockfish.

Seafood demand is growing fast, and the global supply of wild-capture fisheries has remained flat for more than 20 years—the ocean has given what it can. As such, the future of sustainable seafood must include both farm-raised and wild-capture seafood.

When done correctly, sustainable seafood sourcing prevents overfishing, minimizes incidental impacts to other ocean wildlife and habitats, identifies and protects essential fish habitats, and takes into account the social and economic impacts on the communities from which the seafood is sourced.

Environmentally sustainable seafood is wild or farmed seafood that is harvested in ways that don't harm the environment or other wildlife — helping to ensure healthy and resilient ocean ecosystems.

Farmed Shrimp

Costco has been an active participant in the implementation of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) shrimp standards from the early stages. These global, performance-based standards help to minimize key negative environmental and social impacts of shrimp farming.

Other Best Seafood choices include:

Oysters (farmed) Pacific Sardines (wild-caught) Rainbow Trout (farmed) Salmon (wild-caught, from Alaska) Arctic Char (farmed)

Why is sustainable seafood important? Seafood is an important source of protein for millions of people globally. Choosing sustainable seafood is important because it recognises and rewards sustainable fishing practices. This in turn supports livelihoods, communities, food security and healthy oceans teeming with life.

Is sustainable seafood healthy? ›

Enter: A Healthier You

Many sustainable fish varieties are high in protein, vitamins, minerals and heart-healthy omega-3s, while containing low amounts of harmful chemicals. Overfish seafood, such as Salmon and Tuna, more often than not, contain Mercury, PCBs, or contaminants.

The cheap imports that are fished and farmed without the same regulations as in Australia, makes sustainably sourced seafood appear more expensive.

Salmon carrying the blue MSC label is certified sustainable. MSC labelled salmon comes from a fishery that has been independently certified to the MSC Fisheries Standard.

Can Eating Fish Be Ethical? The ethics of eating fish are measured by two main components: sentience and justice. Sentience, or the capacity to feel pain and suffering, is the standard moral argument that ethical vegans present as their reason for not eating meat or fish.

Smaller fish—sardines, anchovies, farmed trout, fresh tilapia, arctic char—and bivalves such as scallops, clams, and oysters don't build up as many contaminants as do the large carnivores.

The healthiest types of fish include those high in omega-3 fatty acids and have lower levels of mercury contamination, like Alaskan salmon.

Both shrimp and prawns can be sustainable; there are several MSC certified shrimp and prawn fisheries throughout the world.

In search of sustainable seafood options? Farmed mollusks like clams, mussels, and oysters are your best bet. Not only do they minimize impact on local ecosystems' natural biodiversity, they also clean the water in which they grow, thanks to their filter-feeding ways.

Is lobster sustainable seafood? ›

A major seafood guide announced Wednesday it no longer considers Maine's famed lobsters sustainable, given that whales on the brink of extinction are dying after becoming entangled in fishing gear.

Choose seafood with a low carbon footprint like farmed mussels, clams, sardines or anchovies over beef, lamb or higher emission seafoods. Consider other environmental impacts when making dietary choices.

The research showed that microplastic content was 0 to 10.5 microplastics per gram in mollusks, 0.1 to 8.6 microplastics per gram in crustaceans and 0 to 2.9 microplastics per gram in fish.

Among all fish and seafood species, small schooling species such as anchovies, mackerel, and herring are the lowest carbon options, averaging around 80 litres of fuel per catch because fishermen use purse-like nets to surround these schools of fish.

We are proud to source a mindful combination of wild-caught and farm-raised shrimp from all over the world. In fact, our farm-raised shrimp was among the first to be Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certified, and we're happy to support local fisheries to bring you wild-caught species, when possible.

Costco shrimp is imported from Thailand:

SeaMazz “prime” shrimp are farm-raised and a product of Thailand: Mazzetta.com.

Look for the Marine Stewardship Council certification label to ensure you're getting sustainably fished shrimp. Brands that follow sustainable practices include Shrimper's Pride and Dominick's. While frozen has the fresh-ocean flavor, try Wild Planet's canned Oregon pink shrimp for a quick salad.

The freshest clams, mussels, oysters, and other types of shellfish are sold alive—for most bivalves, as well as crab you want to buy them only live or cooked (which includes tinned, smoked, or steamed). Bivalves should be tightly closed or close when touched, and crab or lobster should be lively and reactive.

Just look for the MSC blue fish tick label when shopping or dining. Seafood with the blue fish tick can be traced back to an MSC certified sustainable fishery. Find out more about sustainable seafood in our handy guide including what to look for, what questions to ask and what species are certified sustainable.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that to consume those higher amounts, children should only be fed fish from the “Best Choices” list that are even lower in mercury – these fish are anchovies, Atlantic mackerel, catfish, clams, crab, crawfish, flounder, haddock, mullet, oysters, plaice, pollock, salmon, ...

Are shrimp sustainable? ›

Both shrimp and prawns can be sustainable; there are several MSC certified shrimp and prawn fisheries throughout the world.

Our major canned tuna suppliers are participants in the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, which is undertaking science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks, reducing bycatch and promoting ecosystem health.

A steady stream of organic waste, chemicals and antibiotics from shrimp farms can pollute groundwater or coastal estuaries. Salt from the ponds can also seep into the groundwater and onto agricultural land. This has had lasting effects, changing the hydrology that provides the foundation of wetland ecosystems.

Scallops and other bivalves are not only a sustainable option, they actually improve water quality and rebuild coastal habitats. Unlike mussels and oysters, scallops spend their lives resting on (rather than attached to) the seafloor, ready to swim away from predators.

U.S. wild-caught red king crab is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Commercially fished from Washington up to Alaska, pink salmon is the most abundant Pacific salmon and a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and generally not overfished.

Choose your species carefully

Fish that are safe to buy include dab, pouting, organic, farmed salmon and hand-picked cockles, while conger eel, swordfish and plaice are all off the menu. If you must eat cod, make sure it comes from the north-east Arctic or eastern Baltic, where stocks are healthy.

A sustainable swap: hake

Thanks to good management and beneficial environmental conditions hake is now a great sustainable choice. European hake has a very similar texture to cod: meaty and flaky. Swapping is as simple as substituting same weight/quantity in almost all recipes.