Sourcing Seafood Responsibly

Fresh seafood is delicious. Fish and shellfish also generally are recognized as healthy meats and can be found across the country, though landlocked areas pay a higher price due to shipping costs. A massive fishing industry provides this preponderance of pescatarian cuisine, and as the scale of our consumption has risen, so has the scale of our environmental impact.

Overfishing has damaged many fish species and the oceans themselves; in return, environmentally conscious restaurateurs, chefs, and consumers are concerned about where their fish come from, and whether our harvesting is sustainable. More than 50 percent of American consumers¹ claim it is important their seafood be harvested sustainably, and they're even willing to pay more to ensure they are consuming responsibly sourced seafood. So how can restaurant operators ensure their fish is affordable, tasty, and not harming the environment?

Why Is Sustainable Fishing Important?

Earth's oceans are so unfathomably large that it's hard to imagine we could fish enough to impact them significantly. However, the human population and our demand for fish have grown tremendously. The fishing industry responded to this rocketing demand with fishing methods that have harmed ocean habitats and environments.²

Enormous nets and long, heavily baited fishing lines result in large catches but often draw in unwanted sea life. These are called "bycatch" and may consist of dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, or various fish species that are inedible or don't sell well. These creatures rarely survive their encounters with a net or line, and those encounters are far from rare – more than 10 million tons³ of bycatch are discarded every year.

Bottom trawling is another major problem. This fishing method involves dragging a net along the bottom of the ocean and scooping up everything in its path. As one can imagine, this disrupts ocean floor habitats, including coral reefs, which are being wiped out at an alarming rate. While many countries have put regulatory measures in place to help protect the ocean's ecosystem, this has resulted in an illegal fishing industry⁴ that takes in 12 million to 26 million tons of seafood each year. Illegal fishing can mean taking more fish than permitted, fishing for banned species, using illegal gear, or fishing in banned areas such as marine reserves.

Overfishing will gut the total amount of fish available in the ocean. Without proper management, this may result in the near-extinction of many species people rely on for food. Already we're seeing a decline in the total amount of fish being caught, partially because of sustainability efforts and partially because there aren't as many fish to catch.⁵ As consumer awareness of these issues rises, the demand for sustainably sourced fish increases. As a restaurant owner, you can control the source and therefore sustainability of your seafood, which you can then advertise to your customers.

Seasonal Sustainability

We're accustomed to seasonal produce, but fish are always out there swimming around, right? How can fish be seasonal? Actually, when fish are captured has a huge impact on that species' population stability.⁶ Fish should never be caught during their mating or spawning seasons, nor should they be caught before they have reached maturity and had a chance to mate and spawn.

Preventing fish from reproducing sends that species' population on a downward spiral that can be hard to disrupt. Many fish, such as salmon, also migrate to specific areas in order to breed, and should not be captured during that migration. So where your seafood is caught is nearly as important as when in certain situations.

Is Aquaculture More Sustainable?

While "wild caught" is an enticing phrase for your menu, some restaurants have turned to sourcing their seafood from farms to ensure year-round availability. However, farmed fish, known as aquaculture, can be almost as damaging to the environment as poor wild-fishing practices.⁷ Farmed fish often are fed large amounts of wild-caught fish, which reduces the benefit of aquaculture on wild fish population. Some aquaculture farms use an excess of antibiotics, which contributes to antibiotic resistance; others flush polluted wastewater into the ocean.

However, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI),⁸ aquaculture will play a vital part in feeding the world's growing population. By 2050, aquaculture will need to double to meet the demand of the projected ten billion humans that will exist by then. The WRI believes that aquaculture can be done sustainably, though the harmful practices listed above will need to be tackled. Fish produce far less of the harmful greenhouse gases than ruminants, such as cows, do, and the land used for aquaculture is similar to that required by poultry. Seafood is projected to be an important part in feeding humanity while curbing climate change. Relying on seafood rather than beef will reduce the land dedicated to agriculture, freeing up more for reforestation, and will decrease the greenhouse gas emissions required to feed our growing populace.

If you wish to source your seafood from a fish farm, look for one certified as environmentally friendly by an organization such as the Marine Stewardship Council.⁹

How Can My Restaurant Serve Sustainable Seafood?

How can you make sure the seafood you're offering is sustainably sourced and in season? Below are a few questions to ask your seafood provider.

What species is it? Be sure you know exactly what species of fish you are serving at all times. Check seafood seasons charts¹⁰ to verify the species you're serving is in season. It is also important to note that, due to past overfishing or dangerous farming practices, some species of fish are best avoided year-round. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a Seafood Watch Search¹¹ that can help you determine which types of seafood to choose, with "Best Choices," "Good Alternatives," and "Avoid" lists.
Where is it from? Buying local can be difficult if you're not located near a coast, but knowing where your fish is from can help you ensure it is in season in that area. If you are buying seafood from overseas, you can check with the Seafood Important Monitoring Program¹² to be sure your fish was caught sustainably.
How was it caught or farmed? Your supplier should be able to follow the seafood straight back to the source, so you can be assured it was caught or farmed with sustainable practices. Being able to track your seafood back to its original source also ensures it was caught legally, preventing your restaurant from contributing to the illegal fishing industry.

It is important to be flexible as you work toward offering sustainable seafood. As different species cycle in and out of season, you will need to adjust your menu accordingly. If your current seafood supplier is not helpful in your quest to source your seafood responsibly, you may need to find a more helpful provider, such as these Seafood Watch collaborators,¹³ which are able to make environmentally responsible recommendations.

Sourcing your restaurant's seafood responsibly by using seafood in season and responsibly farmed or caught is an important part of running an environmentally friendly and sustainable establishment, and it's great selling point to growing numbers of customers. You should note in your advertising and on your menu that you are dedicated to sustainable seafood practices.

References

Business and Organizations. Seafood Watch. Accessed January 2022.
What is Overfishing? World Wildlife Fund. Accessed January 2022.
A Third Assessment of Global Marine Fisheries Discards. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed January 2022.
Stop Illegal Fishing. Seafood Watch. Accessed January 2022.
Improving Productivity and Environmental Performance of Aquaculture. World Resources Institute. Accessed January 2022.
Seasonality of Seafood: What's Coming Into Season This Summer. Seafood Nutrition. Accessed January 2022.
Can Farmed Fish Feed The World Without Destroying The Environment?. NPR. Accessed January 2022.
Increase Fish Supply. World Resources Institute. Accessed January 2022.
Marine Stewardship Council. Marine Stewardship Council. Accessed January 2022.
Seafood Seasons Chart. Gourmet Sleuth. Accessed January 2022.
Seafood Watch Recommendations. Seafood Watch. Accessed January 2022.
Seafood Import Monitoring Program. NOAA Fisheries. Accessed January 2022.
Seafood Watch Partners. Seafood Watch. Accessed January 2022.