Overfishing
The economy of Newfoundland and Labrador, provinces along the northeast of Canada, was devastated when the Atlantic cod fishing industry collapsed. The crisis may have been averted if the fishing had been done more responsibly and sustainably.
With this crisis in mind, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation has established a website called Seafood Watch. By entering the name of any type of fish or shellfish, the consumer can find out if this fish is harvested sustainably or not. The website can be found here:
seafoodwatch.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx
For this assignment, use their search engine to look up each of these fish. Choose one source that is marked as “avoid” and explain why it has been given that label.
1. Pink Shrimp
2. Tuna (canned)
3. Salmon (Atlantic or Farmed)
4. Tilapia (U.S. Farmed)
5. Pollock (Imitation crab)
Identify the rating for each type of seafood, and the method used to catch it. If the species is marked as “avoid”, briefly explain why.
This is a section of menu taken from Devon Seafood Grill, a restaurant with locations in Chicago, Milwaukee, and other cities.
Write the rating (Best, Good Alternative, or Avoid) next to each species. Freshwater species, like the rainbow trout, are not listed.
Do you think restaurants should be required to include an ecological rating, such as the one from the Monterey Bay Aquarium? Why might restaurants not want to do this?
Pick a nearby restaurant that serves sushi or seafood. Look at their menu, and ask them about one of the specific types of fish they use. Where does it come from? Do they know how it is caught? Look up the fish on the Seafood Watch website. What rating does it have?
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