What Makes Seafood Sustainable?
Sustainable seafood comes from sources—wild-caught or farmed—that can maintain or increase production without jeopardizing the health of ecosystems or species. Key criteria include: the target stock is maintained at or above levels that produce maximum sustainable yield (not overfished), fishing methods minimize bycatch and habitat damage, management is effective (based on scientific stock assessments with compliance monitoring), the broader ecosystem impacts are considered, and for aquaculture, environmental impacts (pollution, disease transfer, habitat conversion, feed sustainability) are minimized. No fishery or farm is perfectly sustainable—sustainability is a continuum, and the best operations continuously improve. Consumer choices, guided by reliable information, can drive market incentives for better practices.