West Coast Ocean Friendly Seafood Choices for 2011

Below is the list of west coast ocean friendly seafood choices from the Monterey Bay Aquarium and I thought I would pass it along incase you haven't seen it.  Limit consumption of fish marked * due to concerns about mercury or other contaminants. For more information go to edf.org/seafoodhealth or seafoodwatch.org. The pocket guide (where this information came from) is updated twice a year.  You can check the website for an updated list or download their free app to your iPhone.

• Best Choices are abundant, well managed and caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways
• Good Alternatives are an option, but there are concerns with how they’re caught or farmed - or with the health of their habitat due to other human impacts.
• Avoid for now as these items are overfished or caught or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment.

NOTE:  Seafood may appear in more than one column

MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM SEAFOOD WATCH:  West Coast Sustainable Seafood Guide 2011

BEST CHOICES GOOD ALTERNATIVES AVOID

• Abalone (US farmed) Basa/Pangesius/Swai (farmed) Caviar, Sturgeon* (imported wild)
• Arctic Char (farmed) Caviar, Sturgeon (US farmed) Chilean Seabass/Toothfish*
• Barramundi (US farmed) Clams, Oysters (wild) Cod: ATlantic and imported Pacific
• Catfish (US farmed) Cod: Pacific (US trawled) Cobia (imported farmed)
• Clams, Mussesls, Oysters (farmed) Crab: King (US) Snow Crab: King (imported)
• Cod: Pacific (US bottom longline) Flounders, Sandabs, Soles (Pacific) Dogfish (US)*
• Crab: Dungeness Halibut: California * Lobster: Spiny (Brazil)
• Halibut: Pacific (US) Lobster: American/Maine Mahi Mahi / Dolphinfish (imported)
• Lobster: Spiny (US) Mahi Mahi/ Dolphinfish (US) Marlin: Blue*, Striped*
• Rockfish: Black (CA, OR, WA, hook & line) Pollock: Alaska Monkfish
• Sablefish/Black Cod (Alaska, BC) Rockfish (Alaska or BC, hook & line) Orange Roughy* 
• Salmon (Alaska wild) Sablefish / Black Cod (CA, OR, WA) Rockfish (trawled)
• Sardines: Pacific (US) Salmon (wild, WA* and north of Cape Falcon, OR) Salmon (farmed, including Atlantic)*
• Scallops (farmed off-bottom) Scallops: Sea Sharks*
• Shrimp: Pink (OR) Shrimp (US, Canada) Shrimp (imported)
• Striped Bass (farmed or wild*) Spot Prawn (US) Swordfish (imported)*
• Tilapia (US farmed) Squid Tilapia (Asia farmed)
• Trout: Rainbow (US farmed) Swordfish (US)* Tuna: Albacore, Bigeye, Yellowfin (longline)*
• Tuna: Albacore including canned white tuna (troll/pole, US and BC) Tilapia (Central & South America farmed) Tuna: Bluefin* and Tongol
• Tuna: Skipjack including canned light tuna (troll/poll) Tuna: Bigeye, Yellowfin (troll/poll) Tuna: Canned (except troll/pole)*
• White Seabass Tuna: Canned white/Albacore (troll/pole except US and BC)

GOOD ALTERNATIVES

• Basa/Pangesius/Swai (farmed)
• Caviar, Sturgeon (US farmed)
• Clams, Oysters (wild)
• Cod: Pacific (US trawled)
• Crab: King (US) Snow
• Flounders, Sandabs, Soles (Pacific)
• Halibut: California *
• Lobster: American/Maine
• Mahi Mahi/ Dolphinfish (US)
• Pollock: Alaska
• Rockfish (Alaska or BC, hook & line)
• Sablefish / Black Cod (CA, OR, WA)
• Salmon (wild, WA* and north of Cape Falcon, OR)
• Scallops: Sea
• Shrimp (US, Canada)
• Spot Prawn (US)
• Squid
• Swordfish (US)*
• Tilapia (Central & South America farmed)
• Tuna: Bigeye, Yellowfin (troll/poll)
• Tuna: Canned white/Albacore (troll/pole except US and BC)

AVOID

• Caviar, Sturgeon* (imported wild)
• Chilean Seabass/Toothfish*
• Cod: ATlantic and imported Pacific
• Cobia (imported farmed)
• Crab: King (imported)
• Dogfish (US)*
• Lobster: Spiny (Brazil)
• Mahi Mahi / Dolphinfish (imported)
• Marlin: Blue*, Striped*
• Monkfish
• Orange Roughy*
• Rockfish (trawled)
• Salmon (farmed, including Atlantic)*
• Sharks*
• Shrimp (imported)
• Swordfish (imported)*
• Tilapia (Asia farmed)
• Tuna: Albacore, Bigeye, Yellowfin (longline)*
• Tuna: Bluefin* and Tongol
• Tuna: Canned (except troll/pole)*

Look for this label in stores and restaurants to correspond with the Green list.