Taking Stock: Sustainable Seafood in Canadian Markets
SeaChoice, a FishChoice Affiliate organization, released a new report this week- 'Taking Stock: Sustainable Seafood in Canadian Markets.' The report assesses the sustainability of Canada’s seafood imports and exports and is part of SeaChoice’s larger mission to help Canadian businesses and shoppers take an active role in supporting sustainable fisheries and aquaculture at all levels of the seafood supply chain. Report highlights include:
16% of seafood produced in Canada is rated "Best Choice (green)" - which is predominantly snow crab and to a much smaller degree farmed oysters and mussels
14% of seafood produced in Canada is rated "Avoid (red)" - which is predominantly farmed net pen salmon
67% of Canadian fisheries are currently certified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard
51% of Canadian seafood is imported into the United States, nearly two-thirds of which is salmon (wild and farmed), lobster, and crab
Estimated sustainability by volume of black sea bass landings in the United States based on landings data from 2010-2014 according to current Seafood Watch® ratings is broken down accordingly:
~45% of landings are rated "Best Choice (green)" - caught by handline
~28% of landings are rated "Avoid (red)" - caught by trawl
~27% of landings are unrated - caught by gears such as pound nets, gillnets, and includes landings with unspecified catch method
Eleven states reporting landings in 2014, but the large majority of "Best Choice" seafood comes from 4 states: North Carolina (~35%), Massachusetts (~15%), Florida (~15%), and Virginia (~10%). In the "Avoid" category, the three primary states are Virginia (~40%), New Jersey (~25%), and North Carolina (~15%).
Founded in the late 1980's by Mike and Kathy Lytle, Lytle Seafoods is an oyster farm and processor located in Hoquiam, Washington. Starting out with nothing but a small pole building, Lytle Seafoods began their business by selling oysters to large shucking houses. Today, Lytle Seafoods operates out of a 4,400 square foot facility, where in addition to oysters, they now offer a wide selection of salmon from Alaska and Washington. Read more...
FishChoice, Inc. (FCI) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works with the leading sustainable seafood programs in providing science-based, up-to-date sustainable seafood information and tools for businesses.
