Sustainable Sushi

Farmed Arctic char is a best choice because it's farmed in an ecologically responsible manner. Although Arctic char is fished both commercially and by recreational fishermen, most Arctic char sold in the U.S. is farmed. Arctic char is sold as whole dressed fish or steak, and smoked or canned. It is known as iwana when prepared for sushi. Most Arctic char is farmed in land-based, closed systems and so there is a low risk of pollution and habitat effects. Closed systems, particularly recirculating systems, treat their wastewater. There is only a minor risk associated with escapes of farmed Artic char to the wild and in some operations only sterile fish are raised and would therefore not be able to breed with wild Arctic char if they did escape.

Avoid Atlantic cod from North America; it has been fished heavily for the past 50 years, resulting in massive population declines. Scientists agree that we are now fishing the last 10% of this population. Despite strict management in the U.S. and Canada, cod populations remain overfished. Canadian populations are so low, that some are listed as endangered or threatened. Most cod populations in the Northeast Atlantic are in extremely poor condition, with the exception of Icelandic and Barents Sea cod, which are a good alternative, when caught without trawl gear. Cod from these fisheries also have relatively better population levels. Atlantic cod are groundfish, living along the seafloor at depths up to 1,312 feet (400 meters) on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Fishermen often catch cod with bottom trawl gear, which involves dragging large nets across the seafloor. Trawling damages marine habitats and accidentally catches other marine life, that is then discarded as unwanted catch.

Atlantic croaker is a best choice for healthy oceans. Atlantic croaker has a variety of common names including croaker, crocus, hardhead, King Billy, corvina, roncadina, corbina and grumbler. The Environmental Defense Fund has issued a health advisory for Atlantic croaker due to high levels of PCBs. Atlantic croaker have an abundant population. They are relatively fast-growing and reach maturity in two to three years making them resilient to fishing pressure. Atlantic croaker is an important commercial and recreational fish along the coast. Nearly two-thirds of the commercially available fish are caught using gillnets, haul seines and pound nets. These croaker fisheries have minimal impact on the habitat and ecosystem and are considered a best choice. Croaker are also caught by trawling. Trawling for croaker occurs primarily on the sandy seafloor, which is considered more resilient to trawling impacts than rocky habitats in deeper water, but it's not without problems. We consider the effects of trawling on habitats and ecosystems in the croaker fishery as being of moderate conservation concern and rank it as a good alternative.

The population of Atlantic surf clams is abundant. Unfortunately, surf clams are commonly harvested by a method that results in considerable damage to the seafloor. Atlantic surf clams are generally not available for purchase as whole clams, but instead sold in soups and chowders, as chopped or minced clam meat or breaded clam strips. The population of Atlantic surf clams is healthy and abundant. Unfortunately, they are commonly harvested using hydraulic dredging, which uses pressurized water jets to wash clams out of the sediment. This fishing method results in considerable damage to seafloor habitats.

A native of the tropical waters of northern Australia, Southeast Asia and southern China, barramundi is a prized sport fish in Australia. Known for its good taste and texture, barramundi is now farmed in the U.S. and becoming widely available to Americans. Barramundi is well-suited to aquaculture since it s hardy and fast growing. It is also high in omega-3 fatty acids which have beneficial health effects to humans. The way in which they are farmed in the U.S. (in a closed recirculating system) eliminates the risks of fish escapes and disease transfer, and pollution. In other areas of the Indo-Pacific, barramundi is commonly farmed in open net pens or cages that pose a variety of problems including risks of disease, pollution, and escaped fish. Imported barramundi should therefore be avoided.

Basa is a species of river catfish farmed extensively in Asia. Catfish farmed in the U.S. is considered a better choice, as it's farmed in a more ecologically responsible manner. Imported river catfish from Asia, such as basa, is commonly sold in the U.S. simply as catfish. Check country-of-origin labels to be sure you know where your catfish is from. Commercial farming of river catfish (basa) in Southeast Asia has increased rapidly in recent years. River catfish have a strong potential to be a sustainable aquaculture species, but there are conservation concerns with the current practice of open cage aquaculture combined with little or no management of these fish farming operations in Asia.

Once deemed overfished, the North Atlantic population is now rebuilding and has been recently promoted from an overfished status. Black sea bass, a true sea bass, is commonly caught by both commercial and recreational fishermen, along the entire U.S. Atlantic coast. The most common methods used to fish for black sea bass in the North Atlantic are trawling, pots and traps, and hook-and-line. There are some environmental concerns associated with trawling and pots and traps, such as habitat destruction and bycatch, especially with trawling. The South Atlantic (south of Cape Hatteras, NC) population is severely overfished. Trawling was banned in this fishery in 1998, reducing the amount of bycatch and habitat damage. But because of overfishing, we recommend consumers avoid black sea bass caught in the South Atlantic.

Blue crab has the potential to support a sustainable fishery. However, many blue crab populations have been on the decline due to habitat loss. Blue crab is therefore a good alternative. The Environmental Defense Fund has issued a health advisory for blue crab due to elevated levels of mercury and PCBs. The blue crab is a bottom-dwelling creature that lives and breeds in a variety of nearshore habitats. The heart of the blue crab fishery was traditionally the Chesapeake Bay area, but now equal amounts come from the Carolina coast and the Gulf of Mexico. The blue crab has the potential to support a sustainablefishery due to its one- to two-year maturity period. The crabs are caught in traps that take little bycatch of other marine life. However, many blue crab populations have been on the decline, due to habitat loss caused by pollution and coastal development. In the Gulf of Mexico, shrimp trawlers take juvenile crabs as bycatch before they have the chance to mature and reproduce. More basic science regarding the blue crab population cycle is needed, and while Maryland/Virginia crab management is proactive, management of other domestic and international blue crab fisheries could be improved.

Bluenose is not a best choice at this time due to a lack of knowledge on its life history and population status. Bluenose is a relative newcomer to menus, and may also be sold as Antarctic butterfish or bluenose sea bass. Bluenose is found on continental slopes and around seamounts in the southern Pacific and Indian oceans, mainly off New Zealand and South Australia. Data on bluenose have only been collected since the 1980s and we still don't know much about its life history and biology. Little is also known about the health of bluenose populations. Adults live near the ocean bottom and are sometimes caught with deepwater trawls, which damage the seafloor and the corals that live there. On the positive side, however, most of the bluenose available in the U.S. is from the New Zealand hook and line fishery. Other fishes (like grouper, grenadier, and dogfish) are caught as bycatch in some of the fisheries that catch bluenose. The management agencies in Australia and New Zealand are working to reduce this bycatch.

U.S. farmed crayfish are a best choice because they’re farmed in an ecologically responsible manner. Live crayfish available in the U.S. are farmed domestically and are a best choice. A significant portion of frozen crayfish, however, are imported from countries where there are problems with the farming techniques used. When buying frozen crayfish, look for the country of origin label to ensure you’re purchasing U.S. farm-raised crayfish. In many respects, crayfish farming is very environmentally friendly. Crayfish are farmed in either agricultural ponds or in rotation with a crop, typically rice. The crop is grown and harvested, then the land is flooded in preparation for aquaculture. Submerged vegetation provides the basis for a food web that sustains the crayfish population. The problems with crayfish farms stem from the frequency of escapes. Crayfish regularly escape from fish farms and have established invasive populations. In their introduced range, crayfish have heavily disrupted aquatic ecosystems and threatened the existence of native crayfish stocks. Overall, the damage in the U.S. is only of moderate concern, as the bulk of U.S. production comes from Louisiana, where the species is native. However, most imported crayfish come from China, where crayfish are not native. Their escape from Chinese aquaculture operations has caused considerable ecological damage and is considered a critical conservation concern.

U.S. farmed crayfish are a best choice because they’re farmed in an ecologically responsible manner. Live crayfish available in the U.S. are farmed domestically and are a best choice. A significant portion of frozen crayfish, however, are imported from countries where there are problems with the farming techniques used. When buying frozen crayfish, look for the country of origin label to ensure you’re purchasing U.S. farm-raised crayfish. In many respects, crayfish farming is very environmentally friendly. Crayfish are farmed in either agricultural ponds or in rotation with a crop, typically rice. The crop is grown and harvested, then the land is flooded in preparation for aquaculture. Submerged vegetation provides the basis for a food web that sustains the crayfish population. The problems with crayfish farms stem from the frequency of escapes. Crayfish regularly escape from fish farms and have established invasive populations. In their introduced range, crayfish have heavily disrupted aquatic ecosystems and threatened the existence of native crayfish stocks. Overall, the damage in the U.S. is only of moderate concern, as the bulk of U.S. production comes from Louisiana, where the species is native. However, most imported crayfish come from China, where crayfish are not native. Their escape from Chinese aquaculture operations has caused considerable ecological damage and is considered a critical conservation concern.

Avoid Atlantic cod from North America; it has been fished heavily for the past 50 years, resulting in massive population declines. Scientists agree that we are now fishing the last 10% of this population. Despite strict management in the U.S. and Canada, cod populations remain overfished. Canadian populations are so low, that some are listed as endangered or threatened. Most cod populations in the Northeast Atlantic are in extremely poor condition, with the exception of Icelandic and Barents Sea cod, which are a good alternative, when caught without trawl gear. Cod from these fisheries also have relatively better population levels. Atlantic cod are groundfish, living along the seafloor at depths up to 1,312 feet (400 meters) on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Fishermen often catch cod with bottom trawl gear, which involves dragging large nets across the seafloor. Trawling damages marine habitats and accidentally catches other marine life, that is then discarded as unwanted catch.

Avoid Atlantic cod from North America; it has been fished heavily for the past 50 years, resulting in massive population declines. Scientists agree that we are now fishing the last 10% of this population. Despite strict management in the U.S. and Canada, cod populations remain overfished. Canadian populations are so low, that some are listed as endangered or threatened. Most cod populations in the Northeast Atlantic are in extremely poor condition, with the exception of Icelandic and Barents Sea cod, which are a good alternative, when caught without trawl gear. Cod from these fisheries also have relatively better population levels. Atlantic cod are groundfish, living along the seafloor at depths up to 1,312 feet (400 meters) on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Fishermen often catch cod with bottom trawl gear, which involves dragging large nets across the seafloor. Trawling damages marine habitats and accidentally catches other marine life, that is then discarded as unwanted catch.