October 24, 2013 — The United States is a recognized global leader in responsibly managed fisheries and sustainable seafood. And you can help too!
This video introduces consumers to FishWatch.gov, which provides easy-to-understand, science-based facts to help users make smart, sustainable seafood choices.
Through this video, you’ll learn more about “sustainability” and what NOAA is doing to ensure that our seafood is caught and farmed responsibly with consideration for the health of a species, the environment, and the livelihoods of the people that depend on them.
Have you ever thought about where that piece of salmon on your plate came from? It could have been caught in a wild fishery or harvested from an aquaculture operation. Maybe it’s from the United States, or maybe it was imported from another country, like Canada or Chile?
It’s important to know the source of your seafood because not all of them measure up the same. Some seafood is wild-caught or farm-raised under regulations that protect the health of the marine ecosystem, the animals that live within it, and the consumers that eat it—however, some seafood is not. If it’s harvested in the United States, it is inherently sustainable as a result of the rigorous U.S. fishery management process that ensures that fisheries are continuously monitored, improved, and sustainable. Imported seafood can also be safe and sustainable, but comes from a variety of sources and may not be produced to the same standards as U.S. seafood. In the United States, our standard is sustainability. By buying seafood from reputable sources, you can help to conserve our ocean resources and support the economies and communities that ensure our seafood supply is safe and sustainable.
Watch the video and read the story from NOAA FishWatch.gov