Our Advisory List

ustainable fisheries are sustainable because they are very focused fisheries, catching the target species and little else. Fishing method and area of capture are two of the most important factors to be considered when judging a fisheries sustainability and management. Different fishing methods are more acceptable at different times and in different areas for each species. An indiscriminate longline fishery during the 1970's was responsible for the crash of Atlantic swordfish populations while today halibut longlining in Alaska is a well managed sustainable fishery which successfully addresses all management issues.

ICON (?)This icon indicates that a fishery has some positive aspects such as method and area of capture or a new management plan yet may have negative factors such as a history of overfishing or the gear selection is not ideal. Somewhat like the difference between Certified Organic produce and Transitional produce. Make your own decision.

Albacore
Albacore jig boats fish by dragging jigs (lures) behind the boat on individual lines. The north pacific albacore fishery is eco friendly in that there is very little by-catch and no impact on fishery habitat. Unlike some other tuna species, albacore do not usually swim with dolphins -- and for this reason there is not a dolphin-associated albacore fishery anywhere in the world. This is true of both fresh and canned albacore. Fishery researchers generally agree that the North Pacific albacore population is a healthy stock at the current time.

Anchovies
Huge, dense schools of anchovy are easily captured in seine nets with very little bycatch. The various anchovy populations in U.S. waters are currently abundant and appear to be doing well.

Catfish
Catfish are aquacultured in closed system freshwater ponds, having no impact on wild fish or the environment.

Crab, Dungeness
The Dungeness crab fishery is a pot fishery with restrictions on size, gender, males only, and season. While considered a well managed fishery natural fluctuations in stock size do occur. There is little habitat impact and only minor issues of by-catch.

Clams, manilla (?)
Commercial supply is 100% maricultured, small growers such as in Tomales Bay use Rack and Bag method which suspends clams off the bottom, a faultless industry. Larger farms plant clams in gravel beach areas then rake them up when mature, disturbing the inherent structure of the community.

Halibut - Alaska
Prior to 1960 the Pacific halibut was fished to the verge of extinction, an intensely regulated program was very successful in rebuilding the halibut fishery back to record levels. The present well managed, long line fishery
produces top quality halibut with accountability for by-catch and little habitat interference.

Halibut - California(?)
Although not a true halibut but rather a giant flounder there is a successful Hook and Line fishery centered in the Bay area producing top quality fish. Lots of large fish this year seems to indicate good recruitment for upcoming years. Regulations address minimum size and area open to fishing. 2001 regulations have phased out gillnetting but a trawl industry does exist.

Herring
Atlantic and Pacific herring are abundant. Very little by-catch is involved in seine herring fisheries. Although human consumption of these fish has very little impact on populations, commercial fishing fleets that "fish down the food chain", targeting small-pelagic fish, for fertilizer, fish oil and animal feed are a threat to this critical part of the marine foodweb.

Lobster
The lobster is perhaps one of the only species that's been intensively fished for 150 years and is doing better today than ever. The habitat friendly use of lobster pots, size restriction and regulation against possesing breeding females add up to a well-managed fishery. The preponderance of small sized lobsters make some scientists skeptical about the viability of lobster stocks.

Mackerel
Dense schools of these small pelagic fish allows for very specific targeting with seine nets. Very little bycatch, no habitat impact. Same concern as Herring "fishing down the foodchain".

Mahi - Mahi
Mahi-mahi, one of the most stunningly beautiful fish in the ocean, inhabits all the tropical and subtropical seas of the world. The Mahi-Mahi is a prolific breeder; the female may spawn 3 to 4 times per year, and grows quickly as its lifespan is a mere 4-5 years. Their rapid growth and short life span allow them to sustain heavy catch efforts without fear of over fishing. Mahi-mahi is commercially harvested by hook-and-line. Stock assessment is non-existant and unregulated.

Mussels
Probably 100% of the mussels sold on the West Coast are the superior quality maricultured mussel. While maricultured fish are detrimental to the environment and wild stocks, maricultured shellfish don't have any impact on habitat or by-catch and may even improve water quality where grown. Shellfish farmed via off-bottom methods, such as rack and bag or on lines, have the least impact on seafloor habitat. Some wild East Coast mussels may be dredged but they would be sold locally.

New Zealand Fisheries management
The New Zealand quota management system introduced in 1986 has earned New Zealand the reputation as a world leader in the search for sustainable fisheries management. Each area within New Zealand's exclusive economic zone, or 200 mile limit, is assigned a yearly total allowable catch for each of the 46 species of seafood commercially fished. The total allowable catch is set conservatively, so that enough fish remain to maintain breeding future populations. The total allowable catch is then divided into a number of Individual Transferable Quotas, which are effectively rights to fish a defined portion of the allowable catch.
The quota management system implemented through the use of individual transferable quotas in conjunction with the use of marine reserves has created a sustainable management program that really works. New Zealands conservation program should be the model for fisheries conservation throughout the world.

Oysters
All the oysters that are grown and sold on the West Coast are maricultured. While maricultured fish are detrimental to the environment and wild stocks, maricultured shellfish don't have any impact on habitat or by-catch and may even improve water quality where grown. Shellfish farmed via off-bottom methods, such as rack and bag or on lines, have the least impact on seafloor habitat. Gulf and Atlantic seaboard oysters may be dredged which adversely effects fishery habitat.

Prawn, Spot(?)
Spot prawns from a well managed pot fisheries in Alaska are heavily regulated, less so in California. Trawl fishery with all the problems of by-catch and habitat destruction are the major fishery in California.

Rockfish(?)
Of the 52 species of rockfish found off the coast of California some are threatened such as the Boccacio and Canary rockfish, some, like the Chillipepper, are in good shape. Hook and line fishermen are able to target a particular species, have no impact on essential fisheries habitat, are responsible for very little by catch and are able to avoid juvenile fish through gear regulation. Family subsistence fishermen are committed to keeping local stocks healthy, as they are unable to move on to a different area or species after a fishery has been decimated by other fishing methods.

Salmon
Fall run Sacramento River Chinook salmon is the perfect example of a well-managed, sustainable fishery. These are open-ocean troll caught fish caught on barb-less hooks, so undersized salmon and by-catch can be released unharmed. As well, there is no impact on essential fisheries habitat.

San dabs
The Pacific SandDab is a wonderful little fish found in great abundance off our California coast. One of the most numerous fish along the west coast, the SandDab in chameleon like fashion is able to change color and pattern to match sand, gravel or shell rubble bottom thus go unnoticed by prey. Highly targeted Danish Seine netting accounts for very little by catch and minimal habitat impact. Dense schools of San dabs are easily targeted by the trawl fishery reducing by-catch but having some impact on habitat.

Sardines
During the 1930's and 40's the Pacific sardine accounted for one-fourth of all the fish landed in the United States. Due to poor fishery management and global weather conditions the sardine industry totally collapsed in the early 1950's. Due to favorable ocean conditions and strict management the sardine is in the midst of an explosive recovery. Highly targeted Seine netting accounts for very little by catch or habitat impact.

Scallops(?)
The Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 mandate to improve regulation of scallop stocks, along with some gear improvement has led to an extraordinary rebound in scallop populations. Higher catch results than have been seen in 40 years have been reported. Although scallop trawl gear has recently been improved it is still the weak link in this fishery from an environmental point of view
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Shrimp - Turtle free (?)
Shrimpers along the North Carolina and Georgia coast have long been in the forefront of responsible fisheries management. In the deep water off the South east Atlantic coast there is little Turtle grass to attract juvenile fish, just hard bottom. Therefore there is much less by-catch and fisheries habitat impact than in the Gulf of Mexico. Shrimp stocks in this area are closely monitored by both state and federal authorities in order to insure a well managed fishery, decisions on when and where to shrimp are made on a seasonal basis.

Skate (Raja Radiata & spp.) (?)
Over-fishing of the gadoids (cod, pollock, haddock, and hake) and flat fish has led to a shift in the makeup of the biomass on Georges Banks. Valuable ground-fish populations have declined, while lower-value small elasmobranchs (skates and dogfish) have increased greatly relative to the total biomass.
Because skates are part of the New England ground-fish management plan they are tallied into catch figures thus impacting catch regulations. For this reason fishermen will at times avoid catching skate so as not to impact allowable catch of higher valued ground-fish thus creating artificial shortages.
Skates seem to be very abundant but the usual problems of habitat destruction and by-catch associated with a trawl based fishery must be taken into account.

Smelt
Night smelt, also known as whitebait and Day smelt or candle fish are named for the time when they come to the beach to spawn. When these diminutive little fish gather on pacific Northwest beaches to spawn they are easily captured with hand-held dip nets. These nets have no impact on essential fisheries habitat or by-catch. Due to low consumer demand and a low impact method of capture, both the day and night smelt fisheries are underutilized at this time.

Petrale/ English(?)
Pacific Coast Petrale and English sole stocks are abundant, all environmental groups classify West coast flatfish as a "green selection". The commercial fishery is almost exclusively by trawl with all the problems of by-catch and habitat destruction.

Striped Bass
Years of controversial restrictions on Striped Bass along the Atlantic seaboard have paid off. Fisheries officials have declared that rockfish stocks are fully recovered from their depleted levels of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Quality Striped bass are caught by Rod and Reel or in weirs (traps), a traditional American Indian method of fishing whereby fish are entrapped in a net or stake corral then harvested by hand-brailling with scoop nets.

Squid
Over the past five years squid has soared past salmon, swordfish and tuna to become the top seafood species in California by volume and dollar value. New rules are a rare example of government stepping in to regulate a fishery before it crashes. The good news for many in the fishing community is that after several years of scientific study, the Department of Fish and Game report found that squid populations are healthy despite heavy fishing.
Highly targeted Lampara Seine netting accounts for very little by catch and minimal habitat impact.

Swordfish(?)
The status of swordfish and other billfish is not completely understood in the Pacific, but populations are believed to be fished to full capacity. Average size Pacific swordfish is 200 lbs while average size Atlantic swordfish is 90 lbs, a good indication of the relative health of the respective stocks. Pacific fisheries management council is currently developing a management plan to ensure sustainability. California regulations allow only harpoon and gillnet fisheries which have very little impact on juveniles and bycatch, particularly when compared to Pacific longliners.

Tai Snapper
Tai Snapper of the family Sparidae or sea breams are the most important part of the New Zealand inshore fishery. They are caught commercially on longlines, killed immediately, then cooled quickly in brine. Over 30,000 tonnes of snapper are landed annually in New Zealand and this is the most popular eating fish both for local consumption and for export. For a description of management see New Zealand fisheries management above.

Trout
Trout are aquacultured in closed system freshwater systems, having no impact on wild fish or the environment.

Tuna
Yellowfin Tuna's, both Pacific and Atlantic, are not considered to be overfished but rather fished to maximum sustainable yield. Fresh Yellowfin tuna are most often fished by rod and reel or longline. Pacific Bluefin are in much better shape than their Atlantic cousins. The longline fishery does have all the issues of by-catch.

White Sea Bass
Perhaps the best news coming out of this fishery is that the populations, at least off California, are believed to be on the upswing. "They're definitely coming back," says state fish and game biologist Steve Crook, based in Long Beach. "We suspect a tremendous natural recovery in the stocks." 2001 regulations have virtually ended all gillnet fishing for White Seabass in California. The current Rod and Reel fishery should help the continuing recovery of stocks while providing top quality fish.