TastingTable: 20 Best Sustainable Seafood To Buy And Eat

Sustainable is one of the most popular buzzwords used in the modern climate and culinary lexicon. How do you decide what classifies a food or item as sustainable and if those measures justify purchasing it?

When it comes to most food items, sustainable is a classification that accrues a net-positive environmental benefit. This can mean that the food does not adversely contribute to habitat destruction, pollution, or excessive resource withdrawal. It can also mean that eating the food may help balance the population of another species, such as when eating invasive species. In terms of fishing and seafood, many experts examine how fish is caught, how farming contributes to pollution in an area, or if the population can reproduce sustainably, given the current population.

If you’re shopping for sustainable seafood, the best preparation steps you can take to ensure your choices are the most ecologically-friendly options are to consult the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Guide or a third-party certifier, such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Here are some of the most sustainable types of seafood you can select from your grocery store’s seafood counter.

Canned tuna is highly regarded for its affordability, but how sustainable is this protein? Albacore tuna is one of the predominant species used for canning; it has a relatively healthy population and is caught using methods with minimal environmental impact and bycatch rates. The best options are North Pacific and North Atlantic albacore tuna certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Albacore caught in the Indian Ocean should be avoided, as the management schemes are not up-to-par with sustainable fisheries standards set by Seafood Watch.

Seafood Watch recommends purchasing canned tuna with pole-caught, pole-and-line-caught, troll-caught, fish aggregating device free (FAD-fee), free school, or school-caught on the label. Drifting longlines are a good option, but not the best, because they can catch more bycatch species like sharks and turtles.