The Magazine of the CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
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The Guilt-Free Gustatory Guide to Seafood

beluga sturgeon (beluga caviar) overfished and unmanaged
Chilean seabass (Patagonian toothfish) reaches sexual maturity very slowly; long-line fishing results in numerous albatross deaths
clams, dredged habitat destruction through capture
groupers Most species overfished; in many species, large adults are all males
lingcod OK if from Alaska; overfished off West Coast
monkfish overfished
orange roughy (slimehead) overfished; reaches sexual maturity very slowly
oysters, dredged habitat destruction through capture
rockfish (Pacific red snapper, rock cod) overfished; slow-growing
salmon, Atlantic wild stocks overfished; farmed escapees dilute gene pool; farms pollute oceans; wild fish populations depleted to feed farmed fish
scallops, dredged habitat destruction through capture
sharks (shark cartilage, shark fin) many species overfished; slow-growing; produce few young

shrimp and prawns, farmed

farming destroys mangrove forests, pollutes the environment with antibiotics and waste, and wild fish populations depleted to feed farmed shrimp

shrimp and prawns, trawled trawling damages the seabed, massive bycatch
swordfish severely overfished, bycatch kills loggerhead sea turtles and albatross
tuna, bluefin (maguro) overfished
 
crab, Alaskan king managed, but becoming overfished
crab, snow managed, but heavily fished
lobster (clawed, American, Maine) managed, but heavily overfished
snappers, tropical (huachinango) most species overfished; larvae die in shrimp trawl nets
sole (petrale, English, Dover) most soles and flatfishes are caught by trawl fishing, an ecologically destructive practice that often results in excessive bycatch
spiny lobsters (crayfish) slow growing; overfished almost everywhere except Cuba and Australia
 
anchovies fast-growing; abundant
bluefish, Atlantic fast-growing; abundant
catfish, farmed fast-growing; herbivorous; raised in ponds
cod, Pacific abundant; well-regulated fishery
crayfish (crawfish, crawdad) appropriately farmed
crab, Dungeness well-regulated fishery
herring, sardines abundant in certain seas
halibut, Pacific (Alaskan halibut) abundant; well-regulated fishery
hoki a well-managed fishery
mackerel fast-growing
mahi-mahi (dorado, dolphinfish)

fast-growing; mature rapidly

mussels, black and green-lipped

can be farmed without major environmental impact

oysters, farmed

may help clean waters; those raised in nets don’t disturb seabed

pollock, Pacific (surimi, krab)

not overfished but competes with declining Steller sea lions prawns, white-spotted capture by trapping has no bycatch

salmon, wild (Alaskan & Californian)

many stocks sensibly managed

scallops, farmed abundant
shrimp, pink

abundant; captured without environmental damage

squid (calamari)

abundant; most die after one year

striped bass, farmed inland ponds have little environmental impact
sturgeon, farmed

controlled inland rearing ponds with little environmental impact

tilapia, farmed fast-growing; eat plants not other fish
trout, farmed

raised in freshwater ponds with little environmental impact

tuna, Pacific albacore (tombo tuna) well-regulated fishery causes little or no bycatch.
tuna, yellowfin (ahi) abundant; fairly well-managed fishery; “dolphin safe” labeling and monitoring program reduces dolphin kills