With terrifying stats about fisheries being depleted around the world, sushi lovers are faced with difficult questions about their favourite treats. The challenge for responsible fish lovers is three-fold: knowing which types of fish are sustainable, ensuring that the fish they are eating is actually sustainable (traceability, mislabeling), and ensuring that fish are protected in the long run through regulation and market initiatives. 

There are several challenges to determining what makes up a sustainable fishery: abundance, stability, reproduction rates, bycatch, climate change, habitat and more. The Vancouver Aquarium has partnered with a number of restaurants to create a standard for more sustainable fish in Canada: Ocean Wise. There are dozens of restaurants in Vancouver and other parts of the country that have committed to sustainable fish sourcing under this standard.

Vancouver Aquarium:

Ocean Wise’s recommendations are based on 4 criteria. An Ocean Wise recommended species is:

1) Abundant and resilient to fishing pressures

2) Well managed with a comprehensive management plan based on current research

3) Harvested in a method that ensures limited bycatch on non-target and endangered species

4) Harvested in ways that limit damage to marine or aquatic habitats and negative interactions with other species.

 

Ocean Wise assessments are based on internal research as well as review of the research and assessments of other organizations including university institutions, government departments, independent commissions and other marine conservation organizations such as Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program and SeaChoice. The latest and most up-to-date scientific literature and resources are reviewed in order to determine the appropriate classification for that particular species. Ocean Wise’s classification system is based on two categories: sustainable or unsustainable, simply a good or bad choice for our oceans. Species are classified in our master seafood database and are regularly updated and/or reclassified with the latest scientific information. The classifications, including changes to the classification of species and Ocean Wise recommendations are provided regularly to Ocean Wise participants.

The one problem is whether "sustainable" is too much of a green light for fish lovers (sushi-philes or fish-philes) to eat unlimited amounts of the sustainable fish which could lead to their depletion.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium produces a comprehensive seafood guide (pocket guide - pdf download). A simple rule of thumb: Better sushi: N. American farmed, N. American wild; worse sushi: imported wild, imported farmed and Tuna

Sea Choice provides a Canadian standard for sustainable fish:

SeaChoice is another Canadian standard that has produced a guide to Canada’s Seafood Guide. SeaChoice program ranks seafood according to five sustainability criteria:

1. The vulnerability of the species fished.
2. The status or health of the stock.
3. The catch of unwanted species.
4. Ecosystem or habitat damage caused by fishing.
5. Effectiveness of management

Will all of these standards help ensure sustainability? For them to be effective, the standard makers and consumers must unite to pressure fishers, distributors, retailers and restaurants.The fair trade movement provides an example of consumer pressure leading to changes. The long term question is whether governments and fishers will continue to overfish and destroy ecosystems. Enjoy your sushi while you can. If you really want to be green, the best choice may be to stick to avocado or cucumber sushi!

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