TAMPA – For seafood lovers, shopping for sustainable seafood can be a challenge, and there are a myriad of labels meant to convey sustainability. What's more, a given fish may be severely overfished in one area, but plentiful in others. Notably, about half of U.S. seafood imports are farmed.
Seafood experts say to shop at reputable stores and ask where they source their seafood. Here is some basic information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For more detail, see: www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/
• Albacore Tuna – Badly depleted in the Atlantic where overfishing still happens, tune is more plentiful in the Pacific. The bulk of the U.S. catch goes to canned tuna. Note: Nursing mothers and mom's-to-be should not eat more than 6 ounces a week, as tuna can contain high levels of mercury. Fun fact: Tuna must swim to breathe and can move at 50 mph for miles.
• Atlantic Sea Scallop – After strict programs to re-build, Atlantic scallop populations are again high, and not being overfished. Majority come from Massachusetts and New Jersey. Currently there is no method of fish farming for scallops.
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