Whole Foods is buying fish based on the on often-biased and frequently out-of-date rankings from Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Blue Ocean Institute. That ignores information from credible universities and institutions, as well as the latest government statistics.
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — May 02, 2012 — Much has been written about Whole Foods Market's decision to stop selling "red-rated" seafood. And the opposition of many New England fishermen to this decision has been widely reported. But the problem is not Whole Foods' decision to sell sustainable seafood, which is commendable. The problem is that Whole Foods is buying fish based on the often-biased and frequently out-of-date rankings from Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Blue Ocean Institute. That ignores information from credible universities and institutions, as well as the latest government statistics.
By law, all American-caught seafood must be managed so that it is sustainable. We have the most stringent laws in the world. The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that all American fisheries must be returned to a state of "not overfished," where "overfishing is not occurring." At the same time, we import 85 percent of our seafood, including product from nations with less-stringent regulations. We have seen product imported under unsanitary conditions. And, as the Boston Globe reported in its award-winning series, mislabeling remains a widespread problem among some imports.
Since the United States has the most stringent fishing laws in the world, those who support sustainability should encourage the purchase and consumption of American product. A correctly implemented plan would achieve that end. But Whole Foods has chosen to use the rankings of just one organization; an organization that purports to uphold high standards of accuracy, but often doesn't.
For example, thanks to years of cooperation between the industry, scientists and regulators, the Atlantic sea scallop has recovered and is widely regarded as the poster child for sustainability. A well-designed rating system would reflect that. But the Blue Ocean Institute rates Atlantic sea scallops as "yellow," the mid-range of their rating system. They rate farmed Chinese and Mexican scallops as "green," their highest rating. However, the information they use to determine this rating is not comprehensive, and ignores important facts.
Blue Ocean gives scallops the lowest rating for fishing gear impacts because they say ,"The main adverse environmental effects from dredging and trawling are degradation of the seafloor, sediment suspension, change in chemical makeup of sediments and overlying water, and alteration of benthic communities." But they ignore how quickly the habitats recover. A study by the UMass School for Marine Science and Technology in New Bedford (Stokesbury and Harris, 2006) found the highest concentrations of scallops on sea floors made up of sand and granule pebbles. These habitats routinely endure a great deal of natural disturbance from currents and storms, and naturally recover quickly.
Several studies indicate that recovery rates are quickest (several days to several weeks) on sand. Georges Bank is 62 percent sand and 38 percent gravel. The Mid-Atlantic is 95 percent sand. So, the majority of fishing effort occurs on sandy sea floors, where impacts on the habitat are less and recovery is rapid. But you wouldn't learn this from the Blue Ocean Institute.
Blue Ocean subtracts points on management, stating, "Scallop dredges can remove up to 80 percent of benthic organisms in one pass (Collie et al., 2000). The impacts of this on benthic food webs has not been considered, nor mitigated, by the New England Fishery Management Council's scallop fishery management plan." In fact, some fishing grounds have been closed for 17 years, since 1994. The total area closed on Georges Bank (over 12,500 square kilometers) represents 23 percent of the total scallop fishing grounds. Adding in the Gulf of Maine closed areas, a total of 28 percent of the scallop fishing grounds is permanently closed to scalloping.
Blue Ocean also mentions "unintended catch of endangered sea turtles" but doesn't mention a multi-year effort in which the industry partnered with scientists, gear developers and the federal government to develop required turtle excluders, which have been praised by the environmental community. "It does a great job of pushing the turtle up and out of harm's way," said Gib Brogan of Oceana, an environmental group that for years has pushed to reduce accidental turtle deaths and injuries from fishing gear. "This is a great example of the fishing industry stepping up and doing the right thing for the turtles and for themselves." ("Turtle-safe scallops coming to the plate," by Kirk Moore, Asbury Park Press, April 16, 2012).
Richard Canastra is co-owner of BASE-New England, which operates fish auctions in New Bedford, Boston and Gloucester. He is chairman of the Saving Seafood board.
Read the op-ed at the New Bedford Standard-Times.