Volume 2, No. 1. January 11, 2002
Dinner reservations
The dungeness crab is good, as is
the Alaskan halibut. Snow crab and bay scallops? Only if you're really in the
mood. And stay away from the bluefin tuna and monkfish. These recommendations
come to you courtesy of the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California, but
they have nothing to do with flavor or freshness.
The aquarium is spearheading a campaign to promote healthy seafood eating: healthy
for the animals still in the seas. Next week an alliance of environmental organizations
will meet in Washington, D.C., for a sustainable seafood summit, and a prime
topic will be the Seafood Watch campaign that Monterey Bay Aquarium plans to
expand to other zoos and aquariums across the country this spring.
The campaign originated in 1997 when the aquarium put up a "Fishing for Solutions"
exhibit that focused on issues of overfishing, habitat deprivation and bycatch,
such as snaring dolphins in tuna nets. While putting together the exhibit, Monterey's
staff realized their own restaurant, Portola Cafe, was contributing to the problem
with its popular seafood menu. Aquarium researchers then began looking at which
seafood had the least impact on the environment.
"Before we knew it, we were, internally, coming up with a list of seafood,"
said Jennifer Dianto, the aquarium's Seafood Watch program manager. "Our members
got wind of it and wanted copies of that list. And that evolved into the Seafood
Watch consumer guide."
The guide, which can fit in a pocket or wallet, has three categories: "Best
Choices" in green, "Proceed with Caution" in yellow and "Avoid" in red. Though
some items on the Avoid list, such as shark, are obvious because of the species'
endangered status, others seem odd: farmed salmon and shrimp are to be avoided,
for example, while Best Choices include wild salmon from the Pacific Northwest.
"We try to keep our message positive," Dianto said. "On the green list are segments
of the aquaculture industry working hard to do the right thing in operating
in environmentally friendly ways. This (list) is a way to reward those efforts.
In time, we hope everything on the Avoid list shifts to the green list."
Since the card's introduction—and an educational focus centered on the
Seafood Watch program as part of the aquarium's new Vanishing Wildlife exhibit
which opened last spring (THE
LOOP, June 1, 2001)—more than 200,000 have been distributed to aquarium
guests, and 10,000 more downloaded from the aquarium's web site. Other zoos
and aquariums also are distributing the card or posting large signs replicating
the list, and the Portola Cafe's operator, Bon Appétit, has adopted the
guidelines for its other corporate cafeterias and catering contracts.
Now, Monterey Bay Aquarium is working with a David and Lucile Packard Foundation
grant to expand the aquarium's web site to include more information on the species
listed on the Seafood Watch guide, to create a database for research behind
the guide and other seafood choice programs and to produce regional Seafood
Watch cards for distribution through organizations across the country. "That
way, zoos can give out cards that are more tailored to their region's tastes,"
Dianto said. The funding provides for 250,000 cards in each of five regions,
tentatively drawn as Southeast, Northeast, Midwest and Great Lakes, plus a revamped
West Coast version.
Dianto said the new web site and nationwide program will roll out in May, centered
on media events like celebrity chefs visiting Monterey Bay for a three-day program
on sustainable seafood. Meanwhile, she is looking for partners among zoos and
aquariums to improve and promote Monterey Bay's initial efforts. "We are looking
forward to helping zoos and aquariums set up their own programs, and we want
to get their advice and inputs."
For more information on Seafood Watch and to download the consumer guide, visit
www.montereybayaquarium.org.
For information on the sustainable seafood alliance, visit www.seafoodchoices.net.
Dianto will be outlining the full program in the March issue of Communique,
the American Zoo and Aquarium Association's magazine. To subscribe, visit www.aza.org.