Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The early editions of the pocket guide had a West Coast focus that included the
typical popular seafood items such as shrimp and tuna, but also regional favourites
such as sand dabs and dungeness crab. The guide recognised that various gear
types had a smaller ecological impact than others, and it encouraged users to look
at the state, region or country of origin of their seafood choices. However, as the
programme's profile heightened it became clear that Seafood Watch would not
continue to be successful without a high level of credible, transparent, science-
based seafood recommendations.
Collecting and analysing fisheries and aquaculture information in today's global
seafood marketplace, in addition to regional seafood markets, was acknowledged
as a time-consuming task that would require qualified staff, a network of expertise
and a dynamic process that allowed for an evolving methodology and criteria to
evaluate seafood and regularly update the seafood recommendations. To develop
and maintain this high standard, a science manager was appointed to oversee a team
of fishery and aquaculture analysts to ensure that our recommendations are based on
the best available science and are therefore defensible. A board of scientific advisors
helped us to develop robust evaluation criteria, identified key fishery and aquaculture
issues, and connected us with other experts in academia and industry. In addition, we
hosted working group meetings in the regions for which we developed pocket guides
including the West Coast, Northeast, Southeast (both on the mid-Atlantic and Gulf
coasts), Hawaii and the Great Lakes. Each working group composed representatives
from industry, academia, resource management, conservation organisations, and
other stakeholder groups, and they helped us to identify:
seafood to be evaluated in the production of a regional pocket guide;
issues surrounding the source fishery or aquaculture operations producing the
seafood; and
regional experts in issues relevant to the identified seafood and its fishery or
aquaculture source.
Regional working group participants also assisted by reviewing our analysis and
evaluation summarised in seafood reports, providing comment on our seafood rec-
ommendations prior to publication of the pocket guide, or commenting on updates of
the programme and any new or developing information. In addition, Seafood Watch
has worked closely with partner organisations in the Seafood Choices Alliance who
also develop seafood recommendations, such as the Blue Ocean Institute and En-
vironmental Defense. Since 2001 we have shared our criteria, recommendations
and supporting information to minimise discrepancies among seafood recommen-
dations.
It is important to note, however, that although we share information and receive
feedback from our network of experts and our colleagues in the sustainable seafood
movement, our seafood recommendations are solely the responsibility of Monterey
Bay Aquarium and its Seafood Watch programme. Our evaluation criteria reflect
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