The Monterey Bay Aquarium is partnering with the Safina Center, formerly known as Blue Ocean Institute, to share research resources and use the aquarium’s criteria for sustainability rating of wild seafood.
Whole Foods Market announced Safina’s new usage of the criteria in a release. The grocery chain has facilitated the two organizations working together for the past four years. Both organizations will share research responsibilities as well, with the goal of evaluating a larger number of species and fisheries.
“Streamlining our research with the Monterey Bay Aquarium helps us know the sustainability status of more species of fish. Whole Foods Market turns that knowledge into buying power and market influence,” said Carl Safina, founding president of The Safina Center. “There’s a real impact on the water when retailers like Whole Foods Market source responsibly caught seafood, creating an economic reward for fisheries to improve their ratings.”
Monterey Bay’s Seafood Watch program evaluates seafood on a colored scale, labeling “Best Choice” green, “Good Alternative” yellow, and fisheries that overfish, poorly manage fishing operations or generate too much bycatch are rated red. Whole Foods made headlines by removing all red-rated seafood from its shelves in 2012.
“They share our commitment to the highest standards and continual improvement, so this collaboration will streamline all our efforts to keep driving change in the industry,” David Pilat, global seafood buyer for Whole Foods, said of Monterey Bay and the Safina Center.
