Add SeaChoice to the list of environmental NGOs offering sustainable-seafood purchasing advice via an iPhone application.
Similar to Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program, SeaChoice's seafood-buying guide, Canada's Seafood Guide, categories species as "best choice" (green), "some concerns" (yellow) and "avoid" (red), according to whether the species are caught or farmed in an environmentally responsible manner. Species on the avoid list include farmed shrimp, net-pen farmed salmon, Atlantic cod, Asian-raised tilapia and purse seine-caught skipjack tuna.
Species are searchable by common and sushi name, and results can be filtered according to the three categories. Updated every 90 days, the app is available to download for free on iTunes.
Sustainable-seafood buying guides published by Monterey Bay Aquarium and Environmental Defense Fund have been available as iPhone apps since late 2008.
SeaChoice was established in 2006 by the David Suzuki Foundation, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ecology Action Centre, Living Oceans Society and Sierra Club British Columbia and works in conjunction with the Seafood Watch program.
The Canadian organization is also helping grocery wholesaler Federated Co-operatives Ltd. and retailer Overwaitea Food Group develop and implement sustainable seafood purchasing policies.
April 14, 2010