Making Better Choices
In 1998, a newly formed group called the Blue Ocean Institute developed its landmark color-coded “Guide to Ocean
Friendly Seafood.” Using a rainbow of fish categories that
faded from bright green (farmed shellfish, Alaska salmon,
and other relatively abundant fish caught through safe methods) to red (Chilean sea bass, caviar, bottom-trawled cod,
and other products that are endangered or harvested with
destructive gear), it was the first in a series of easy-reference
seafood guides for shoppers and diners. A long, narrow strip
of paper designed to fold up and fit into a wallet, the list was
one of the earliest efforts to position commercial fish, generally seen as commodities for eating, as important forms of biodiversity that play key roles in ocean stability. “Now, there are
lots of folks doing it,” says Carl Safina, president of Blue
Ocean...
