Whole Foods bans 'red' fish from its stores

Whole Foods has announced it will be the first grocery chain in the U.S. to no longer sell any seafood in the "red." Based on sustainability ratings by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Blue Ocean Institute, fish labeled red are those that are considered either overfished or fished in a manner that impacts other species or damages marine ecosystems. Beginning Earth Day, April 22nd, Whole Foods will no longer be selling Atlantic halibut, grey sole, skate, octopus, tautog, sturgeon, among others. Already, the store doesn't sell some unsustainable catches such as bluefin tuna and orange roughy. "This shift allows us to promote and highlight fisheries that use responsible fishing methods and source from areas where fish are most abundant and fisheries are well-managed," said David Pilat, Whole Foods Market’s global seafood buyer, in a press release. Scientists have long warned that many of the world's fisheries are well beyond sustainability, imperiling not only target species, but also bycatch animals, predators (from seabirds to penguins), and entire marine ecosystems. A landmark report last year by the International Program on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) warned that the impacts of pollution, climate change, and overfishing were combining to create a crisis in the oceans, which could lead to mass extinction. Whole Foods says its employees will be happy to offer more sustainable alternatives to the seafood being taken off the shelves. "Our passionate fishmongers are excellent at helping navigate our shoppers toward the best environmental choices. They stand ready to assist with cooking tips and recipe ideas and can cut your fish to order," added Pilat. In addition to working with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Blue Ocean Institute, Whole Foods has long partnered with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to sell sustainably-certified fish, which is widely viewed as the world's leading certifier of sustainable fisheries. However, the MSC has come under heavy criticism recently for its certification of the Antarctic toothfish fishery (often sold as Chilean sea bass) in the Ross Sea, as researchers know almost nothing about the life history of the fish and the fishery threatens one of the world's last pristine marine regions. The fishery is also incredibly dangerous given the extreme seas: in 2010, 22 people were lost in a shipwreck while fishing for Antarctic toothfish. Whole Foods will continues to sell fish that are rated yellow, which means there are some sustainability concerns or issues in how the species is caught, but not to the extent of a red-rated fish.