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Sustainability

Monterey Bay Seafood Watch

Aquaculture operation in the Chesapeake Bay

Best choices

Best Choices are abundant, well-managed and caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways.

  • Oysters (farmed)
  • Catfish (farmed)
  • Clams (farmed)
  • Croaker*
  • Mackerel: Spanish*
  • Trout: Rainbow (US farmed)
  • Striped Bass (farmed & wild)*

Good Alternative

Good Alternatives are an option, but there are concerns with how they’re caught or farmed—or with the health of their habitat due to other human impacts.

  • Blue Crab*
  • Bluefish
  • Oysters (wild)
  • Clams (wild)
  • Flounder: Summer *
  • Herring
  • Lobster: American/Maine

Maryland Species not listed:
Wild-caught Eel, Perch (only info is from the Great Lakes)

Blue Ocean Institute

Oysters being Harvested

Dark Green Fish   Species is relatively abundant, and fishing/farming methods cause little damage to habitat and other wildlife.

  • Clam-Soft shell
  • Herring
  • Mackerel, Spanish*
  • Oyster, Eastern
  • Spotted Sea-trout
  • Striped Bass*

Light Green Fish   Species has medium to high levels of abundance, or fishing/farming methods cause some damage to the environment.

  • Bluefish
  • Catfish-US
  • Clam-Hard
  • Flounder-Summer*
  • Lobster, American

Yellow Fish   Some problems exist with this species’ status or catch/farming methods, or information is insufficient for evaluating.

  • Blue Crab*
  • Weakfish*

Orange Fish   Species abundance is generally low, or fishing/farming methods typically have large environmental impact.

  • Eel-American
  • Tautog

Maryland Species not listed:

  • Croaker
  • Perch

*Limit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminants.

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