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Seafood Watch - Seafood Guide

Pacific Cod

© B. Guild Gillespie/www.chartingnature.com
SEAFOODRATINGMARKET NAMESWHERE CAUGHTHOW CAUGHT
Atlantic Cod Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Scrod, Whitefish Iceland, Northeast Arctic (by Norway, Russia) Hook-and-line
Atlantic Cod Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Scrod, Whitefish Iceland, Northeast Arctic (by Norway, Russia) Bottom Gillnet, Bottom Longline, Bottom Trawl, Danish Seine
Atlantic Cod Avoid: Avoid these products for now. These fish come from sources that are overfished or fished or farmed in ways that harm the environment. Scrod, Whitefish U.S., Canadian Atlantic Trawl
Atlantic Cod Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Scrod, Whitefish U.S. Gulf of Maine Hook-and-line
Pacific Cod Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Alaska Cod, Gray Cod, True Cod U.S. Trawl
Pacific Cod Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Alaska Cod, Gray Cod, True Cod U.S. Bottom Longline, Jig, Trap
Pacific Cod Avoid: Avoid these products for now. These fish come from sources that are overfished or fished or farmed in ways that harm the environment. Alaska Cod, Gray Cod, True Cod Imported Pacific Wild-caught


Pacific Cod, Imported

Due to poor or unknown population status and ineffective management, Pacific cod imported from Japan and the Russian Federation gets an "Avoid" ranking.

Summary

Pacific cod is found throughout the North Pacific and its bordering waters.

The U.S. has its own Pacific cod fishery, and also imports product from Japan and the Russian Federation. These fisheries use bottom longlines, bottom-set gillnets (which have high bycatch), bottom seines and bottom trawls (which cause severe seafloor habitat damage and result in bycatch).

Management in these fisheries is ineffective, as indicated by the lack of population data. The only known assessment is for a single population in Japan and the data suggest that it has been overfished in the past and that overfishing is likely occurring.

In addition to the missing population assessments, the Japanese fishery has failed to implement bycatch reduction measures.

In the Russian Federation, a general lack of management combined with documented illegal fishing results in Russian management being a serious conservation concern.

At this time, consumers should "Avoid" Pacific cod imported from Japan and the Russian Federation. Look for U.S.-caught as a "Best Choice."

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