Buyer's Guide

This chart was created for chefs, suppliers & other seafood professionals who need a reference tool with our Seafood Watch recommendations in one place.

Our Seafood Watch regional guides contain the latest information on sustainable seafood choices available in different regions of the U.S. Our "Best Choices" are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Seafood to "Avoid" are overfished and/or fished or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment. You can view the guides online or download a pocket-size version.

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BEST CHOICES

GOOD ALTERNATIVES

AVOID

Abalone (Worldwide, Contained Production Systems)

Arctic Char (U.S., Canada, Norway, Iceland; Farmed in Recirculating Systems)

Barramundi (U.S. Farmed in Fully Recirculating Systems)

Catfish (U.S. Farmed)

Caviar, White Sturgeon (Alberta, Canada, Farmed in Tank Systems)

Chilean Seabass (Heard and McDonald Islands, Falkland Islands, Macquarie Island, Longline)

Clams (Worldwide, Farmed)

Clams, Pacific Razor (Washington, Oregon, Quinault Nation; Hand Harvested)

Cobia (U.S. Farmed)

Cod, Atlantic (Hook-and-line from Iceland and Northeast Arctic (by Norway, Russia))

Cod, Pacific (U.S. Bottom Longline, Jig and Trap)

Crab, Blue (U.S. Chesapeake Bay Trotline)

Crab, Dungeness (California, Oregon and Washington, Trap)

Crab, Snow (Eastern Bering Sea, U.S., Trap, Pot)

Crab, Snow (Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, Pot, Trap)

Crab, Stone (U.S. Atlantic, U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Trap)

European Sea Bass (Nova Scotia, Canada, Farmed in Tank Systems)

Gilthead Sea Bream (Nova Scotia, Canada , Farmed in Tank Systems)

Halibut, Pacific (U.S. Wild-caught)

Mackerel, Atlantic (U.S. Purse Seine)

Mussels (Worldwide, Farmed)

Oysters (Worldwide, Farmed)

Oysters (U.S. Gulf of Mexico Wild-caught)

Perch, Yellow (Lake Erie, Wild-caught)

Perch, Yellow (U.S. Farmed in Tank Systems)

Pollock, Atlantic (Gillnet and Purse Seine from Norway)

Salmon (Drift Gillnet, Purse Seine and Troll, from Alaska)

Scallops (Farmed, Worldwide)

Scallops, Pink (Canada Pacific, Butterfly Trawl)

Scallops, Sea (Diver-caught in Laguna Ojo de Liebre and Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico)

Scallops, Spiny (Canadian Pacific, Butterfly Trawl)

Scallops, Weathervane (Alaska, Dredged)

Shrimp, Black Tiger (Ca Mau Province of Southern Vietnam and other areas of Southeast Asia, Farmed Extensive Mixed Shrimp and Mangrove Forestry (Silvofishery) Using Selva Shrimp® Criteria)

Striped Bass (U.S. Atlantic, Hook-and-line)

Striped Bass (U.S. Farmed)

Sturgeon, White (British Columbia, Canada, Farmed in Tank Systems)

Tilapia (U.S. Farmed in Closed Recirculating Systems)

Tilapia (Ecuador, Farmed in Ponds)

Tilapia (Alberta, Canada, Farmed in Tank Systems)

Trout, Rainbow/Steelhead (U.S. Farmed)

Tuna, Albacore (Troll/Pole from the Canadian and U.S. Pacific)

Tuna, Albacore ("White" Canned) (Troll/Pole from the Canadian and U.S. Pacific)

Tuna, Bigeye (Troll/Pole from the U.S. Atlantic)

Tuna, Skipjack (Worldwide, Troll/Pole)

Tuna, Skipjack ("Light" Canned) (Worldwide, Troll/Pole)

Whitefish, Lake (Wild-caught from Lake Huron and Lake Superior)

Whitefish, Lake (Trap-net from Lake Michigan)

Alfonsino New Zealand, Midwater Trawl (New Zealand, Midwater Trawl)

Barramundi (Australia, Farmed in Fully Recirculating Systems)

Basa (Imported, Farmed)

Caviar, Sturgeon (U.S. Farmed)

Chilean Seabass (South Georgia, Kerguelen Islands, Longline)

Chilean Seabass (Ross Sea, Longline)

Clams, Atlantic Surf (U.S. Atlantic, Clam Dredge)

Clams, Hard (U.S. Atlantic, Rakes and Shovels)

Cod, Atlantic (Bottom Gillnet, Bottom Longline, Bottom Trawl and Danish Seine from Iceland and Northeast Arctic)

Cod, Atlantic (Hook-and-line from U.S. Gulf of Maine)

Cod, Pacific (U.S. Trawl)

Crab, Blue (U.S. Pot)

Crab, Dungeness (Alaska, Trap)

Crab, King (U.S. Trap)

Crab, King Southern (Argentina, Trap)

Crab, Snow (Eastern Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, Pot, Trap)

Flounder (Wild-caught from U.S. Pacific)

Flounder, Summer (U.S. Atlantic Bottom Trawl)

Flounder, Windowpane (U.S. Southern New England, U.S. Mid-Atlantic, Bottom Trawl)

Flounder, Winter (U.S. Atlantic Bottom Trawl)

Flounder, Yellowtail (U.S. Southern New England, U.S. Mid-Atlantic, Bottom Trawl)

Grouper, Black, Red (U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Wild-caught)

Halibut, Atlantic (Nova Scotia, Canada, Farmed in Tank Systems)

Herring, Atlantic (U.S. Atlantic, Wild-caught)

Herring, Lake (Lake Superior, Wild-caught)

Lobster, American (U.S. Gulf of Maine, U.S. Georges Bank, Trap, Pot)

Mackerel, Atlantic (U.S. Midwater and Bottom Trawl)

Mahi Mahi (U.S. Longline)

Monkfish (U.S. Atlantic, Bottom Trawl and Bottom Gillnet)

Octopus, Common/Sushi (Spain, Wild-caught)

Pangasius (Imported, Farmed)

Perch, Yellow (Lake Huron and Lake Ontario, Wild-caught)

Plaice, European (Danish seine and Bottom Trawl from Iceland)

Pollock, Alaska (Alaska, Wild-caught)

Pollock, Atlantic (Danish Seine, Trawl from Norway)

Pollock, Atlantic (Iceland, Set Gillnet)

Pollock, Atlantic (Wild-caught from U.S. and Canada; Danish Seine and Trawl from Norway)

Salmon, Coho (British Columbia, Wild-caught)

Scallops, Bay (Diver-caught in Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico)

Scallops, Sea (U.S. Atlantic, Dredged)

Shrimp (Wild-caught from U.S. Gulf of Mexico, U.S. South Atlantic)

Shrimp (Thailand, Farmed in Fully Recirculating Systems)

Shrimp, Northern (U.S. and Canadian Atlantic, Wild-caught)

Smelt, Rainbow (Wild-caught from Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie)

Sole (Wild-caught from U.S. Pacific)

Squid, Argentine Shortfin (Imported, Wild-caught)

Squid, Japanese Flying (Imported, Wild-caught)

Squid, Market (California, Purse Seine)

Striped Bass (U.S. Atlantic, Gillnet and Pound Net)

Sturgeon (U.S. Farmed)

Swai (Imported, Farmed)

Swordfish (U.S. Longline)

Tilapia (China, Farmed in Ponds)

Trout, Lake (Lake Huron and Lake Superior, Wild-caught)

Tuna, Albacore (South Atlantic, Troll/Pole)

Tuna, Albacore ("White" Canned) (Worldwide, Troll/Pole Except Canadian and U.S. Pacific)

Tuna, Bigeye (Worldwide, Troll/Pole)

Tuna, Blackfin (Atlantic, Troll/Pole)

Tuna, Tongol (Worldwide, Troll/Pole)

Tuna, Yellowfin (Worldwide Except Pacific and U.S. Atlantic, Troll/Pole)

Walleye (Lake Erie, Wild-caught)

Whitefish, Lake (Lake Erie, Wild-caught)

Whitefish, Lake ( Set Gillnet from Lake Michigan)

Whitefish, Round (Wild-caught from Lake Huron, Lake Michigan)

Abalone (China, Japan, Sea Ranched)

Alfonsino (New Zealand, Midwater Trawl, Bottom Trawl)

Barramundi (Indonesia, Wild-caught)

Barramundi (Imported, Farmed in Open Systems)

Caviar, Paddlefish (U.S. Wild-caught)

Caviar, Sturgeon (Imported, Wild-caught)

Chilean Seabass (Crozet Islands, Prince Edward and Marion Islands, Chile, Longline)

Cobia (Imported, Farmed)

Cod, Atlantic (Trawl-caught from Canadian and U.S. Atlantic)

Cod, Pacific (Imported, Wild-caught)

Crab, King Red (Russia, Trap)

Dab, Common (Danish Seine from Iceland)

Flounder, Windowpane (U.S. Georges Bank, U.S. Gulf of Maine, Bottom Trawl)

Flounder, Winter (U.S. Gulf of Maine Bottom Gillnet)

Flounder, Witch (U.S. Atlantic Bottom Trawl)

Flounder, Yellowtail (U.S. Atlantic, Bottom Trawl and Bottom Gillnet)

Grouper (U.S. Atlantic, Wild-caught)

Grouper, Gag, Snowy, Warsaw, Yellowedge (U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Wild-caught)

Halibut, Atlantic (U.S. Bottom Trawl)

Lobster, American (U.S. Southern New England, Trap, Pot)

Lobster, Caribbean Spiny (Brazil, Wild-caught)

Mahi Mahi (Ecuador, Peru, Taiwan Longline)

Octopus (Philippines, Wild-caught)

Octopus, Common/Sushi (Mauritania, Morocco and Vietnam, Wild-caught)

Orange Roughy (Worldwide, Wild-caught)

Pollock, Atlantic (Danish Seine and Trawl from Iceland)

Rockfish (Pacific, Trawl)

Salmon, Atlantic (Worldwide Except U.S. Farmed in Tank Systems, Farmed including Atlantic)

Shad, American (U.S. Atlantic, Gillnet)

Shark (Wild-caught Worldwide, Except Common Thresher and Shortfin Mako, from California and Hawaii)

Shrimp (Imported, Farmed in Open Systems)

Shrimp (Imported, Wild-Caught Except Canadian)

Shrimp (Mexico, Farmed in Open Systems)

Skipjack Tuna (Worldwide, Purse Seine)

Snapper, Red (U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Wild-caught)

Snapper, Red (Imported, Wild-caught)

Sturgeon (Imported, Wild-caught)

Swordfish (Imported, Longline)

Trout, Lake (Lake Michigan, Wild-caught)

Tuna (Canned) (Worldwide, Wild-caught Except Troll/Pole)

Tuna, Albacore (All Longline Except Hawaii)

Tuna, Albacore (North Atlantic, Wild-caught)

Tuna, Bigeye (Worldwide Except U.S. Atlantic, Longline)

Tuna, Blackfin (Atlantic, Longline and Purse Seine)

Tuna, Bluefin (Worldwide, Wild-caught)

Tuna, Bluefin (Worldwide, Ranched)

Tuna, Skipjack (Imported, Longline)

Tuna, Tongol (Worldwide, Gillnet and Purse Seine Except Malaysia)

Tuna, Yellowfin (Worldwide Except Hawaii and U.S. Atlantic, Longline)

Tuna, Yellowfin (Worldwide, Purse Seine)

Yellowtail (Australia, Farmed)

Yellowtail (Japan, Farmed)