While severely depleted species— like sharks or orange roughy (a fish that takes nearly 25 years to reach spawning age) —definitely fall into the first category, there are equally tasty alternatives, like farmed tilapia (raised in closed, on-land tanks) or the well-managed bluefish (usually caught on a rod and reel with negligible accidental capture of other species), which produce fewer negative environmental impacts.
The data on the different species were compiled by Carl Safina, Ph.D., director of the National Audubon Society's Living Oceans Program (LOP), who is quoted in several of the accompanying BioBulletin pieces. A leading advocate for fisheries management for many years, Dr. Safina drew on research from a variety of sources, including governmental agencies, environmental groups, and extensive personal experience. Further commentary has been provided by Mercédès Lee, assistant director of the LOP.
The AudubonGuide to Seafood originally appeared as a detailed, color-coded chart in the May-June 1998 issue of Audubon magazine, and can be found in its entirety at http://magazine.audubon.org/seafood/guide/ . More extensive data on a greater number of species have since been compiled, and this updated and expanded information will be published by the Living Oceans Program in the year 2000 as the “Audubon Seafood Lover’s Almanac”. For further information on this product, call 1-888-397-6649 or contact livingoceans@audubon.org.
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