Is Chilean Sea Bass Sustainable Again?

New York Times, November 7, 2006

Coming on the heels of the report in Nature that concluded that our seafood supply would be depleted by 2048, Whole Foods supermarkets declared today that it would begin selling Chilean sea bass again. Many supermarket chains and restaurants stopped serving Chilean sea bass after its sudden popularity in the 1990s led to overfishing. The Marine Stewardship Council declared that a small Chilean fishery is now harvesting Chilean sea bass sustainably; Whole Foods now sells Chilean sea bass only from this certified fishery. Several chefs and environmental groups criticized Whole Foods’ decision to resume selling the fish, saying that the large chain’s decision will confuse the issue for the average consumer, making it seem as though Chilean sea bass stock has been replenished. Sustainable fishing currently accounts for only 10% of the total Chilean sea bass catch. Read more about buying from sustainable fisheries.