Unsustainable fishing threatens marine life and our health. It’s no wonder 77% of Americans believe sustainability should be an important factor. Whether it’s for environmental or moral reasons, sustainability is an important factor when people consider what kinds of foods they buy and consume.

Considering some species are overfished, you should do your homework on which suppliers adhere to sustainable growing and harvesting practices. Here are a few points to consider:

Why Is Sustainable Fishing Important?

Sustainable fish farms work to grow, harvest and process products that focus on the environmental impact of their business and ensure that there are enough species in the ocean and their practices don´t affect their natural cycle and don´t endanger any species. The farms also want to give consideration to maintaining the livelihoods of those who depend on fishing well into the future. Part of these farms’ initiatives means avoiding dangerous hormones, additives and chemicals. They also may feed the fish ecofriendly organic food consisting of vegetarian products while setting up harvesting areas that have a minimal impact on the ocean’s natural ecosystem.

How Do I Know If the Fish That I’m Buying Is Grown and Harvested Using Sustainable Practices?

Whether you shop for your fish at the grocery store or buy it from an online retailer, you can apply the following tips so you can have peace of mind that you’re purchasing products that have a minimal impact on the environment.

1. Read Sustainable Seafood Guides

If you want to learn about sustainable fishing, you can read some of the various sustainable seafood guides that are available. While all of them have similar purposes, they all go about it differently. These sustainable fishing guides explain terms such as farming, long-lines, hand-lines, trawling and trolling. Many of them are specific to a region and provide guidelines on seafood based on cultural and social tastes.

2. Ensure Safe Species

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 93% of wild fish populations are either overfished or fully fished. Know which fish species are being overfished. While some sustainable whitefish species may be approaching overfishing, cobia is not because Open Blue’s mariculture practices keep fish in their natural environment with no negative effect on their natural cycle and numbers.

3. Know Who You’re Buying From

Look for sellers that supply whitefish using sustainable practices. Most online retailers that tout their sustainability promise will highlight their practices on their websites. At Open Blue, sustainable fishing is integral to our business model. We follow open-ocean farming and our fisheries are carefully chosen to avoid displacing other marine life. We supply cobia all over the USA and follow ethical sourcing principles.

4. Read the Label

Be sure to read the label on all foods to know what you’re getting. Frozen whitefish is no different. Buy the one that has a Marine Stewardship Council, or MSC, label with a blue-and-white logo. Another label is from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), which ensures responsible seafood farming.

Farmed fish are species that are harvested and raised in ocean- or land-based enclosures. Farmed fish consumes less freshwater, energy and land when done correctly, so it’s sustainably certified.

5. Frozen Fish Means Less Waste

Fish is seasonal, but the best thing about mariculture-farmed fish is that you can enjoy the fish species all year round. Fish farmers like Open Blue freeze their whitefish at the peak of freshness to preserve their quality. What’s more, the product stores for a longer period of time so that consumers can use it when they need it without worrying whether it’s going to go bad. That means less waste.

For some fish species, like cobia from Open Blue, freezing doesn’t affect taste or texture, which makes Open Blue a reliable place to order online whitefish home delivery. We’re a cobia fish supplier USA that’s  committed to sustainable practices because it’s both good business and the right thing to do.   

Our Open Blue fisheries designate 2,500 acres of protected “no take” zones to manage our mariculture fishing operations. We’re certified by the ASC and BAP Certified. To purchase flavorful cobia fish that’s easy to prepare and sustainably grown and harvested, shop our site.