The Ocean Friendly Restaurants program now has over 440 restaurants across the country who abide by the mandatory criteria focused on the reduction of plastic waste. In addition to reducing plastic use however, Ocean Friendly Restaurants are also choosing to abide by other optional criteria with perhaps the most important and most difficult criteria to adhere to being serving sustainable seafood. Thanks to the new collaboration with FishChoice, Ocean Friendly Restaurants now have an easy platform to get their business to serve seafood from fisheries and aquaculture operations that aren't causing irreperable damage to our ocean.
Hundreds of ocean friendly restaurants across the country abide by this standard by serving certified sustainable seafood that is considered a “best alternative” or “good choice” as defined by Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program or have other sustainable certifications such as Marine Stewardship Council certified. These certification bodies are constantly reviewing the newest fisheries science and catch statistics in order to encourage the public to eat seafood that that is not overfished or is caught using methods that imperil marine ecosystems.
To only serve seafood that falls under these certifications however, is difficult as the list of seafood is constantly being updated with new fisheries science and updated catch statistics. The FishChoice platform helps restaurants ensure that their seafood is sustainable by creating individualized assessments and connecting restaurants with suppliers that serve the best sustainable fish.
The collaboration with FishChoice helps restaurants manage their commitment to seafood sustainability on their own and makes it easier to navigate the complicated seafood market. Surfrider is excited to collaborate with the experts at FishChoice who are advancing businesses towards seafood sustainability!