Abstract

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program provides sustainability ratings for seafood in order to help con-sumers and businesses make choices for healthy oceans. The Seafood Watch program defines sustainable seafood as seafood from sources that can maintain or increase production without jeopardizing the structure and function of af-fected ecosystems. Our recent assessments of Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean fisheries highlight both dramatic successes, and some remaining challenges, of achieving this goal of sustainability in the region. In general, there has been progress rebuilding previously depleted stocks, demonstrating management’s commitment to ending overfishing. However, by-catch of protected and vulnerable species remains a concern in some fisheries. The selectivity of harvest methods and management of bycatch plays a large role in determining Seafood Watch recommendations for Gulf and Caribbean species. In many cases, proven technological solutions to bycatch problems exist and, if fully implemented and enforced, could help mitigate or eliminate significant bycatch concerns. Future attention to these areas could help fisheries achieve recognition as Seafood Watch “best choices” or “good alternatives,” which may provide improved market access for fish-ermen.

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