Easter 2022: what fish is recommended to consume to reduce environmental impact

The National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (Conabio) published a list of 28 fish and seafood whose fishing is certified as sustainable. Sustainability certification is based on the assessment of the target marine population and the health of the ecosystem.

Certified species are mainly present in the North and South Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. The fishing of thirteen of them, more than half, is not closed, so their consumption does not affect their survival in the wild.

Among the species of fish that are fished sustainably are some common ones such as Pacific huachinango, yellowfin tuna, silver bass and different types of sardines such as blue maned and Monterrey. In the list are also the striped goat, the striped kite, the horse mackerel of the baja, as well as the american cherna and negrillo.

As for seafood, it is advisable to consume the blue and green crab, the red clam and chocolate, the California lobster, the axe callus, the Atlantic rock octopus, the giant squid, as well as the white, blue and brown shrimp.

The authorities add that in addition to certified fish and seafood, consumers can confidently eat products included in the Recommended category, because they have a score of less than 5. The categories can be consulted at the Conabio traffic light, which summarizes risk categories, closures, types of capture, ecological footprint and population status.

At the traffic lights you can also check where each species is caught, since the origin of the product is a factor that must be taken into account when choosing which seafood to eat. The commission recommends consuming locally caught species because their ecological footprint is lower than that of imported products, so it has a lower negative impact on the environment.

Consuming products that come from abroad is less recommended because of the level of pollution caused by their transfer. To reach distribution centers, they go through polluting processes such as refrigeration, packaging and transportation.

Other criteria to be taken into account for responsible consumption of marine species are the status of populations and the type of catch. It is advisable to buy fish and shellfish from a population with development potential, where there is the possibility of increasing catches in a precautionary and controlled manner or from an area with the maximum permissible use, in which fishing is optimal but it is no longer possible to increase the catch without generating overexploitation

Regarding the mode of capture, the most respectful of the ecosystem is the selective one, in which only the target species is caught. While the most invasive is non-selective, in which different species and sizes are caught that are not the target, so they can harm animals such as dolphins, turtles and birds.

It is worth mentioning that there are more than 650 species of commercial fish and shellfish in the country. However, illegal practices such as fishing for endangered species or during the closed season are still taking place. Recently, Mexico and the US signed agreements to combat illegal fishing and protect marine ecosystems. This is derived from the need to protect marine ecosystems that are threatened by illegal fishing and plastic pollution.

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