"Seafood counters used to be simpler places, where a fish was labeled with its name and price. Nowadays, it carries more information than a used-car listing. Where did it swim? Was it farm-raised? Was it ever frozen? How much harm was done to the ocean by fishing it? Many retailers tout the environmental credentials of their seafood, but a growing number of scientists have begun to question whether these certification systems deliver on their promises. The labels give customers a false impression that purchasing certain products helps the ocean more than it really does, some researchers say."

"Backers respond that they are helping transform many of the globe’s wild-caught fisheries, giving them a financial incentive to include environmental safeguards, while giving consumers a sense of what they can eat with a clear conscience.

To add to the confusion, there are a variety of certification labels and guides, prompting retailers to adopt a hybrid approach, relying on multiple seafood rating systems or establishing their own criteria and screening products that way."

Juliet Eilperin reports for the Washington Post April 22, 2012. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Seafood Not as Green as Advertised?" (Washington Post) [3]

"New BBC Documentary Spotlights ICIJ Probe Into Fish Devastation" (iWatch News/ICIJ)
[4]
"A Ban on Some Seafood Has Fishermen Fuming" (New York Times) [5]

"Low Standards for Water Put Fish Eaters at Heightened Risk" (Spokane Spokesman-Review)
[6]
"Every Day Is Earth Day With This Market Darling" (Motley Fool) [7]

"Whole Foods Shifts To Greener Seafood Choices" (WUSA-DC9 Gannett) [8]

"Whole Foods To Stop Sale of Unsustainable Seafood" (AP 3/30/20012) [9]

"Some Fishermen Blast Whole Foods' Unsustainable Fish Ban: 'A Marketing Ploy'" (Gothamist) [10]