WWF updates fish guide with green light for land-based salmon farming and reclassifies Alaskan pollock
Since its inception in 2002, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has advised against consuming farmed salmon, categorizing it with a yellow light indicating avoidance. However, in the latest update to its Fish Guide, a new land-based farming method has received a green light, highlighting its lower risk for escapees and disease spread in marine ecosystems, thereby marking it as acceptable for consumption. Additionally, Alaskan pollock, a fish resembling cod caught in the Bering Sea, has been reclassified from yellow to green.
The fishing industry is facing challenges, particularly regarding quotas, which one professional fisherman has criticized as irresponsible. “We need to see more species moving from yellow and red statuses to green,” emphasized a WWF fish expert.
Several fish species are now classified as green, including cod caught using longlines in Iceland and the North Atlantic, coley fished around the Faroe Islands, and line-caught Pacific albacore tuna, which is now approved as long as it comes from the southern Pacific. Caution must still be exercised as northern Pacific catches have shifted from green to yellow, attributed to poor management and bycatch issues.
Consumers are urged to prioritize the packaging and compare products against the Fish Guide, with environmental certifications like MSC, ASC, and Krav serving as secondary references. Despite their usage, WWF cautions that these labels do not guarantee sustainable fishing practices.
A total of ten fish species have been placed under a red light, meaning they should not be consumed, including eel, various types of shark, and certain shrimp species. In contrast, 31 species carry red or yellow classifications, indicating avoidance or limited consumption guidance.