Checking Seafood Origin and Sustainability Information

The short answer

Seafood isn't sustainable or unsustainable by name alone. To judge a purchase, you need four things: the exact species, where it was harvested, whether it was wild-caught or farmed (and how), and a current sustainability assessment that covers that specific combination. If any of these is missing, you can't fully evaluate the fish. This applies to hake, to wild fish in general and to farmed seafood.

What to check before you buy

Detail to check | What to look for | Why it matters

Species | The specific fish or shellfish, not just a broad market name | Assessments are made for particular species, so a vague name leaves you guessing

Harvest location | Where the fish was caught or farmed | The same species can be judged differently depending on where it comes from

Production method | Wild-caught or farmed | Neither category earns an automatic rating; each has to be assessed on its own terms

Catch or farming method | How it was caught at sea, or how it was raised | Method is part of what an assessment evaluates

Assessment details | Who rated it, what it covers and how recent it is | A rating only helps if it matches your product and is still current

Questions to ask at the fish counter

A fishmonger is a person who sells raw fish and seafood. They are often your best source for details that aren't on a label. Supermarket counters and fish markets both raise the same issues: which labels to look for and what to ask. These questions cover the basics:

• What species is this, exactly?
• Where was it caught or farmed?
• Is it wild-caught or farmed?
• How was it caught, or how was it raised?
• Do you know of a current sustainability assessment or certification for this product?

If the seller can't answer, that tells you something too. It means you can't confirm how the fish was sourced.

Is hake a sustainable fish?

There's no blanket answer. Whether a particular hake is a sustainable choice depends on the species, where it was caught, how it was caught and what current assessments say about that source. The evidence behind this guide doesn't include a hake rating. Before you buy, check a current assessment that applies to the hake you're buying and the US market.

Which fish are not farmed?

The material behind this guide doesn't include a list of species that are only ever wild-caught, so it can't give one. Confirm the production method for each product with the label or the seller. Also keep in mind that "wild" doesn't automatically mean sustainable, and "farmed" doesn't automatically mean unsustainable. The assessment for that specific source is what counts.

Using seafood buying guides

Seafood buying guides from conservation groups and industry bodies explain which labels to look for and which questions to ask, and they encourage buyers to treat each purchase as a choice. When you use one, check three things. First, is it current? Ratings can change. Second, does it cover the species, location and method of your product? Third, was it written for the market you're shopping in? Some widely circulated guides are produced outside the US, so check that their ratings apply to seafood sold here.

Gaps in this guide

This guide explains what to check. It doesn't provide current ratings for any species, a list of never-farmed fish or rankings of specific guides or certifications. For those answers, consult a current, authoritative assessment that applies to US-sold seafood.