Seafood Labeling

Seafood Labeling

Paying close attention to seafood labels is one simple and effective method for promoting sustainable fishing practices. In the past, buying environmentally-friendly fish wasn’t very easy. Most grocers used labels that did not provide complete and accurate details concerning the sustainability of their products and often, unknowingly or knowingly, mislabeled much seafood. IFR and many other organizations worked to correct this, and now country-of-origin labeling is mandatory on all seafood sold in the United States. Additionally, a farmed or wild-caught label and a color-added label is required. If you find your local grocer is not in compliance, take action!

• Buy smart. Buy local and sustainable seafood. Buy what’s currently in season. Use our Local & Seasonal Seafood Program and Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch to help make sustainable seafood choices.
• Tell your grocer. Let your grocer know that they must label their seafood accurately, with country of origin, if color is added, and whether it is farmed or wild-caught.

New: Check out this article from edible SAN FRANCISCO magazine about the unique–and uniquely satisfying–process of sourcing your own local, seasonal seafood Fresh Off the Boat.

Then visit IFR’s own Local and Seasonal Seafood page to learn more!

Local and Seasonal Seafood

Local and Seasonal Seafood Program!

Confused about where to buy fresh local seafood?

Looking to include local & seasonal seafood into your diet?

Curious about local California fisheries?

With the success of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program, more consumers are conscientious of what seafood to eat. But choosing good quality seafood goes far beyond just choosing from the Green List. Consumers must also consider what their local seafood is and when it is in season.

The Local & Seasonal Seafood© Program has created a database for the public to connect seafood consumers with local fisheries and fishermen. The Program summarizes when different local seafood is in season for nine coastal regions in California. Additionally, the Program lists fishermen that sell off their boats, at farmers’ markets, or directly to restaurants.

By providing this information simply and clearly, consumers can make better informed decisions about where to buy high quality seafood. Through such transactions consumers are also able to support local fishing communities and reimburse the fishermen more accurately for their costs.

To learn how to buy local & seasonal seafood in California, click here.

Monterey Bay Area

Monterey Bay Area

seafood seasons

 

 

(click chart for larger version)

**Please Note! The 2008 Chinook Salmon Season has been closed in California and Oregon due to low returns on the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers

**The Pacific Sardine fishery has reached its quota for 2008. Fresh-caught sardines will be available again starting in January 2009

(information is still being collected)

Please notify us if you know of any fisherman (or if you are a commercial fisherman) that sells seafood directly to consumers. Help us expand this public resource!

Local and Seasonal

Local and Seasonal Seafood Program

The Problem

As our food infrastructure has grown throughout the past century, people have become disconnected from their food sources and less aware of the origin of their food.

Nowadays, less and less people are engaged in work as food producers and much of our nation’s food is imported thousands of miles using nonrenewable sources of energy which contribute to global warming. Many people want to eat responsibly, but are not sure where to turn. IFR is trying to solve this problem by connecting local fishermen to the fish buying public. Eating local fresh seafood means that you are accessing the freshest and highest quality seafood. Additionally, supporting local seafood harvesters ensures that local small family-operated fishing communities will be able to compete with large processors and maintain traditional coastal communities. Eating locally caught seafood ensures that the fish caught is sustainable. Buying directly from fishermen ensures a fresh product and ensures the fishermen receives a fair wage for his or her labor. IFR acts as a conduit to connect the seafood eating public with local commercial fishermen who can provide fresh, high quality, healthy, sustainable seafood.

The Solution

The Local and Seasonal Seafood Program© has created a database for the public to connect commercial fishermen with seafood consumers. These fishermen sell either off their boats, at farmers’ markets, or to restaurants. By providing this information, consumers can make better informed decisions about where to buy high quality seafood. Through such transactions consumers are also able to support local fishing communities, find out more information about how and where the seafood was harvested, and reimburse the fishermen more accurately for their costs.

Commercial fishermen work closely with the California Department of Fish & Game and the National Marine Fisheries Service to ensure sustainable harvest of California fisheries. However, few citizens know when different fish are in season or what the local seafood in their area is. A large component of the program is also to collect the information of when different types of seafood are available to the public.

The Future

It is the vision of the Local and Seasonal Seafood Program that consumers will support their local seafood harvesters and fishing communities. We are constantly seeking more information about commercial fishermen that are selling at farmers’ markets, at fish markets, off their boats, to local restaurants, etc. Please notify us if you know of any fisherman (or if you are a commercial fisherman) that sells seafood directly to consumers. Help us to expand this public resource coastwide!

Fort Bragg Area Seafood Seasons

Humboldt Bay Area Seafood Seasons

Los Angeles Area Seafood Seasons

Monterey Bay Area Seafood Seasons

Morro Bay Area Seafood Seasons

North Bay Area Seafood Seasons

San Diego Area Seafood Seasons

San Francisco Bay Area Seafood Seasons

Santa Barbara Area Seafood Seasons

Programs

Our Programs

Pacific Salmon Restoration Program

Pacific Coast Salmon are in a state of ecological crisis. In the United States, the vast majority of the wild salmon populations that once widely inhabited California and the Pacific Northwest are now at risk of extinction. The reason? Decades of over-logging of old growth forests, over-grazing, over-appropriation of water, water pollution and the deliberate blockage of fish migration routes have resulted in the widespread destruction and blockage of critical spawning and rearing habitat.

IFR is working for change. The Pacific Salmon Restoration Program advocates for reforms in land use practices known to destroy salmon habitat. In the past, IFR has successfully advocated for dam removals, improved pesticide controls, and enhanced conservation regulations. Research is also vital to the program’s success. For this reason, IFR has created a robust software application, the Klamath Resource Information System (KRIS), which integrates pertinent fishery and watershed information for use in conservation efforts.

Read more about the Pacific Salmon Restoration Program

Commercial Fishermen of America

Although commercial fishing is this country’s oldest industry, there has never been an organization in the U.S. that advocates only for commercial fishermen. IFR created and is coordinating the Commercial Fishermen of America (CFA) to fill this need. The mission of CFA is to promote the common interest of the fishing industry, provide a forum to foster professional collaboration among fishermen, and educate Americans about the profession of commercial fishing. Commercial Fishermen of America has an impact on national discussions of ocean management while at the same time making sure that commercial fishing and the communities associated with it are not lost in the U.S.

Read more about Commercial Fishermen of America

Local & Seasonal Seafood Program

IFR initiated a collaborative effort between commercial fishermen, seafood restaurants, and farmers markets to promote increased awareness of the benefits of locally harvested seafood and to connect the demand for fresh high quality seafood to local supply. The Local & Seasonal Seafood Program educates the public as to where to purchase local seafood and it also provides consumers information when local fish is in season so that consumers can make informed decisions.

Read more about the Local & Seasonal Seafood Program

Wildfish Coalition:

As certain fish species begin to decline, or as individuals capitalize on a new area of the marine market, aquaculture is on the rise internationally. The Bush administration is pushing for national Open Ocean Aquaculture programs as a way to combat the trade deficiet America faces in the seafood industry.

Unfortunately, many forms of aquaculture pose serious environmental risks to human and environmental health. A few of the negative consequences include: dye and toxin consumption by humans, excrement and wasted food impacts, increased outbreaks of epidemics, and a net loss of protein. IFR is coordinating a collaborative nationwide effort, called the Wildfish Coalition, to bring together various stakeholder groups with leaders in California, Florida, Alaska, Washington, and Washington D.C.

Read more about the Wildfish Program