Serving Up Seafood: National Seafood Month

October is National Seafood Month, and a fitting time to celebrate that the United States is recognized as a global leader in sustainable seafood—both wild-caught and farmed. U.S. fishermen and fish farmers operate under some of the most robust and transparent environmental standards in the world. 

NOAA Fisheries works to advance and export sustainable management practices internationally, establish and maintain a level the playing field for our fishermen and fish farmers, and maintain confidence in U.S. seafood products and access to the global marketplace. The recipe for sustainable seafood includes strong science, responsive management, and enforced compliance.

Seafood Features

Podcast: Looking Back on a Legacy of Seafood Sustainability

As we wrap up Seafood Month 2019, we’re talking to Laurel Bryant, Chief of External Affairs for NOAA Fisheries. Throughout her 25-year career at NOAA, she has championed the benefits of healthy seafood and supported strong partnerships across the seafood industry. 

Listen to the podcast on seafood sustainability 

A fish Monger at Pike Place Market catching a fish for tourists late in the day. Credit: Shutterstock.

Alaska’s Pollock Fishery: A Model of Sustainability

Watch this video to learn how a combination of good science and collaborative management makes the Alaska pollock fishery a success.

Interview with John Kaneko, Hawaii Seafood Council

Learn from an expert about fishing in Hawaii, and the one-of-a-kind Honolulu Seafood Auction. 

Read the Q/A with Jon Kaneko and watch a video on the Honolulu Seafood Auction

John Kaneko, head of the Hawaii Seafood Council, at the Honolulu Seafood Auction.

Fish Habitat “Realtors” Keep Sustainable Seafood on your Plate

NOAA Fisheries works to identify and protect essential fish habitat—areas that fish call home. By doing so, we ensure that there’s sustainable seafood for dinner!

Learn more about our work to protect essential fish habitat

Fish in eelgrass.

U.S.-Caught Sharks are a Sustainable Food Choice

It’s a common misconception that all sharks are endangered. It’s true that overfishing, habitat loss, and other practices have greatly depleted some shark populations in foreign waters. But that’s not the case in the United States. In fact, none of the 43 Atlantic shark species managed by NOAA Fisheries are listed as endangered in U.S. waters under the Endangered Species Act. 

Learn more about the sustainability of the U.S. shark fishery

Pelagic blacktip shark in open water. Credit: Madelein Wolf/Getty Images.

From Local Farm to Table: Our History of Sustainable Fish Production

Hawaiian fish ponds are part of a push to raise more fish and shellfish around the islands for cultural reasons, as well  as to feed a hungry wave of tourists who visit each year. The locally-grown food promotes health and environmental responsibility.

Learn how Hawaiian fish ponds help with sustainable seafood production

Hatchery-born mullets in Hawaiian fish pond.

New App Answers Aquaculture Siting Questions in Seconds

OceanReports is a new tool developed by NOAA's National Ocean Service and partners. Using the tool, aquaculture stakeholders—including seafood farmers, coastal managers and regulators, and environmental organizations—can rapidly assess marine environments for ocean farming suitability. 

Learn more about this new aquaculture tool

Coastal net pens off the coast of Maine. Credit: NOAA.

Tide to Table: The Rise of Ocean Farmers

Aquaculture, also known as farming in water, is the fastest growing food production system in the world. In the United States, aquaculture farmers raised and harvested more than 80 million pounds of seafood in coastal waters and the open ocean.

Learn more about the growing aquaculture industry

Hawaiian kanpachi. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Cynthia Sandoval.

Three-Part Series: West Coast Fisheries "Comeback of the Century"

At San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf and beyond, sustainable rockfish returns to market and to dinner plates around the world.

Learn more about rebuilt groundfish fisheries on the West Coast

Learn how the collapse of the West Coast groundfish fishery forced a more sustainable future

Learn how fishermen are working to rebuild the market for West Coast groundfish

A black and yellow rockfish, also known as groundfish, off the West Coast.

Eat Your Way to a Healthier You, Me, Country, and Planet

Dr. Michael Rubino, Senior Advisor for Seafood Strategy at NOAA Fisheries, discusses why seafood is good for our health, nation, and planet.

Read our latest leadership message on the importance of sustainable seafood

Seafood on ice. Credit: Shutterstock.

Preserving Poke in a Changing Climate

Managing bigeye tuna in the Pacific can be challenging, and a recent study shows that climate change may affect our supply of this fish, used to make the deliciously popular ʻahi poke. Scientists from the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, the University of Hawai‘i, and the University of Tasmania teamed up to model the ecosystem in which Hawai‘i’s bigeye tuna fishery operates. The study projects the decline of catch in Hawai‘i’s bigeye tuna fishery as climate change continues to unfold. However, alternate scenarios could bolster ecosystem resilience and limit fishery declines.

Learn more about what we are doing to help preserve poke for the future

Bowl of ‘ahi poke served shoyu style, with soy sauce, green onions, sweet onions, and sesame seeds. Photo: NOAA Fisheries.

Seafood Videos

Seafood Month Shout-Out: Chef Christina Ng

When it comes to seafood, there's a whole world out there to be discovered on your plate says San Diego chef Christina Ng.

Seafood Month Shout-Out: Dave Rudie

A shout-out to Seafood Month 2019 by Dave Rudie, a seafood market owner owner in San Diego, California.

Alaska Kelp Farming: A New Sustainable Seafood Opportunity

Watch how Alaskan kelp farmers are growing seaweed to help address the growing demand for seafood and seafood products.

Aquaculture as Agriculture

Aquaculture is the process of farming in the water. The U.S. has long been a world leader in agriculture and today U.S. aquaculture is rapidly growing. Seafood farmers grow some of the healthiest and most sustainable food we can eat.

Misperceptions About Aquaculture

Some of the highest quality fish species that you can consume may be farm raised. It all comes down to knowing your source, quality of feed, the way the animals are grown, and the environmental standards they're grown in. 

Reeling to Rebuilding: Success for West Coast Fisheries

Watch the video below to how the West Coast groundfish fishery has evolved over time. Learn how the rebuilding process has been a team effort among scientists, managers, and fishermen.

Celebrate National Seafood Month 

Check out this shout-out to Seafood Month 2019 by Rob Ruiz, a chef, restaurant owner, and FishWatch Partner in San Diego, California.