Sustainable sushi facts for kids

Sustainable sushi is a special kind of sushi that comes from fish or other seafood caught or raised in ways that don't harm the ocean or its creatures. It means making sure there will be enough fish for the future and that the methods used are good for the environment. People care about sustainable sushi because they want to protect our oceans, keep fish populations healthy, and make sure we can enjoy sushi for a long time.

How Sustainable Sushi Started

In 1999, a restaurant called Miya's in New Haven, Connecticut, was the first to offer a sushi menu made mostly from plants. This was a healthier and more eco-friendly way to enjoy sushi. By 2004, Miya's became the first sushi restaurant in the world to actively promote sustainable sushi on its menu.

Around the same time, other restaurants joined in. In 2008, Bamboo in Portland became the world's first sushi restaurant to be officially certified as sustainable. They work with independent groups to check that their seafood comes from sustainable sources. Also in 2008, Tataki in San Francisco started serving sustainable seafood.

Since then, more and more sushi restaurants have decided to focus on sustainability. They've formed what's called the "sustainable sushi movement." These restaurants believe in using only seafood that's caught or raised responsibly. This helps protect the art of sushi and keeps our oceans healthy. Many news outlets, like TIME Magazine, have recognized Miya's, Bamboo, and Tataki as leaders in this movement.

Why Sustainable Fishing Matters

Sustainable sushi helps us think about where our fish comes from. It asks if the fish were caught or raised in a way that doesn't hurt their populations or the ocean. Many traditional fishing methods can lead to too many fish being caught, which is called overfishing. These methods can also accidentally kill other marine animals, like turtles or dolphins.

Pollution from factories and other sources also adds to the problem. It puts harmful chemicals, like mercury, into the ocean, which can end up in the fish we eat.

If we keep fishing without thinking about the future, some scientists worry that many seafood species could disappear by 2048. It's estimated that about 90% of large predatory fish, like tuna, are already gone from the oceans. For a long time, fishing wasn't regulated much, meaning there weren't many rules about how much or where people could fish. This led to a lot of fish being caught for money without thinking about the long-term effects.

In the 1970s, things started to change. The US government passed a law called the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1976. This law helped control fishing in US waters and created groups to manage fisheries.

From the 1980s until today, fishing rules have become much stricter. There are now limits on how many boats can fish, what kind of gear they can use, and how long they can stay at sea. While these rules are good, they sometimes make fishermen compete more intensely. This can lead to problems like "ghost fishing" (lost fishing gear that keeps catching fish) and more "bycatch" (fish or other animals caught accidentally and thrown away).

For example, when fishing seasons got shorter, some fishermen used bigger boats and more powerful equipment to catch as much as possible in less time. This can lead to them putting out more hooks and nets, which increases bycatch and can cause fish populations to drop even faster.

By choosing sustainable sushi, you help reduce overfishing and bycatch. You support fishing practices that are better for the ocean and encourage more restaurants and fishermen to adopt sustainable methods.

Solutions for Healthier Oceans

Besides choosing sustainable sushi, there are other ideas to help make fishing better. One idea is called "catch shares." This means giving a specific share of the total allowed catch to individual fishermen or groups. The idea is that if fishermen own a "share" of the fish, they will want to protect the fish population so their share stays valuable. This encourages them to fish more responsibly. The Environmental Defense Fund, a group that works to protect the environment, believes catch shares can help bring back healthy fish populations and support fishing communities.

Another important group is the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This organization works with businesses and environmental groups to promote sustainable fishing. They have an "eco-labeling program" which puts a special blue label on seafood products that come from well-managed and sustainable fisheries.

The MSC is an international organization that helps consumers make good choices. They set standards for sustainable fishing, and independent groups check if fisheries meet these standards. When you see the MSC label, it means the seafood was caught in a way that helps protect the ocean and its future.

Advisory Lists

To help people choose sustainable seafood, many organizations create "advisory lists." These lists tell you which types of fish are good choices, which ones to be careful about, and which ones to avoid because they are overfished or caught using harmful methods. These lists are a great way for you to make smart choices when you're buying or eating seafood.