2023 Ocean Wise Rating Updates

Ocean WiseVancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise seafood recommendations are generated from assessments using the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program methodology. Recommendation updates are released once a month. Ratings updates from 2022 can be found here.

 


January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December 


 

April

 

Species Name Origin Method Old OW Rating New OW Rating
Blue Swimmer Crab Australia - New South Wales Pots OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Greenland Turbot Canada - Atlantic (MSC) Bottom Trawl OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Gillnet OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Herring Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Sweden (MSC) Purse Seine OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Midwater Trawl OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Pikeperch Lithuania - Curonian Lagoon (MSC) Gillnet OW - Recommended OW-Avoid

 


 

March

 

Species Name Origin Method Old OW Rating New OW Rating
Atlantic Chub Mackerel Portugal and Spain Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Atlantic Cod      Norway - North Sea (MSC)      Danish Seine OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Bottom Trawl OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Hook and Line OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Purse Seine OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Gillnet OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Pots OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Atlantic Mackerel  Spain - Bay of Biscay (South)  Handlines and hand-operated pole and lines OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
European Anchovy    France - Bay of Biscay (North) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Portugal and Spain Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Spain - Bay of Biscay (Central) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Spain - Bay of Biscay (South) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
European Horse Mackerel Portugal and Spain Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
European Pilchard Sardine France - Bay of Biscay (Central) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
France - Bay of Biscay (North) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Portugal and Spain (East) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Spain - Bay of Biscay (Central) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Spain - Bay of Biscay (South) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Hybrid Red Tilapia Colombia Ponds OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Nile Tilapia Colombia Ponds OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Whiting North Sea (MSC) Bottom Trawl OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Pair Trawl OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Danish Seine OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Pair Seine OW - Unknown OW - Recommended

 


 

January & February

 

Species Name Origin Method Old OW Rating New OW Rating
Albacore Tuna Japan (MSC) Pole and Line OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Atlantic Chub Mackerel   Morocco (Central Zone) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Morocco (North Zone) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Morocco (Zone C) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Atlantic Cod     Norway - Northeast Arctic (MSC)     Gillnet OW-Avoid OW - Recommended
Hook and Line OW-Avoid OW - Recommended
Longline OW-Avoid OW - Recommended
Danish Seine OW-Avoid OW - Recommended
Bottom Trawl OW-Avoid OW - Recommended
Beaked Redfish Norway (MSC) Trawl OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Bigeye Tuna  Micronesia (MSC)  Purse Seine (Floating Object) OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Purse Seine (Unassociated) OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Blue Mussels Sweden (MSC) Rope grown OW - Recommended OW - Unknown
Blue Swimming Crab  Sri Lanka - Gulf of Mannar Gillnet OW-Avoid OW - Recommended
Sri Lanka - Palk Strait or Palk Bay Gillnet OW-Avoid OW - Recommended
Chilean Jack Mackerel Pacific Ocean - South (MSC) Otter Trawl OW-Avoid OW - Recommended
Chilean Nylon Shrimp Chile (MSC) Bottom Trawl OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Chum Salmon Russia - Karaginsky Bay (MSC) Traps OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
European Anchovy  Morocco (Central Zone)  Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Morocco (North Zone) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
European Pilchard   Morocco (Central Zone) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Morocco (North Zone) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Morocco (Zone C) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Giant Tiger Shrimp  Vietnam  Extensive Ponds OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Intensive Ponds OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Great Scallop France - Bay of Saint-Brieuc (MSC) Dredge OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Greenland Turbot    Norway (MSC)    Gillnet OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Bottom Longline OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Danish Seine OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Bottom Trawl OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Lesser Sand-Eel Norway (MSC) Midwater Trawl OW - Recommended OW - Unknown
Mackerel Icefish  Australia -Heard Island and McDonald Islands (MSC)  Longline OW - Recommended OW - Unknown
Midwater Trawl OW - Recommended OW - Unknown
Northern Shrimp Iceland (MSC) Bottom Trawl OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Pacific Sardine South Australia (MSC) Purse Seine OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Patagonia Toothfish  Australia - Heard Island and McDonald Islands (MSC)  Longline OW - Recommended OW - Unknown
Midwater Trawl OW - Recommended OW - Unknown
Pink Salmon Russia - Karaginsky Bay (MSC) Traps OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Pollock United Kingdom (MSC) Bottom Trawl OW-Avoid OW - Recommended
Sandfish Western Australia (MSC) Hand Implements OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Skipjack Tuna   Micronesia (MSC)  Purse Seine (Floating Object) OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Purse Seine (Unassociated) OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Japan (MSC) Pole and Line OW - Recommended OW-Avoid
Whiteleg Shrimp Vietnam Extensive Ponds OW - Unknown OW - Recommended
Yellowfin Tuna      Micronesia (MSC)   Purse Seine (Floating Object) OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Purse Seine (Unassociated) OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Pelagic Longline OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Ecuador (MSC) Purse Seine OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Indonesia (MSC)  Handline OW - Unknown OW-Avoid
Pole and Line OW - Unknown OW-Avoid