WWF Hong Kong, 13 July 2021
This July 14th, on ‘Shark Awareness Day’, WWF-Hong Kong released an updated version of their Seafood Guide which classifies seafood items as “Green – Recommended”, “Yellow – Think Twice” or “Red – Avoid” to assist consumers and suppliers in making more sustainable choices. In addition to promoting ‘Green’ choices, they also highlight the ‘the lack of information provided on seafood packaging, which limits consumers ability to make the right choices when buying seafood.’
One of the fisheries to avoid is the Boston Lobster, “Although the Boston lobster is not threatened with extinction, its harvesting ground overlaps with the habitat of the North Atlantic right whale. The North Atlantic right whale was moved from Endangered to Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species last year, with bycatch and entanglement in lobster fishing gear as key threats to the whale species.’ Michelle Wong, Conservation Officer, Oceans at WWF-Hong Kong, explained.
Additionally, WWF Austria has released their Seafood guide, which recommends looking for trustworthy eco-certified products, but does highlight concerns with MSC stating ‘MSC in particular, we see clear deficiencies, as is also shown by the growing number of complaints submitted by the WWF for individual MSC certifications.’
