Seafood Sustainability Complexity Challenges U.S. Consumers
The complexity of seafood sustainability is becoming increasingly challenging for U.S. consumers. While traditional concerns like overfishing and seabed trawling remain, new factors such as labor rights, indigenous fishing practices, and carbon footprints are now part of the sustainability equation. This complexity is compounded by a variety of certification and rating systems, which can be overwhelming for consumers. Robert Jones from The Nature Conservancy highlights the difficulty even experts face in navigating these systems. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program, once a simple guide with traffic-light ratings, has evolved to address broader issues, including environmental, social, and governance factors. Despite these efforts, the complexity of sustainability criteria often leads consumers to opt for simpler choices like chicken over seafood. 
