OCEAN WISE: A Sustainable Seafood ProgramOCEAN WISE: A Sustainable Seafood Program

The Problem

Human Impacts on the Ocean

Habitat Damage and Alteration

• Bottom Trawling

• Trawling involves large nets being dragged along the bottom of the sea floor destroying sea grasses, sponges or corals which act as habitat and shelter for many species.

The Problem

Bottom trawling seen from space infront of the Yangtze River in China.

Before and After trawling

Bycatch

• 25% of the annual worldwide seafood harvest is by catch.

• On average, for every ONE pound of shrimp, EIGHT pounds of by catch is caught as well.

Overfishing

• 70% of all marine fish studied are fully exploited, overfished, or in urgent need of management.

• Current research has shown that populations of all large fish have been reduced by 90% since industrialized fishing began.

The Problem

• The current rate and manner in which we are extracting resources from our oceans is not sustainable.

• Worm et al. (2006) – Complete collapse by 2048

• UN FAO – 90% of all large fish are gone

• Good news? Worm et al. (2006) – 5 of 10 ecosystems are improving

The Solution?

We need to change the way we are exploiting our oceans.

How do we go about this?

• Regulatory reform; lobby government

• Market transformation; consumer education, empowerment and industry engagement.

Ocean Wise is a National conservation program created to help restaurants and their customers make environmentally friendly seafood choices. The Ocean Wise symbol on a menu item assures you that item is a good choice for our oceans.

• Ocean Wise program began in 2005

• Over 350 partners

• Over 28 000 locations across Canada

• 50 partners in Ontario

Ontario: Ocean Wise Participants Restaurants Alex and Dan CateringThe Armouries Grill Azure RestaurantBorealis Bar and GrillBrazen Head Irish Pub and RestaurantC5 RestaurantCatch 22Cedar Grove LodgeLe Cordon Bleu BistroCowbellDub Linn Gate Irish PubE18gteenEpic (Fairmont Royal York)The Foggy DewGeorge Restaurant Great Cooks on EightThe Harbord RoomThe Healthy ButcherThe Hoof CaféJoey’s at Don MillsJuniper Kitchen & Wine BarKiWe Kitchen

Lucy’s Seafood KitchenLe Papillon On FrontLe Select BistroMarbenMill Street Brew PubMurphy’s LawNed’s DevineNiagara Street CaféPangaeaPogue Mahone Irish PubThe Pour HouseRegatta Lounge (Delta Medowvale Hotel)ScaramoucheScarboro Golf & Country ClubSimple Fish & ChipsSplendidoTiara Trestaurant & Bacchus LoungeTrios Bistro (Marriott Downtown)Tru Restaurant & LoungeThe Watermark Irish Pub & RestaurantWilfrid’s Restaurant

Wine BarThe Whalesbone Oyster HouseWoolwich ArmsZest Bar and Bistro

RetailersThe Healthy ButcherHooked Inc.

SuppliersAllseasCanadian CoveDaily Seafood Diana’s SeafoodExport PackersFisher FolkGordon Food ServiceMacGregor’s Meat and SeafoodSeacoreToppits

Visit oceanwise.ca for a full listing

Partner Commitments

• On joining partners commit to removing or replacing at least one unsustainable item from their menu.

• Partners are required to remove unsustainable items at a suggested rate of 1 every 6 months until they are 100% sustainable OR they can not feasibly go any further.

• Required to use the Ocean Wise logos on their menus.

Seafood Consumption

8%

24%

68%

Seafood consumed at a Restaurant or food service

industry

Seafood consumed at a Restaurant or food service

industry

Fresh seafood, bought at market or grocery store

Fresh seafood, bought at market or grocery store

Seafood that is consumed in branded products, like canned tuna

Seafood that is consumed in branded products, like canned tuna

What is Sustainable Seafood?

An Ocean Wise recommended species is:

• Abundant and Resilient

• Well Managed

• Minimal Bycatch

• Minimal Effect on Habitats and Animal Interactions

Fishing Methods : Longlining

• Longliners roll out

thousandof hooks that all fish at once.

• Pelagic’ longlining catches fishes like swordfish and tuna.

• ‘Bottom’ longlining targets fishes like cod, halibut and sablefish.

Fishing Methods: Trawling

Trawling involves dragging nets over the seabed, so anything that gets in the way, such as seagrasses, sponges or corals, must either bend or break.

Fishing Methods: Trawling

Sustainable Fishing Method: Traps & Pots

• Traps or "pots" are baited cages used to attract the catch and hold it alive until the fisherman returns.

• Trap fishermen usually lay out many traps attached in a line. After three or four days, they haul their pots aboard, releasing any animals that are too small, too large or not the right species.

Sustainable Fishing Method: Trolling

• Long rods pull fishing lines behind a moving vessel in the method known as trolling.

• Trollers catch speedy fishes that will follow a moving lure, such as salmon, tuna, and mahi-mahi.

Aquaculture

Salmon are generally farmed in open-net floating pens in the ocean.

Trout can be farmed in race-way land based systems, a great sustainable method of farming found in Ontario.

A Trusted Brand

Many environmental issues can be overwhelming. However, the health of the oceans is one issue people can affect every time they buy seafood.

How does Ocean Wise help?

• It makes it simple to understand

• It makes it easy to make the right choice

• It gives the consumer confidence in their choice

Ocean Wise Cookbook

• The Ocean Wise Cookbook is a compellation of sustainable seafood recipes from across Canada, featuring chefs Michael Smith, Jamie Kennedy and Robert Clark.

•Edited by Jane Mundy and published by Whitecap Books

• Available in stores October 2010

Ocean Wise Seafoodie Competition

• Seafoodie Competition to engage Toronto consumers with sustainable seafood

Ocean Wise Contacts

Thank you!

Theodora GeachEastern Coordinator416 764 3093Theodora.geach@vanaqua.org