Wild Planet Seafood Offerings Encourage Diverse Consumption of Forage Fish, Promoting Balance in Oceans

Wild Planet, a large-scale sustainably focused seafood company, encourages consumers to support sustainable fisheries around the world simply by choosing fish lower on the food chain. Increasing consumer demand for less popular species can affect positive change for the oceans and, in turn, the planet, it said in a recent press statement.

A typical grocery store’s canned seafood shelf contains roughly 70 percent tuna, which reflects consumer preference for eating higher on the food chain. In contrast, data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reveals that only 20 percent of what the oceans provide is tuna. The remaining 80 percent is comprised of other species, many of which are lower on the food chain. These species include forage fish that are some of the most abundant and nutrient-rich protein sources available to humans.

Aquaculture (fish farming) demands that tons of forage fish like sardines and anchovies be turned into fish meal to feed large farmed fish. It can take up to 5 pounds of wild caught forage fish to produce one pound of farmed salmon. Wild Planet promotes eating these small and abundant forage fish directly, which helps maintain a balanced marine ecosystem, offers numerous nutritional benefits, decreases the carbon footprint associated with the production of fish meal and supports local fishermen.

Sardines have made headlines as food writers and chefs rediscover them as a versatile pantry staple. And consumer choices at the grocery store can help fuel this trend further to benefit not only the health of the environment, but human health as well: sardines are nutritional powerhouses loaded with essential nutrients including omega-3, protein, calcium, iron and potassium.

For people who continue to consume popular species like tuna, Wild Planet suggests enjoying a diverse variety of tuna species, so that consumer choices are more harmonious with what the ocean naturally provides. Wild skipjack tuna is plentiful, so incorporating it into diets can alleviate the high demand on more popular species and support the delicate balance of the oceans. Wild Planet’s Skipjack Wild Tuna is 100 percent sustainably pole and line caught and interchangeable with albacore in tuna recipes.

“The oceans have more than enough wild fish for everyone to enjoy, as long as we select the species of fish that our oceans can generously supply and they are sourced selectively,” says Bill Carvalho, President and Founder of Wild Planet. “It is our mission to encourage consumers to try lesser-known species that are just as delicious and convenient. This simple shift can go a long way in helping preserve and maximize the wild abundance of the oceans for generations to come.”