While about one-fourth of worldwide halibut production is certified, much of the balance is not yet assessed. Our improvement efforts prioritize halibut and other whitefish fisheries and aquaculture operations that are:

• Red-rated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program (see all halibut ratings here; you can also search for other whitefish species at this link); or
• Within the scope of Sustainable Fisheries Partnership’s Target 75 Initiative

A baseline step businesses can take to accelerate progress in improving performance is to prioritize the purchase of certified or Best Choice halibut and encourage suppliers to pursue improvements. The collaboration is focused on improving the performance of whitefish fisheries and aquaculture by building on promising NGO and industry initiatives.

Marine Stewardship Council

There are several MSC certified halibut fisheries globally. As part of the MSC program, fisheries are required to make improvements to close out conditions, and continue to meet global best practice. Sourcing from these fisheries shows support for those improvements and encourages them to continue on in the MSC program. Businesses can search the MSC ‘Find a Supplier’ tool to locate companies that sell MSC certified halibut.

Seafood Watch

The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program ratings are based on specific location and production method information. For detailed information, visit the Seafood Watch halibut recommendations, as well as those on other whitefish, such as brill, catfish, cod, flounder, hake, perch, pollock, seabass, tilapia, and toothfish.

FIP/ AIP

There are several active flatfish FIPs worldwide, though none working in halibut fisheries. These projects offer opportunities to contribute to broader whitefish sustainability improvements. To learn more about specific FIPs, consult the FisheryProgress.org FIP directory or the Improvement projects page of FishSource.