Improving the sustainability of global seafood production requires a more accurate and deeper understanding of current environmental performance, progress to date, and priority areas for improvement. The environmental performance component of the Sustainable Seafood Data Tool consolidates data from seven global certification and ratings programs to provide NGOs and businesses a more comprehensive overview of seafood sustainability.

The latest version of the environmental performance component, launched in the winter of 2023, adds data from the Qingdao Marine Conservation Society (QMCS) to include new ratings for seafood production in China – the world’s largest seafood producer. QMCS, a Chinese nonprofit, was founded by former Ocean Outcomes China Program Director Songlin Wang in 2017, and QMCS has partnered with Ocean Outcomes in implementing fishery improvement projects in China. QMCS’s core team appreciates the assessment training provided by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program, and also adopts the Global Seafood Ratings Alliance (GSRA) core elements into their environmental sustainability rating methodology.