Five kinds of seafood to avoid

Straits Times 7 Jan 12;

THE Singapore Seafood Guide, published by the World Wide Fund for Nature, recommends that consumers avoid 18 kinds of fish and seafood, as their populations are under threat. Here are five of them:

Bluefin tuna wild-caught from global oceans (right)

The populations of bluefin tuna in the western Atlantic and Southern Oceans are overfished. They are considered critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Bluefin tuna fisheries also generate a high amount of bycatch - species caught by accident - including endangered wildlife such as dolphins, marine turtles and sharks.

Humphead wrasse wild-caught in South-east Asia

This species grows slowly and matures late, making it at risk of being overfished. It is considered endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Polkadot grouper wild-caught in South-east Asia

Considered a rare species in the wild, the polkadot grouper is listed as vulnerable on the Red List and likely to face extinction if no action is taken to protect it.

Tiger prawns farmed in Indonesia and Thailand (right)

Poorly managed prawn farms are causing problems such as pollution and the spread of diseases in the marine environment.

All sharks

Many shark species are overfished, and more than 180 are listed as threatened on the Red List.

Every year, 73 million sharks are killed, primarily for their fins.

As the top predator in the marine food chain, sharks play a vital role in maintaining the whole ecosystem.

Source: World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore