Whole Foods puts new seafood ratings in stores to help shoppers select sustainable fish

Whole Foods to use seafood environmental ratings

PORTLAND, Ore. — Whole Foods Market Inc. is trying to clear some murky waters for seafood shoppers.

The grocery chain on Monday launched a color-coded rating program with the help of Monterey Bay Aquarium and Blue Ocean. It is intended to measure the environmental impact of its wild-caught seafood.

The program is the latest in a series of moves by major grocers to change seafood policies as concern rises about overfishing and the environmental effects of certain fishing methods.

The system gives seafood a green, yellow or red rating. It’s based on how abundant the species is and how sustainable the methods used to catch it are.