Buy Australian oysters and farmed barramundi: five tips to make your feast of summer seafood sustainable

A celebratory Australian seafood spread doesn't have to sacrifice sustainability - here conservation scientist Carissa Klein gives a few tips to make better choicesSummer in Australia is synonymous with seafood, from fish and chips at the beach to prawns on the barbie. But how do we know if the seafood is sustainable - that is, harvested from healthy stocks with minimal negative environmental impacts?More than a third of the world's fisheries are being harvested at unsustainable levels, according to the latest figures from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation.Eat farmed Australian prawns. Much intensive prawn farming overseas has been linked to the destruction of coastal habitats, and some Australian wild-caught prawns have bycatch issues, meaning rare species like dugongs and turtles are accidentally caught by trawling. By contrast, Australian prawn farming is done in tanks on land, making it a more sustainable industry.Eat wild-caught Australian rock lobster. This year lobster prices are much lower than usual due to export issues. Australia's rock lobster fisheries are generally sustainably fished, as opposed to imported lobster.Eat farmed Australian oysters and mussels. It's hard to go wrong here - fresh local oysters and mussels are widely available in stores and restaurants and are usually sustainable. Imported options are not widely available and are usually tinned.Eat farmed Australian barramundi. Locally farmed barramundi is the most commonly available sustainable fish species. Some wild-caught Australian barramundi fisheries have issues with bycatch, while imported farmed barramundi have recurring issues with disease.When in doubt, pick fresh Australian seafood. Australian fisheries are better managed than most others around the world, making local fish usually the better choice. Continue reading...