Blue Ocean's From Sea to Table program helps seafood lovers understand that people exert their most direct impact on the ocean through the seafood they eat. We seek to drive demand for ocean-friendly seafood by increasing consumer awareness and understanding of the connection between healthy oceans, fishing and seafood. We also work to encourage seafood industry retailers and restaurateurs to implement sustainable seafood practices. Our objectives include: 1) educating chefs, culinary students and restaurateurs with our online sustainable seafood course – Green Chefs, Blue Ocean (www.oceanfriendlychefs.org); 2) providing advice and technical assistance to expedite restaurant and retail acceptance of seafood sustainability practices; 3) sharing our seafood ranking information and outreach tools with retailers and restaurants so they can educate their customers about ocean-friendly seafood; and 4) building partnerships to promote sustainability and create a community among various seafood market sectors.

We are a national, science based conservation organization located in Vancouver, Canada. We work on a range of conservation and sustainability initiatives and operate a well-developed program aimed at conservation and sustainability of marine and freshwater environments. This program includes sustainable fisheries initiatives that help ensure healthy oceans and sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices. We work to promote sustainable seafood in markets across Canada and were involved in development of the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions’ Common Vision. We welcome partnerships and collaborative initiatives with retail market businesses and major seafood buyers to help establish progressive seafood procurement policies. The David Suzuki Foundation is a founding member of the SeaChoice sustainable seafood program.

Established in 1971, the Ecology Action Centre is Nova Scotia’s largest and most active environmental organization. For the past fifteen years, marine issues have been an important part of the EAC’s work. The collapse of fisheries in Atlantic Canada has had serious and longer than expected consequences both for the marine environment and for the people who live here. Making extensive use of science and fishermen’s knowledge, the EAC has focused its efforts on reducing fishing gear impacts on the ocean floor, the protection of fish habitat, and the support and promotion of sustainable fisheries initiatives. The EAC’s motivation to work on fisheries is the desire to live and work in a region where there is a healthy ocean, as well as healthy communities. The Ecology Action Centre is a founding member of SeaChoice, Canada’s sustainable seafood program. Canada’s Business Guide to Sustainable Seafood is available at www.seachoice.org.

A leading national nonprofit organization, Environmental Defense Fund represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, EDF has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. The Oceans Program at Environmental Defense Fund works to restore fisheries to abundance, protect important places in the ocean, and provide consumers with the necessary tools to select seafood that is good for them and the oceans.

FishChoice Inc (FCI) is a non-profit organization founded in 2008 to help commercial seafood buyers easily find sustainable seafood products. FCI has partnered with six leading NGOs that rank or certify seafood products for sustainability including:

• The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
• The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program
• Sea Choice
• FishWise
• The New England Aquarium
• Blue Ocean Institute

FishChoice.com was launched in 2009 as an online portal for commercial seafood buyers to find seafood suppliers that catch, farm or process seafood products that meet the criteria or certifications of the partnering NGOs and distributors who have attained chain of custody certificates for MSC certified products. FishChoice.com is a business to business matchmaking tool that connects buyers and sellers of sustainable seafood. To date, FishChoice.com has over 1600 registered users and over 750 posted products.

FishWise promotes the health and recovery of ocean ecosystems by providing innovative market-based tools to the seafood industry to support sustainability through environmentally responsible business practices. Uniquely positioned within the conservation community and a growing network of industry partners, FishWise combines sound science with a practical, business oriented approach.

Living Oceans Society is Canada’s largest environmental organization that focuses solely on marine issues. We believe that people are part of the environment and that by protecting the B.C. coastal ecosystem, we can build sustainable communities today and for our children. Our vision is to ensure the long-term health of the ocean and coastal communities on the Pacific Coast of Canada. We are working to achieve this goal from ocean to plate by supporting the development of sustainable fisheries, based upon an ecosystem approach to management, and a transition to closed containment salmon farms as well as engaging the public in marine conservation.

Living Oceans also works with major buyers and consumers nationwide to shift seafood production and consumption towards the most ocean-friendly choices through the SeaChoice program. Living Oceans is a founding member of SeaChoice, Canada’s sustainable seafood program. Canada’s Business Guide to Sustainable Seafood is available at www.seachoice.org.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Initiative and its Seafood Watch brand work to broaden awareness of the links between the seafood on our plates and the health of our oceans. We help consumers and businesses choose seafood that supports environmentally responsible fishing and fish farming practices. By harnessing market forces and the power of consumer choice, we seek to create a demand for seafood that comes from sustainable and environmentally responsible sources. Our Research team has produced 111 fishery and aquaculture reports from which we have generated 386 seafood recommendations.

Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to safeguard the earth: its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC has long been active in efforts to promote sustainable fisheries at the national and international levels. Support of the private sector for government policies that promote sustainable fisheries is a key component of the Common Vision.

The New England Aquarium is committed to developing and implementing new solutions to protect the oceans and balance the human impacts on them through our conservation and research programs. The New England Aquarium's Sustainable Seafood Programs aim to protect the world's ocean resources by raising public awareness and by working with the seafood industry to advance sustainable practices within wild-capture fisheries and aquaculture operations. Through fostering strategic partnerships and collaborations that are guided by science and an ecological perspective, our long-term vision is for healthy global ocean ecosystems that support a rich diversity of ocean resources for current and future generations.

The Aquarium works with some of the largest seafood retailers, restaurant chains and suppliers to encourage the sustainable development of farmed and wild-caught seafood resources. The Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Advisory Services advises these companies on issues regarding environmentally responsible seafood and facilitates work with fishermen and fish farmers to make proactive changes in their practices to favor our aquatic environments. This program began in 2000, when the Aquarium started working with Ahold USA. Today, New England Aquarium's list of partners includes several of the country’s largest seafood companies, including Darden Restaurants, Gorton’s and Sea Port Products. In addition, the Aquarium works to promote ocean-friendly seafood choices through Celebrate Seafood, our public outreach and education program.

Ocean Conservancy encourages seafood buyers to engage in restoring troubled, "red-listed" fisheries. Buyers can make a huge impact by doing business with fishermen who are committed to sustainable fishing practices and by supporting better management that improves the fishery. Rather than walking away from these troubled fisheries, seafood buyers demonstrate to fishermen and consumers their lasting commitment to improve once-thriving fisheries. Strengthening and restoring unsustainable fisheries is a rewarding way to advance seafood sustainability. To assist seafood buyers that want to help rebuild unsustainable fisheries, Ocean Conservancy provides a platform for easy engagement in policy and fisheries management issues. Our experience with current partners has demonstrated that one well-timed letter from a seafood buyer can make a huge difference. Ocean Conservancy also offers businesses an opportunity to influence ongoing development of U.S. policy and regulation for offshore fish farming, a novel production method that comes with substantial environmental risk.

At Shedd Aquarium, animals connect you to the living world, inspiring you to make a difference. Located on the beautiful lakefront in Chicago, Illinois, Shedd is home to more than 32,000 animals and attracts more than two million guests each year. Shedd believes that choosing sustainable seafood is one of the easiest (and tastiest!) actions people can take to protect the health of our waters worldwide. The aquarium’s award-winning Right Bite program builds partnerships with Chicago-area restaurants, retailers, purveyors and culinary schools to educate current and future food service professionals on critical seafood issues and to increase the availability of sustainable seafood in Chicago’s vibrant marketplace.

The Sierra Club British Columbia is a democratic grassroots organization dedicated to the conservation of British Columbia’s natural legacy. Their mission is to protect and restore British Columbia's rich tapestry of species, ecosystems and human health by promoting innovative, evidence based solutions; inspiring and engaging a broad network of grassroots support; and linking people and decision makers. The marine conservation goals of Sierra Club British Columbia are to ensure that the public interest in the conservation of all marine resources is afforded the highest policy priority; that human activities are managed in ways consistent with that priority; and that conservation in public policy is informed by the most rigorous conservation principles. In 2003, the Sierra Club issued a Citizen’s Guide to Seafood, the first wallet guide to sustainable seafood in Canada. Sierra Club British Columbia is a founding member of SeaChoice, Canada’s sustainable seafood program. Canada’s Business Guide to Sustainable Seafood is available at www.seachoice.org. The Sierra Club has been active in Canada since 1969, starting first in British Columbia. The national office of the Sierra Club of Canada was established in Ottawa in 1989. There are five active chapters (BC, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic) with offices in every region of Canada; Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria, Sydney, Corner Brook, Halifax, Edmonton and Toronto.

Founded in 2006, the mission of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership is to maintain healthy ocean and aquatic ecosystems, enhance fishing and fish-farming livelihoods and secure food supplies. SFP convenes seafood suppliers and producers with like-minded companies in fishery or aquaculture improvement projects to build consensus around specific improvements in policies, marine conservation measures, and fishing and fish-farming practices. SFP educates and advises seafood buyers and suppliers so they can help improve fisheries and fish-farming regions, choose their sources wisely, and meet their own sustainability commitments. SFP improves access to information that buyers rely on to guide responsible seafood sourcing through our comprehensive FishSource website and Sustainable Seafood Metrics System.

Ocean Wise is a Vancouver Aquarium conservation program created to educate and empower consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood. Ocean Wise works directly with restaurants, markets, food services and suppliers ensuring that they have the most current scientific information regarding seafood and helping them make ocean-friendly buying decisions. The options are highlighted on their menus and display cases with the Ocean Wise symbol, making it easier for consumers to make environmentally friendly seafood choices. The Ocean Wise logo next to a menu or seafood item is an assurance that the item is a good choice for keeping ocean life healthy and abundant for generations to come.

World Wildlife Fund, dedicated to protecting the world’s wildlife and the rich diversity on which our survival and prosperity depend, has been a privately supported multinational conservation organization for over 45 years and it sponsors more than 2000 projects in over 100 countries each year. Securing sustainable fisheries and healthy marine ecosystems is only possible by working with the fishing and aquaculture industries along their entire seafood value chains. To engage seafood-related businesses, WWF’s Major Buyer Initiative consists of understanding the sustainability status of a company’s source fisheries and working collaboratively in these fisheries to affect transformational change on the water to be consistent with the sustainability standards of the Marine Stewardship Council. Through the Aquaculture Dialogues, WWF is working with 2,000 plus industry leaders, NGOs, and others to develop standards that will help minimize the key negative environmental and social impacts associated with aquaculture. The first set of standards, for tilapia, was completed in 2009 and the seven remaining sets of standards will be finalized by early 2011.