There is a sea of confusion swirling around seafood. It’s either really good for you, or it’s not. It’s sustainable, or at the brink of extinction. The truth lies somewhere in between, and it depends very much on where you live and what your local choices are.

The Northwest is known for its seafood. Sweet, succulent spot prawns, briny oysters, mussels, salmon, halibut, cod and rockfish are all harvested from waters up and down the coast and in Puget Sound and the Columbia River. Washington also has a burgeoning aquaculture industry – there’s a large salmon farm right off the shores of Bainbridge Island. Making the right choices help to ensure that this bounty will be something we can pass on to future generations.

So, you’re standing in front of the local seafood counter or reading a restaurant menu trying to decide what’s for dinner. How do you choose? Making sustainable, healthy choices requires more than just the old tests of smell and appearance. Where is it from? Some countries are much better than others at managing their fisheries. Is it farmed or wild-caught? How was it caught? Keep reading for more information about how to sort through these criteria to make your choice or check out our list of good and bad choices for this region.

Seattle International Film Festival – May 1, 2008 – Something remarkable is happening in the Pacific Northwest; family farms are making a comeback.  These farms, the farmers, ranchers, cultivators, and the food they produce, are the focus of a new Moving Images documentary, Good Food, which premieres at the Seattle International Film Festival June 4th at 7 p.m.  Food, where it comes from, how it is grown and processed is becoming more important for everyone, and Good Food introduces us to the local farmers and ranchers, distributors and restaurants that are building a sustainable food system for the Pacific Northwest.  The film makes the important personal connection between the source and your table.