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January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Mainers seek more ‘sustainable’ seafood but labels may be misleading

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Thursday, August 29, 2024   

Mainers are buying more "sustainable" and "humane" seafood but animal welfare advocates said such labels may not be telling the whole story.

The sustainable seafood market is predicted to top $26 million by 2030 as more consumers focus on environmental health.

Helen Browning, researcher and lecturer at the University of Southampton in the U.K., said the sustainable label simply means a species was not overfished but not necessarily treated well.

"I think that could be quite confusing for consumers," Browning contended. "They might think that humane products are sustainable, sustainable products are humane, when actually neither of those things has to be the case."

She recommended Seafood Watch or the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Guide, which offer online tools for consumers to learn which species and regions are harvested responsibly. The tools cover both wild fisheries and aquaculture operations.

Fifteen percent of the world's wild-caught fish are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council but it does not address animal welfare. Rather the nonprofit focuses on environmental sustainability, healthy ecosystems and maintaining legal fishing regulations. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council published its Fish Health and Welfare Criterion in 2023.

Maria Filipa Castanheira, spokesperson for the council, said the guidelines lay out best practices for fish farmers.

"The group called for certain welfare considerations to be included, including anesthesia of fish during handling operations that can inflict pain or injury if fish are moving, and maximum time fish can be out of water," Castanheira outlined.

Some national animal welfare groups are promoting the idea of humane slaughter for fish, which aims to reduce or eliminate pain and suffering. Currently, many fish are chilled to death in an ice slurry or asphyxiated by being taken out of the water before being stunned or killed.

This story is based on original reporting by Jessica Scott-Reid at Sentient.


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