Protect and restore fisheries
Protect and restore fisheries
Why?
Protecting fish habitats and restoring fisheries benefits people as well as the plants and animals that live in waterways and oceans. Creating marine protected areas is critical, but you can also take small steps to help.
Choose sustainable & less seafood
Ninety percent of fish populations are fished at or above sustainable limits. Do your part to protect the ocean’s inhabitants and support fishing communities around the world that depend on fishing for their livelihood as well as their nutrition.
Eat less seafood.
Learn how some seafood products are caught in ways that harm wildlife and ecosystems.
Ask restaurants and markets to offer sustainably caught seafood.
Check the resources below for lists of fish that have been sustainably caught, which helps ensure a healthy supply of seafood in the future.
EDF: 11 sustainably caught fish that taste great
Monterey Bay Aquarium: Sustainable seafood
Grow habitat & pollinator gardens
You can create an inviting habitat for pollinators and other species by making conscious choices in your garden. Different colors, fragrances, heights, and blooming times attract different types of pollinators – any animal or insect that helps plants grow new fruit and seeds.
Plant native species and consolidate similar plants in groups of at least three to attract birds, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Also, don’t go to an extreme with garden clean-ups. Why not? Because brush piles can provide shelter for birds and insects, and ripe seeds from spent flowers provide food for many birds.
UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County: Protect & Encourage Wildlife
Children’s Museum of Sonoma County: 4 Ways You Can Help Pollinators in Sonoma County
Use reef-safe sunscreen
You've learned by now the importance of protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. That’s great. But what they probably didn’t know – and neither may you – is that most sunscreens contain chemicals that are not only harmful to you, but also to fish, corals, and other marine life.
Avoid all chemical sunscreens; choose non-nano, mineral-based sunscreens.
Beware the label “reef safe” or “reef friendly” since these terms are not regulated.
Stick with lotions; avoid sprays or misting sunscreens.
Encourage local stores to stop selling harmful sunscreens.
Environmental Working Group: Your guide to sunscreens
Surfrider: Your Guide to Reef-Friendly Sunscreens
