Fisheries feed billions, provide millions of jobs, and help sustain cultures across the world. The average person eats about 45 pounds of seafood every year, and in the U.S. alone, the ocean economy supports 2.6 million jobs annually. 

For many Latinos, seafood is more than nutrition; it’s tradition. Our Latin American roots bring a delicious variety of dishes to our tables, from bacalao to ceviche to mofongo con camarones. These dishes aren’t just meals, they’re part of holidays, Lent or Easter traditions, or family gatherings that connect us to heritage and our loved ones. 

Protecting these traditions means protecting the ecosystems that make them possible. That’s why we created Nuestro Mar, Nuestro Futuro: A Sustainable Seafood Guide. Even if you’re not out on the water fishing, your daily habits, such as reducing plastic usage or disposing of waste properly and choosing sustainable seafood, play a major role in supporting healthy fisheries.  

When my co-authors and I started working on this project, we were surprised to find there wasn’t a resource specifically designed for Latino communities. Nothing was both bilingual and culturally relevant, while being easy to understand. 

We wanted to create a guide that anyone could pick up and quickly grasp the key challenges our fisheries face:

• Why the ocean and its species—from tiny phytoplankton to tuna—are key to the balance of life, and
• how our choices can protect these systems for future generations.

Our sustainable seafood guide offers ways to keep enjoying our traditions while becoming ocean guardians and advocates. For example:

• Look for certification labels to make sure your seafood was caught responsibly and without harming fish populations or ecosystems. 
• Eat more bivalves like mussels and oysters, species that are lower on the food chain and require minimal resources to grow. They are also excellent sources of protein and rich in healthy minerals like iron and zinc. 
• If you fish, make sure no gear is left behind. Every year, up to 1 million tons of fishing gear ends up in the ocean. 

As the weather’s getting colder, grab a warm drink, and check out this seafood guide to learn something new! We’ve made it fun, explaining concepts with clear graphics and sharing recipes you can try with your sustainable seafood. Fill out the simple Our Ocean, Our Future pledge at the end and join us in taking care of the ocean, its resources, and our shared future. 

It’s fitting that World Fisheries Day fell on the last day of COP30, where “blue foods” were highlighted as promising low-carbon food sources. Another major outcome from the conference was the launch of the Blue NDC Challenge, encouraging countries to include ocean-based climate solutions—like sustainable fisheries—in their national climate plans.

So while World Fisheries Day may only come once a year, its message—echoed loudly during COP30—deserves our attention every day. Every choice we make, from what seafood we buy to how we talk about ocean health in our communities, helps support fish populations, reduce pollution, and restore our seas.

Sustainable seafood isn’t just about what’s on our plates. It’s about building the healthier, more sustainable future we want for our families and our planet.

By Sofia Barboza
Hispanic Access Foundation Ocean Program Manager