• The Washington Post , Thursday, July 17, 2008 10:15 AM

Whole Foods has issued the first comprehensive set of aquaculture guidelines by a major retailer (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/seafood/aquaculture.html) as demand for seafood grows in the U.S. Supermarkets increasingly rely on the $70 billion worldwide aquaculture industry to meet demand as the supply of wild-caught fish remains limited.

Several groups -- including The World Wildlife Fund, The Global Aquaculture Alliance and the Global Partnership for Good Agriculture Practice -- are establishing aquaculture guidelines. But Whole Foods says it decided to develop its own comprehensive plan two years ago, and it began consulting with environmental groups and scientists and visiting its suppliers' farms. It may modify its guidelines as consensus is reached among advocacy organizations.

Wal-Mart, meanwhile, has established standards for farmed shrimp and certified its factories with the Aquaculture Certification Council. And Wegmans has worked with Environmental Defense Fund on its farmed-shrimp policy to ban antibiotics, avoid damaging sensitive habitats, treat waste water and reduce the use of wild fish to feed shrimp.

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