We all have enough anxieties in our lives now, and buying or ordering a piece of fish shouldn’t be one of them. While the oceans present us with a variety of delicacies, there are many challenges facing the seafood industry—overfishing, overconsumption, pollution and environmentally destructive fishing methods.

Oftentimes consumers and home cooks want to do the right thing, but do not know how. How can we make sustainable seafood choices? How do we know what species to eat and those that we should avoid? How do we know where the fish we buy comes from? How do we determine the fish and crustaceans that are seasonal and those that are available year round?

I get these questions from students in my cooking classes as well as from friends. So, what’s a fish lover to eat? There are many excellent sustainable resources to help you in your seafood purchases and education. These are my favorites:

• MontereyBay Aquarium
  One of the best known and most comprehensive is the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, a program designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources. You can view or download pocket guides for different regions of the United States to help you choose ocean-friendly options wherever you live or travel. The just-released iPhone version of the guides allows consumers to make informed decisions when eating in a restaurant or shopping for dinner. www.mbayaq.org
• The Institute for Fisheries Resources 
  Within California, you can learn where you can get not only local seafood in your area but what your local season is. Each California region indicates availability off the boat, at farmers markets and from those restaurants that buy directly from local fisherpersons. www.ifrfish.org
• The International Seafood Guide
  This summary of seafood guides provides the best available advice on ecologically sustainable seafood by name, country, continent, or guide—a great tool for travelers! www.incofish.org/isfg.php

Fresh seafood makes for quick and easy meal preparations. A favorite at this time of the year is Dungeness crab, an eco-friendly crustacean. Here in Northern California, the Dungeness crab season began in mid-November and runs through June. Caught with environmentally responsible crab pots, California squid, razor clams, mackerel and sardines are used as bait.

Served hot or chilled, Dungeness crab has a sweet flavor and flaky texture that lends itself to a wide variety of dishes, from the simple to the elegant. Its moist meat is as versatile as it is delicious. It complements pasta, pastry, sauces and salads, but more often than not is enjoyed right out of the shell especially at the all-you-can-eat crab feeds held across Northern California.

This salad makes a satisfying and quick meal. The Louie dressing, which is simple to prepare, is the perfect accompaniment to fresh, sweet-tasting crabmeat. A freshly baked loaf of sourdough bread and a lighter, unoaked chardonnay are the perfect accompaniments!

Enjoy!