Sustainability today is complicated terrain, as much about business as bycatch, and human rights matter as much as healthy habitats.

Advocates now want you considering issues of labor abuses, the rights of indigenous populations to use traditional fishing practices, the carbon footprint of a salmon fillet relative to a filet mignon, even whether the fishing boats offer free, high-speed Wi-Fi. All of this is certified, rated and labeled by a tapestry of competing and overlapping groups.

For many years, one of the most recognizable guides was Seafood Watch, a program from Monterey Bay Aquarium, a California museum. It used simple green, yellow, and red ratings driven largely to preserve seafood populations.

Today, however, people inside and outside the seafood business say sustainability should also compare seafood with other animal proteins. Barton Seaver, a seafood expert with National Geographic, said seafood often outperforms chicken or beef on key environmental measures.

“The biggest loser here is the American consumer,” said celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern, whose documentary “Hope in the Water” highlighted efforts to make seafood more sustainable.

Several experts say the best simple rule is to buy seafood from trusted sources, especially local products when possible. They say well-regulated industries and large stores often require sustainability standards from their suppliers.