>>>  YOU HAVE HEARD AND PERHAPS  TRY TO PLANT BASED MEATS,   POPULAR ALTERNATIVES TO THE   REAL DEAL THAT TASTE LIKE MEAT  BUT ARE MADE OF INGREDIENTS   LIKE SOY, BUT WHAT ABOUT  FAKE   FISH?
THERE IS A SUSTAINABLE  OPTION  TO SEAFOOD.
THIS  MONTH  IS DEDICATED TO  RAISING   AWARENESS TO THE DANGERS THAT   ARE FACING THE OCEAN.
AMANDA   VINICKY  IS DIVING IN.
>> Reporter: THE WORLD'S OCEAN    AND MARINE LIFE ARE UNDER   THREAT.
WARMING TEMPERATURES  DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE,   POLLUTION, AND OVERFISHING.
>>  I READ A STAT FROM THE 2020  REPORT THAT SAID 35% OF OUR  FISHERIES ARE OVEREXPLOITED AND  THAT IS UP FROM 10%  IN 1990,   SO IT IS LIKE THIS REALLY   EXPONENTIAL IMPACT.
>> THEY ARE SCOOPING UP THE   BOTTOM OF THE OCEANS TO CATCH   WHENEVER AND THEN YOU RUN INTO    TURTLES AND DOLPHINS.
>> Reporter: BRITNEY WITNESSED   THE DAMAGE FIRSTHAND  WHEN   DIVING THE GREAT BARRIER REEF.
>>  WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT   CORAL BLEACHING, I CANNOT WRAP   MY HEAD AROUND WHAT THAT MEANT.
IT WAS TRULY A SKELETON, RIGHT?
CORAL SKELETONS  IN THE OCEAN.
WITHOUT THE CORAL, THE FISH ARE  THERE TO FEED ON IT  AND IT   CREATES THIS TERRIBLE DOMINO  EFFECT AND KILLS OFF THE   ECOSYSTEM.
>> Reporter: SHE TEAMED UP ON A  STARTUP DEDICATED TO TACKLING  THE ISSUE OF OVERFISHING.
THEY   MET YEARS BEFORE AT A   NETWORKING EVENT  FOR FOOD  ENTREPRENEURS AND AT THE TIME  THEY WERE RUNNING HEALTH-FOOD   COMPANIES.
IN EARLY 2020,   PALERMO GOT THE IDEA .
>>  WE ARE TRYING TO SEE IF   OVERFISHING OF THE OCEANS AND    CLIMATE CHANGE -- WE ARE   RUNNING OUT OF FISH IN THE SEA   AND THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE WE   HAVE OUR ALTERNATIVE SEAFOODS.
PEOPLE KEEP  EATING FISH AT THE  RATE THEY ARE, THERE WILL NOT  BE ANY LEFT.
>> Reporter: THEIR COMPANY IS   SERVING UP  A SOLUTION.
>> LET'S START OFF WITH  OUR   SUSHI.
>> Reporter: THIS SUSHI IS MADE  OF FUNGUS THAT LOOKS LIKE FISH.
PALERMO  IS TIGHTLIPPED ABOUT   HOW THEY MAKE THEIR VERSION OF  TUNA, SCALLOPS, AND SHRIMP .
>>  WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.
THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT   THERE RIGHT NOW TRYING TO MIMIC  OUR PRODUCT AND OUR TECHNOLOGY.
>> Reporter:  THE FISH IS MADE   OF A MUSHROOM ROUTE  THAT IS   FERMENTED AND MANIPULATED .
>> THE GREAT THING ABOUT THIS  PRODUCT AND HOW WE GROW IT, IT   IS VERY,  VERY CLOSELY   RESEMBLING SEAFOOD TO BEGIN   WITH AND WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO  IS THEN  GO THROUGH THE GROWTH   PROCESS AND TECHNOLOGY AND THE  ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND   NUTRITION THAT WE FEED OUR  MICROORGANISMS, OUR MUSHROOMS.
IT DEVELOPS AND GROWS, SO WE   CAN CHANGE THE TEXTURE OF THE  PRODUCT.
>> Reporter: THEY ARE MINDFUL   THE PRODUCT DOESN'T GET TOO   FISHY, AS IN NO LAUNDRY LIST OF  HARD TO PRONOUNCE INGREDIENTS .
>> OUR PRODUCT IS TWO    INGREDIENTS.
WE CAN ADD  COLOR   AND FLAVOR AND CREATE    DIFFERENT SPECIES WE WANT TO  REPLICATE.
WE WANT TO BE A 1   -1 REPLACEMENT  TO SEAFOOD .
TASTE, TEXTURE, NUTRITION    SHOULD BE EXACTLY THE SAME.
>> Reporter: WITH  SOME   EXCEPTION.
THEY WANT IT TO BE   MORE AFFORDABLE AND TO LAST   LONGER, UP TO FOUR WEEKS.
TAKING THAT HAPPEN IS  BOO THE  PRODUCT  DEVELOPER DEVON .
>>  I WORK ON THE COLOR, ON    THE MARINATION DEVELOPMENT.
>> Reporter: AND TASTE.
UNLIKE  TRADITIONAL SEAFOOD, THERE IS   NO HAZARD OF MERCURY OR OTHER  CONTAMINANTS.
>> WHAT ARE THE OTHER PERKS ?
>> THOSE OF US THAT ARE  PREGNANT AND CAN'T HAVE SUSHI,  WELL, HERE IS A VIABLE   ALTERNATIVE.
ANYBODY WHO HAS  ALLERGIES TO SEAFOOD OR  CRUSTACEANS , NOT AN ISSUE   HERE.
>> Reporter:  THEY CAN'T SAY  WHEN THE PUBLIC WILL GET TO   TRY, JUST THEY PLAN TO TEST IN   RESTAURANTS SOON.
IN THE   MEANTIME, THEY HAVE ADVICE ON   HOW TO COMBAT  OVERFISHING.
>> SALMON,  TUNA, AND FISH ARE   THE MOST POPULAR  ITEMS IN THE  UNITED STATES.
IF WE CONTINUE  TO EAT THOSE, WE WILL PUT   PRESSURE ON THOSE WILD   POPULATIONS.
PEOPLE COULD THINK  ABOUT DIVERSIFYING THEIR   SEAFOOD DIET OR LOOKING AT   LOCAL FISH RESOURCES  --   >> Reporter: SHE MEANS TROUT    OR WHITE FISH, NOT  AQUA   CULTURED FISH .
AT LEAST NOT  YET.
FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT, I AM    AMANDA VINICKY.
>> IF YOU WANT TO BE CONSCIOUS   ABOUT YOUR SEAFOOD CONSUMPTION,  WE HAVE SOME OTHER TIPS.
LOOK   FOR GROCERS AND RESTAURANTS  THAT  CAN PROVE THAT THE FISH   THEY SELL IS SUSTAINABLY RAISED  .
CHECK THE GREEN LIGHT ON WHAT  IS SAFEST.
THE SHED HAS A LIST   OF LOCAL RESTAURANTS  COMMITTED  TO HEALTHY RIVERS, LAKES, AND   OCEANS.
FARM RAISED FISH ARE