I have written it so many times I must sound like a broken record. When explaining the way Oceana prefers to communicate I say it, “continues to operate in that gray area between skillfully under informing and blatantly misinforming.” And apparently that goes for its celebrity spokesperson, Ted Danson, too.

In a commentary today, after twice reminding readers he was on the show “Cheers,” Danson claims, “the U.N. reports that 75 percent of seafood species are maxed out or overexploited…” Not true.

While there are certainly some fisheries which need attention to ensure sustainability, the statistics Danson quotes are erroneous. 72 percent of stocks assessed by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report were under, moderately or fully exploited, 19 percent overexploited and 8 percent depleted. But don’t take my word for it or Danson’s-read it for your self on page 30 of the report.

When understanding the status of fish stocks it’s also important to understand the levels of exploitation and perhaps more importantly the definition of the term. The FAO report helps put it into perspective when it writes, “It should be noted that the status of fully exploited is not undesirable provided it is the result of an effective and precautionary management approach.” Again, no need to take my word for it, just turn to page 34 of the report, it’s all right there.