>>> 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