Unsustainable fishing is used to describe the way in which humans are exploiting the world's fish population to the extent that stocks are depleting without sign of recovery. The oceans, seas and coasts are under severe strain; some 250 million people earn their living from fishing, up to 70% of humans rely on fish as their primary source of protein, and more than 90% of our trade is carried by shipping - and yet, less than 1% of the world's seas are protected.
In 1950 18 million tonnes of fish were hauled out of the sea - today it's more like 100 million tonnes. Not only that, but the fish we catch are smaller than they were fifty years ago, which means that fewer of them are able to reach breeding age and so numbers are further depleted.
A Case study:
After years of over-fishing and ignoring warning signs, the world's richest cod fishery in Newfoundland collapsed in 1992. Between 30,000 and 40,000 people lost their jobs overnight and cod populations have still not recovered over a decade book of ra later. North Sea stocks are similarly threatened: WWF estimates that the total volume of cod remaining there would fit into a single North Sea car ferry.
The WWF has provided some other statistics:
- Three-quarters of fish stocks are fished at, or beyond, sustainable limits
- Every year, millions of tonnes of 'bycatch' (unwanted fish trapped in the nets of the 'target' fish such as cod), including 300,000 mammels (dolphins, wales) are caught accidentally
- Some 10% of coral reefs may now be damaged beyond recovery
- In England and Wales, some 75% of our salt marshes - an important home for wildlife, and a useful barrier against severe weather - have bee lost.
So what can we do?
- Marine reserves: these are intended to designate large sea areas where marine life is protected. Approaches to this vary from merely banning commercial fishing or mining, to denying access even to tourists. These zones have often given fish stocks vital breathing space and enabled them to recover to previous levels
- If you're buying fish in supermarkets, look our for a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label. The MSC has developed standards for sustainable well-managed fisheries, so consumers can support good practices
- Be aware about the fish you buy: fish caught locally, from day boats, will generally have bee caught with more sustainable fishing methods and won't have clocked up on transportation miles. Shellfish such as cockles, mussels, whelks, crabs, lobsters and cold-water prawns are all ok to eat, as is mackerel, line-caught sea bass and flounder. If you still crave traditional fish and chips, try going for alternatives to cod and haddock, such as pollack and whiting.
- Fish to avoid: all bigeye and bluefin tuna, most albacore and some yellowfin. Slow-breeding fish like the orange roughy, monkfish, skate and most rays are obviously out because of the time they take to replenish their numbers, along with shark, marlin and swordfish (a popular, but unenvironmentally friendly, holiday choice). Other fish to avoid are cod, haddock, some plaice, tropical prawns, Atlantic salmon, Atlantic halibut, European hake and blue ling.
- Supermarkets: both M&S and Waitrose set high standards for fish farming, pushing industry towards innovative and continuing improvements, but Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco have also developed sustainability standards; just be prepared to check the labels!
This sounds like a lot to take in, but simply to be aware of the issue and perhaps think about reducing the amount of fish you consume in a week is a step in a positive direction. To find out more, the websites listed below have really useful and accessible information.
Useful websites
www.fishonline.org
Run by the Marine Conservation Society, this site gives information on which fish to avoid and which to eat based on the sustainability of stocks
www.msc.org
Encourages sustainable fishing practices through accreditation and labelling of fish
www.soilassociation.org
Organic standards body that has developed criteria for organic farmed fish
