June 4, 2018 — The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership released its Target 75 (T75) Reduction Fisheries Update on 31 May, and it indicates that the key to reaching the organization’s sustainability goals lie in increased engagement in Southeast Asia.
The report outlines the various reduction fisheries and separates the global fishery into two distinct categories: Atlantic/Pacific reduction fisheries and Asian reduction fisheries. The Atlantic/Pacific primarily utilizes small pelagic species like anchoveta, sandeel, and sardine, as well as blue whiting, Antartic krill, and crustacean. The Asian reduction fishery includes trawl fisheries of a large variety of species.
“The rationale for splitting the global sector into two sub-sectors is that almost all Atlantic/Pacific reduction fisheries are for small pelagics, and are quite similar in terms of trophic level, gear, ecology and management, as well as engagement in FIPs,” the report said. “In contrast, the levels of FIP engagement in Asia are much lower, and only 50 percent of Asian sourcing comes from small pelagic fisheries, while the remainder comes from multispecies trawl fisheries (sometimes described as ‘Trash Fish’), which face fisheries management and sustainability challenges that are unique among sources of fishmeal and fish oil.”
According to the report, roughly 41 percent of reduction fisheries can meet the T75 goal, i.e. having either certifications or a FIP that indicates the fishery is moving towards sustainability. Of the sustainable fisheries, 99 percent are located in the Atlantic/Pacific fishery sub-sector.