Saving Seafood

Study identifies major barriers to financing a sustainable ocean economy

June 9, 2021 — Financing a sustainable global ocean economy may require a Paris Agreement-type effort, according to a new report from an international team of researchers led by the University of British Columbia.

That’s because a significant increase in sustainable ocean finance will be required to ensure a sustainable ocean economy that benefits society and businesses in both developing and developed countries.

The report, published today—on World Ocean Day—identifies major barriers to financing such a sustainable ocean economy. This includes all ocean-based industries, like seafood production, shipping and renewable energy, and ecosystem goods and services, such as climate regulation and coastal protection.

“The size of the ocean economy was estimated at around $1.5 trillion in 2010, and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, was projected to increase to $3 trillion in 2030,” said lead author Dr. Rashid Sumaila, a professor at UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and Canada Research Chair in Interdisciplinary Ocean and Fisheries Economics.

Read the full story at PHYS.org

Global Tuna Alliance Joins GSSI

May 25, 2021 — The following was released by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative:

The Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative is pleased to announce Global Tuna Alliance has joined GSSI as an Affiliated Partner.

The Global Tuna Alliance is an independent group of retailers and tuna supply chain companies, who are committed to realising harvest strategies for tuna fisheries, avoidance of IUU products, improved traceability as well as environmental sustainability, and progressing work on human rights in tuna fisheries and to implementing the objectives laid out in the World Economic Forum’s Tuna 2020 Traceability Declaration.

“The Global Tuna Alliance is excited to become an affiliated partner of GSSI. We are already aligned through our 5-year strategy; GTA Partners are publicly committing to sourcing 100% of tuna products from fisheries with a GSSI-recognized certification, or on a pathway to sustainability. Both organisations have a shared ambition of seeing comprehensive harvest strategies adopted, and we look forward to GSSI Partners supporting our advocacy around this goal for tuna fisheries,” said Dr Tom Pickerell, Executive Director of the Global Tuna Alliance.

Read the full release here

NOAA Fisheries Releases Key Reports: Status of Stocks 2020 and Fisheries of the United States 2019

May 21, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries announced the release of two new reports: the Annual Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisheries and the 2019 Fisheries of the United States Report. These reports highlight the continued rebuilding and recovery of U.S. fisheries and the broad economic impact of commercial and recreational fisheries on the U.S. economy.

Annual Report to Congress on the Status of U.S. Fisheries

Sustainable U.S. fisheries play an important role in the nation’s economy. They provide opportunities for commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishing, and sustainable seafood for consumers. This annual report provides a “snapshot” in time of the status of U.S. fisheries at the end of 2020.

NOAA Fisheries’ 2020 Status of Stocks shows continued progress in science and management for U.S. fisheries. Key takeaways include:

  • More than 90 percent of stocks are not subject to overfishing and 80 percent not overfished.
  • The number of stocks on the overfishing list and the overfished list increased slightly, with 26 stocks on the overfishing list and 49 stocks on the overfished list.
  • The status of six previously unknown stocks was determined through new first-time stock assessments.

By ending overfishing and rebuilding stocks, we are strengthening the value of U.S. fisheries to the economy, our communities, and marine ecosystems.

Fisheries of the United States 2019

Fisheries of the United States is a yearbook of fisheries statistics for the nation. It provides data on commercial landings and value and recreational catch. It also includes data on the fish processing industry, aquaculture production, imports and exports, and per capita seafood consumption. Although dollar values are included, this report does not focus on economic analysis. According to the report, U.S. commercial fishermen landed 9.3 billion pounds of seafood valued at $5.5 billion in 2019.

The continued, steady high landings and values of U.S. fisheries we’ve seen over the last five years points to the collective progress that our agency, the eight regional fishery management councils, and our stakeholders are making as we work to ensure the sustainability and economic stability of our nation’s fisheries.

Key takeaways include:

  • U.S. commercial fishermen landed 9.3 billion pounds valued at $5.5 billion in 2019
  • Strong landings of 3.4 billion pounds for the nation’s largest commercial fishery, walleye pollock, valued at $387.6 million
  • Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and New Bedford, Massachusetts, continue to dominate the list of top ports driven by landings of pollock for Alaska and value of sea scallops in Massachusetts
  • U.S. marine aquaculture production value was estimated at $430 million; oysters, clams, and salmon generated the highest values
  • U.S. recreational anglers took over 187 million trips in 2019

Read the 2019 Fisheries of the United States Report

Global Salmon Initiative publishes annual sustainability report

May 20, 2021 — The Global Salmon Initiative has published its annual sustainability report and launched a resource hub designed to offer data and materials to document the impact the organization is having upon the industry.

GSI was created in 2013 as a collaborative effort by many of the world’s largest farmed salmon producers to push for collective efforts on sustainability initiatives. The group, which now includes 13 companies comprising 40 percent of the world’s total salmon production, has established goals including minimizing its environmental footprint and continuing to improve its social contributions.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

World Food Prize granted for research on nutritional importance of seafood

May 13, 2021 — Dr. Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, the global lead for nutrition and public health at WorldFish, has been named the 2021 World Food Prize Laureate for her research into developing nutrition-sensitive approaches to aquatic food systems, including fisheries and aquaculture, and integrated food production from land and water.

Sometimes referred to as “the Nobel Prize for food and agriculture,” Thilsted’s research has been praised by the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and represents the first time a woman of Asian heritage has been awarded the prize. Her research delved into the nutritional composition of small native fish species that are typically consumed in Bangladesh and Cambodia.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Thai Union joins Ocean Disclosure Project

May 4, 2021 — Thai Union has announced its participation in the Ocean Disclosure Project, a global initiative where seafood businesses publicly share details on the sourcing of their seafood.

In a statement, Thai Union said its involvement is part of its efforts to realize its global sustainability strategy, SeaChange, as well as traceability and transparency commitments in its business operations.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

MSC grants awarded to boost fisheries management efforts

April 30, 2021 — Global efforts to improve the management of fisheries through efficient collection and utilization of high-quality data have received a boost with a GBP 650,000 (USD 907,834 EUR 753,562) grant from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

The MSC grant, channeled via the Ocean Stewardship Fund, will help strengthen the at-sea fishery observer safety initiative, reduce unwanted bycatch, and improve fisheries’ harvest strategies and the sustainability of bait fishing, according to a statement by the Council.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

StarKist says all its salmon and tuna now sustainably-sourced

April 26, 2021 — Starkist is now sourcing all of its tuna and salmon from sustainable sources.

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.-based company is now sourcing 100 percent of its tuna and salmon from suppliers that meet the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard for sustainable fishing or are working toward certification, including those participating in a comprehensive fishery improvement project (FIP), the tuna supplier said in a press release.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

MSC Announces £650,000 in Grants for Fishery Observer Safety and Bycatch Improvement Projects

April 21, 2021 — The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced 20 fisheries and research projects will receive up to £60,000 through its Ocean Stewardship Fund, a fund dedicated to sustainable fishing across the globe.

The awards include grants to the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), WWF India and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) as well as to fisheries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia, the MSC said. A quarter of the funding will focus on Global South fisheries.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Seaspiracy’s lasting impact on sustainable seafood businesses

April 21, 2021 — With each passing day, Seaspiracy becomes increasingly irrelevant, buried in the never-ending content cue of the world’s largest streaming platform. The last month has been full of fact checks, flame wars, and funding accusations. Though it brought out the worst of everyone on social media, it brought the marine science and stakeholder community together. There is a clear consensus that the film was awful. Even Ray Hilborn and Daniel Pauly agree!

I sneer at the filmmaker’s silly “fact page,” a regurgitation of each false claim in the film listed in chronological order.  But I acknowledge—the joke’s on us. The filmmakers had no intention of presenting facts or having an honest discussion about ocean health; they sought to create a piece of horror entertainment by slandering the seafood industry. And they succeeded. For those of us in the sustainable seafood world, the cut is deep and unlikely to heal soon.

Sustainable seafood businesses didn’t deserve this. Those referring to the best available science, making public sourcing policies, exercising due diligence in their supply chains, and seeking certifications are disproportionately impacted. The film concluded that there is no such thing as sustainable seafood, making liars and cheats of those seeking it. A seafood company that makes no sustainability claims is now less likely to receive negative feedback than one that does.

Herein lies the most disgusting part of this film: it disincentivizes sustainability. Sustainable seafood products are often more expensive than unsustainable alternatives, and studies suggest consumers are not willing to pay a premium for environmentally sustainable seafood. Attempting to source seafood sustainably costs time, money, and perseverance. Like brushing your teeth, you can’t just do it once and be considered clean. A diligent seafood sustainability program requires regular re-assessments and constant attention, or else plaque will accumulate. Commitment to sustainability prohibits a fisherman from fishing in a marine protected area even though it might be full of valuable fish; it stops a chef from putting a popular item back on the menu; it requires a mid-size grocery store chain to invest valuable resources into a seafood certification program each year.

Read the full story at Sustainable Fisheries UW