Saving Seafood

MSC Launches Commercial Strategy for Mexico

February 19, 2021 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an independent international non-profit organization that helps protect the oceans around the world, announced that it will increase its presence and activities in Mexico to empower the fishing industry. It will do so with key players of the industry and based on its chain of custody certification along with their “eco-labeling” program of certified products in stores, to help protect the environment and ensure seafood for the current and future generations of the country.

The MSC has shown with success stories around the world that the dilemma between caring for the environment and promoting business development is false. What you have to do is fish in another way. Make a sustainable, certified fishing and bet on a green economic recovery. The value proposition of the organization that makes the above possible consists of aligning the interests of the industry with the care of the environment through a system of certification of good practices and an “eco-label”. This scheme allows the consumer to recognize and reward with their purchase decision those fisheries that make a rational use of fishery resources and that minimize their impact on the ecosystem. Currently 15% of world catches have benefited from the association’s certifications.

Read the full release here

Report finds perceived health benefits driving higher tilapia consumption

February 18, 2021 — An increasing global demand for alternative sources of animal protein and a growing appreciation of the nutritional value of seafood are the two key factors likely to drive higher tilapia consumption globally, according to a report by market analyst Fact.MR.

The report “Tilapia Market, Forecast, Trend, Analysis and Competition Tracking – Global Market Insights 2021 to 2031,” claims there is a global shift toward fish an optimal protein option due to its benefits for human health, which include “strengthening heart and bone health, improving brain functions, and keeping weight in check.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

FAO: COVID-19 likely to bring further disruptions to seafood in 2021

February 16, 2021 — Fisheries and aquaculture sectors globally have been hit hard by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and could face further disruption in this year as lockdowns affect supply and demand, according to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The information paper, “The impact of COVID-19 on fisheries and aquaculture food systems” – which was featured at the 34th session of the FAO’s Committee on Fisheries (COFI) earlier this month – reports fish supply, consumption, and trade revenues are all expected to have declined in 2020 due to containment restrictions, while global aquaculture production is expected to fall by some 1.3 percent; the first drop recorded by the sector in several years.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

New hub to support sustainable small-scale fisheries growth

February 10, 2021 — The global effort to harness the potential of small-scale fisheries to achieve sustainable food systems and eliminate poverty has led to the launch of the Small-Scale Fisheries Resource and Collaboration Hub (SSF Hub) by a global coalition involved in various operations along the entire seafood value chain.

“The SSF Hub is a multilingual, interactive online platform to strengthen small-scale fisheries governance and community development,” according to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), one of the organizations involved in forming the new entity.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

FAO Committee on Fisheries members urged to adopt global transshipment guidelines by 2022

February 10, 2021 — At this month’s meeting of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Committee on Fisheries (COFI), members were urged by sustainability-focused nonprofits to develop global transshipment guidelines, targeting adoption as early as 2022.

The Pew Charitable Trusts Senior Officer for International Fisheries Dawn Borg Constanzi told SeafoodSource she is hopeful the meeting will lead to the development of transshipment guidelines, which will include effective monitoring measures, universal authorization requirements, and information-sharing procedures.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Friend of the Sea calls on COFI to address regulation of sustainable seafood claims

February 9, 2021 — The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations’ Committee on Fisheries (COFI) met this month for its 34th session, covering topics relating to the state of the world’s sustainable fisheries and aquaculture operations.

A subsidiary body of the FAO, COFI is the only inter-governmental forum where FAO members convene to review and consider the global issues and challenges related to fisheries and aquaculture, according to the body’s website. The collective provides periodic global recommendations and policy advice, such as its Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

4 POLICIES TO PROMOTE ‘FISH AS FOOD’ CAN FIGHT WORLD HUNGER

February 5, 2021 — “Fish have been an important source of food for humans for millennia, but seafood production and fisheries management are inexplicably still not viewed as key parts of global policies to fight hunger and promote food security,” says John Virdin, director of the Oceans and Coastal Policy Program at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.

“This needs to change, especially as food systems worldwide face increasing threats from climate change and the global development community falls further behind in meeting its goals.”

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates the number of malnourished people worldwide will increase from 678 million in 2018 to 841 million in 2030 if current trends continue.

Fish, which already account for 17% of the animal protein consumed globally, could help meet this growing need, yet current food policies and funding priorities show little recognition of this, the authors of the new paper in the journal Ambio argue.

Read the full story at Futurity

FAO: Aquaculture and Fisheries Can Expect Further Disruption in 2021 Due to COVID-19

February 4, 2021 — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) latest report has warned that fisheries and aquaculture can expect further disruptions in 2021, as the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to affect supply and demand.

Global aquaculture is expected to fall by 1.3% in the first annual decline for many years, as fish supply, consumption and revenues are all hit by the pandemic.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Platform Launches to Connect Small-scale Fishers From Across the Globe

February 3, 2021 — A number of conservation NGOs and partners launched the Small-Scale Fisheries Resource and Collaboration Hub (SSF), an online platform looking to boost small-scale fisheries governance and community development.

The SSF Hub is launching ahead of the annual U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s Committee on Fisheries meeting. Oceana also explained the Hub is also a response to the FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (or SSF Guidelines) to support the livelihoods of small-scale fishers and fishing communities.

Read the full story at Seafood News

JESSICA HATHAWAY: What you need to know about 30×30

January 29, 2021 — As the Biden administration takes over, I’ve seen quite a bit of hand-wringing among stakeholders in the fishing industry.

Depending on what policies you’re watching closely, that anticipation is coupled with anxiety about what may or may *not* happen next.

While I would never hold my breath for 100 percent buy-in on any policy, I hope we can get a majority speaking in a unified voice around some of the critical pieces of the 30×30 mandates. So here’s my rundown on the key points.

The goal

To commit 30 percent of the nation’s lands and oceans to conservation by 2030, as part of President Biden’s executive order on addressing climate change.

The origin

The way-back machine takes us to a United Nations 2015 Sustainable Development Goal to “conserve at least 10 percent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information.”

The 30×30 language got a jump in 2020 as legislation conceived in California, where it failed to pass. It was dusted off, reformatted and expanded to become part of a suite of sweeping Magnuson-Stevens Act reauthorization proposals and introduced in the House last fall, titled the Oceans-Based Climate Solutions Act of 2020.

Now it has become part of the Biden administration’s new climate proposals issued as executive orders. If you haven’t heard, the new administration is prioritizing environmental justice. (Before you roll your eyes, note this can and is designed to work out for everyone. Read on.)

What this could mean for the fishing industry is exactly what so many stakeholders have been asking for — a seat at the table. The primary strategy for implementation of this policy is community engagement.

Read the full opinion piece at National Fisherman