Saving Seafood

Aquaculture Supports a Sustainable Earth

October 1, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The United Nations maintains 17 Sustainable Development Goals that serve as a framework for international cooperation to help people and the planet thrive.

A recent study from the UN shows that aquaculture can improve food security and nutrition by increasing the amount of seafood available for people to eat. If done correctly, aquaculture increases food production, boosts economic growth in coastal and rural areas, and can help keep waterways clean.

Explore how aquaculture fits into the UN’s sustainability goals:

1. Shellfish Beds Help Restore Our Waterways

Shellfish such as oysters, clams, and mussels are not just a beach barbecue staple; they serve an important role in waterways. However, in some areas these shellfish have been largely lost from coastal ecosystems. Restoring and farming shellfish beds allows these bivalves to clean the water as they filter feed, serve as habitats for smaller organisms, and can even help prevent shoreline erosion. Preserving ecosystems, safeguarding biodiversity, and reversing land degradation are significant components of sustainable aquaculture.

Read the full release here

The Marine Stewardship Council reports progress in sustainable fishing but urges that efforts be re-doubled to meet the urgent challenges facing our oceans

October 1, 2020 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The Marine Stewardship Council – an environmental not-for-profit which sets a global standard for sustainable fishing – says there has been encouraging progress in the shift towards sustainably produced seafood, but that momentum has to increase to meet the scale of the challenges facing the oceans.

New figures released by the MSC show that in 2019-2020, fisheries representing more than 17% of the world’s wild marine catch were engaged with its programme,1 whilst the numbers of businesses involved in producing, processing and sourcing MSC-certified seafood continues to rise sharply.2,3

The organisation’s annual report,4 Celebrating and Supporting Sustainable Fisheries, also details that: 

  • Catch from fisheries engaged in the programme has reached 14.7 million tonnes, up from 12.2 million tonnes in the previous year.
  • Consumer choice has increased, with double the number of MSC-labelled product lines (18,735) compared to five years ago.
  • Retail sales of MSC-labelled products has passed $10 billion for the first time, highlighting growing consumer demand for sustainable products. 
This progress comes against a backdrop of growing concern about the health of the world’s oceans – with the UN reporting more than one third of stocks are overfished, a trend which continues to worsen.5

However, there is also growing recognition of the importance of sustainable fishing in protecting our oceans. In June this year the Food and Agriculture Organisation reported that sustainable fisheries are more productive and resilient to change,6 while a UN report in September found that sustainable fishing protected ocean biodiversity.7

There are 409 fisheries in the MSC’s programme with an increasing presence in the developing world.  The proportion of catch from fisheries engaged with the MSC programme which came from the Global South rose by nearly a quarter compared to the previous year, to 13%.

Marine Stewardship Council CEO, Rupert Howes, said:

“We are in the middle of a global pandemic which continues to inflict enormous human suffering and grave economic damage. However, the crisis also presents an opportunity to shift our economies to a more sustainable and more equitable footing. Ensuring thriving oceans for future generations is an essential component of this.

“For more than 20 years the MSC has connected fishers, business and consumers who care about the future of our oceans. We cannot afford to slip back – we must increase our efforts to engage more fisheries, reach new markets and drive further improvements through the leadership of our partners whose success we celebrate. Let us use this opportunity to redouble efforts to conserve our oceans for future generations.”

Nine Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Aquaculture

September 24, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

1. It’s Not Just for Fish

Many aquaculture producers in the United States don’t raise fish, despite the industry’s popular image of fish farming. In fact, oysters were the most commercially valuable domestic farmed marine species in recent years. In 2017, oyster farmers harvested 36 million pounds valued at $186 million. And clams ranked number two in production value in 2012–2017. Other top U.S. marine aquaculture products include mussels, shrimps, and salmon.

In recent years, a growing number of entrepreneurs are also turning to kelp to supply sustainable seafood and coastal jobs.

2. More than Half of the World’s Seafood Comes from Aquaculture

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing forms of food production. Global marine and freshwater aquaculture production rose by 527 percent between 1990 and 2018 according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Although most of that production happens outside the United States, farmed products still make up a large portion of American’s seafood diet. We import more than 85 percent of our seafood, and half of that is from aquaculture. In contrast, U.S. marine and freshwater aquaculture accounts for only a small portion of our domestic seafood supply.

Read the full release here

IFFO’s Johannessen: Use of marine ingredients in aquafeed “will not decline in the foreseeable future”

September 23, 2020 — IFFO, the international trade body that represents the marine ingredients industry, sees a promising future for itself, even with the rise of alternative, plant- and algae-based aquafeed ingredients.

As part of a new campaign to tell its story to a wider audience, the organization recently relaunched its website and initiated a social media campaign, according to IFFO Director General Petter Johannessen.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Aichi progress acknowledges sustainable fishing – and MSC program – helps maintain ocean biodiversity

September 16, 2020 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The UN’s Global Biodiversity Outlook 5 reports on the progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (2010-2020) [1] and outlines seven transitions needed to reach 2030 goals and the agreed vision for 2050: ‘Living in harmony with nature’. The report says that where good fisheries management policies have been introduced – involving stock assessments, catch limits, and enforcement – the abundance of marine fish stocks has been maintained or rebuilt. It also notes that sustainable fisheries are dependent on healthy ocean ecosystems, highlighting growth in fisheries certified to the MSC’s globally recognised standard for sustainable fishing as progress towards achieving the Aichi targets and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 14 “Life Below Water”.

The Marine Stewardship Council’s Chief Science and Standards Officer, Rohan Currey, said:

“The oceans are home to an extraordinary diversity of life and constitute more than 90% of the habitable space on the planet. The loss of species and habitats highlighted in the UN report on biodiversity not only impact the survival of other species, but of humans too – billions of people rely on seafood as their main source of protein.
 
“There is hope. Across the globe, fisheries large and small are demonstrating it is possible to be more productive and profitable by maintaining healthy fish stocks, minimising impacts on marine ecosystems and following good management systems by meeting the criteria we set for sustainable fisheries.
 
“Today, more than 15% of global catch is certified to the MSC Standard, and we have set an ambitious target to have more than a third of landings engaged in the MSC program by 2030. MSC certification recognises fisheries performance consistent with many of the Aichi biodiversity targets and, while progress takes time, there are great examples of progress and innovation.
 
“Making fishing sustainable can be achieved through broad commitments and leadership from organisations across the fishing, retail, government, conservation and science communities. We have already achieved so much together – now is the time to redouble our efforts to end overfishing and its negative impact on biodiversity.”

Deep beneath the high seas, researchers find rich coral oases

September 15, 2020 — Aiming to bolster conservation on the high seas, a team of marine researchers today released the first comprehensive survey of coral reefs in the high seas–the roughly two-thirds of the ocean outside of national jurisdictions.

After combing through more than half a million observations of reef-building corals, the team identified 116 reefs located in the high seas. Most of these corals live between 200 and 1200 meters beneath the surface, the researchers found. But a handful are found more than 2 kilometers deep. And there are likely many more high seas corals still to be found, the authors note, as surveys have typically prioritized corals close to shore.

The study coincides with the launch of the Coral Reefs on the High Seas Coalition, a group of scientists and nonprofits that aims to support research cruises to survey the steep, deep-water slopes where many of the reefs sit. Eventually, the coalition hopes the data will help persuade policymakers to give these poorly understood ecosystems greater protection in global agreements currently under negotiation.

“Some of the first marine protected areas were specifically designed around coral reefs. … So much literature suggests these are the rainforests of the seas,” says co-author Daniel Wagner, the coalition’s coordinator and an ocean technical adviser at Conservation International. The coalition of nonprofits hopes to influence implementation of a United Nations pact, the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, which is expected to set rules for establishing marine preserves on the high seas. (A final meeting of the negotiators set for earlier this year was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Read the full story at Science Magazine

Blue Recovery webinar series seeks to make up for the missed “super year”

September 2, 2020 — This year was supposed to be the “super year” for ocean sustainability, with many major events and gatherings planned to bring momentum and focus to the issue. However, COVID-19 has pushed the pause button for large gatherings and international travel, and has taken attention off of the environment.

In response to the obstacles facing the community of individuals and organizations focused on seafood sustainability issues, virtual meetings are being held to try to maintain the movement toward sustainability.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Ocean Panel identifies organized crime as major threat to marine sustainability

August 19, 2020 — The High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, a consortium of ocean-dependent countries founded in 2018 to initiate action to improve global marine sustainability efforts, has issued a report detailing the threat that organized crime poses to the fisheries sector.

Also known as the Ocean Panel, the consortium consists of Norway, Palau, Australia, Canada, Chile, Fiji, Ghana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Norway, Palau, and Portugal, and is supported by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Researchers make fish feed from food waste

July 29, 2020 — Two major global environmental issues are food contamination and waste disposal. Professor Wong Ming-hung, Advisor (Environmental Science), and Dr. Brian Man Yu-bon, Assistant Professor, at the Department of Science and Environmental Studies at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) have a solution for both.

Contamination and  are particularly relevant to Hong Kong, which ranks second in per capita seafood consumption in Asia and where, in 2018, over 1.5 kg of waste was sent to landfill sites each day. Eating fish and seafood has important health benefits. They are recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as being important for optimal brain and neurodevelopment in children, as well as lowering the risk of coronary heart disease among adults.

However, contamination can bring along health and environmental risks. This doesn’t merely come through polluted seas and rivers: it can also be present in the feed used in fish farms, which provide 47% of the fish on our plates. In response to rising fish feed production costs around the world, farmers look for alternative sources of feeds, such as trash fish, fishmeal, animal and grain by-products. Some also travel further afield to find lower prices, meaning longer transport and storage time. This can result in spoilage, as well as fungal and bacterial contamination. Added to that is mercury pollution, which because of human industrial activity is now 450% higher than natural levels, according to the United Nations Environment Program. The result is greater risk of contaminants causing fish to be poisoned, which can be transmitted to humans.

These factors, along with the equally important aim to help ease pressure on existing landfill sites, have led Professor Wong and Dr. Man to develop a cleaner, cheaper fish feed using food waste. “We started off with fish which were low in the food chain, such as grass carp and gray mullet,” explains Professor Wong. “They have lower nutritional requirements.” Initial work began on pellets for pond fish back in 2009, with funding from Hong Kong’s Environment and Conservation Fund, followed by a grant from the Innovation and Technology Fund in 2015 for pellets for inland fish.

Read the full story at PHYS.org

Huge Chinese illegal fishing operation in North Korean waters uncovered

July 22, 2020 — A new study has uncovered a massive illegal fishing operation conducted by Chinese fishing vessels in North Korean waters.

The study, Illuminating Dark Fishing Fleets in North Korea, found at least 700 vessels of Chinese origin had fished illegally in North Korean waters in 2018, and that more than 900 had done so in 2017 – in violation of United Nations sanctions. It estimated the illegal take of Pacific flying squid from the participating vessels is more than 160,000 metric tons, worth over USD 440 million (EUR 380.2 million) in 2017-2018. The total take is greater than the entire catch of the fishing fleets of Japan and South Korea combined. The study found that such large, unregulated catches are depleting squid stocks in the region, with squid populations plummeting by 80 percent and 82 percent in South Korean and Japanese waters, respectively, since 2003.

Read the full story at Seafood Source