It’s hard to know how many fish there are in the sea. Experts give vastly different figures, but agree fish stocks are in a bad way.

Tuna farming is one way demad may be meet, but it’s a drop in the ocean right now – demand too high v supply.

It’s hard to know how many fish there are in the sea. You tried counting them? Experts give vastly different figures, but agree fish stocks are in a bad way.  The Australian Conservation Foundation say 28% of the world’s fisheries are overfished, The United Nations FAO claim it’s closer to 75%. What is clear is that if we continue unsustainable commercial fishing practises the ocean’s will be completely fished out at some stage in the future. Possibly in the next 38 years according to one report.

When you add the dual pressures of population growth and an increasing demand for seafood in the existing population, it’s clear we have a fight on our hands if we want to be eating seafood in the future. Or enjoying oceans that have lifeforms other than blue bottles.

Protecting marine life is about more than species conservation or our own dietry preferences – it’s about dollars and sense. The ACF give this example: “When the cod fishery collapsed around Newfoundland and Nova Scotia in 1992, more than 40,000 people lost their jobs and the Canadian government had to provide close to two billion dollars in community support to hundreds of devastated coastal communities.”

I’d reckon at least some of those fishermen fought tooth and nail for the right to fish themselves out of a job, the codfish out of existense and their countrymen out of two billion dollars.

What can you do about the world’s declining fish stocks? Support marine reserves would be one thing. Be knowledgeable about what seafood you eat is another. The ACF have developed a sustainable seafood guide which grades seafood in an easy to follow traffic light system (green means go, red means stop).

If your main seafood intact comes from canned tuna you’ll benefit from a recent Greenpeace investigation which grades popular tinned tuna brands by their sustainable fishing codes (or lack thereof). Greenseas tops the list, John West rates poorly and Sirena is deemed worst. (see greenpeace.org)

Pic: Fishing beyond your needs means we can’t show your face.

By Kirk Owers