The Marine Stewardship Council''s (MSC) CEO has called for an acceleration of the uptake of sustainable fisheries management globally in response to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
According to 'The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2020' (SOFIA) total fish production is set to increase to 204m tonnes in 2030, up 15% from 2018, with aquaculture's share growing from its current 46%.
However, the report noted growing evidence that while effective fisheries management results in robust or rebuilding of fish stocks, failure to implement these measures threaten their contributions to food security and livelihoods. The underlying reasons for sustainability failures are complex and need tailored solutions.
MSC chief executive, Rupert Howes, said: “The world’s appetite for seafood is greater than ever. But if we are to continue to meet future demands, we must accelerate the uptake of sustainable fisheries management globally.
“Over a third of fisheries (34.2%) are operating at unsustainable levels, with this trend continuing to worsen slightly. But there are encouraging signs. For species where effective management has been implemented, such as Skipjack tuna, Alaska pollock and Atlantic cod, there have been improvements in stock recovery."
He added: “We know what works: establishing science-based management regimes, ending harmful subsidies, effective harvest control rules and clamping down on illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.
Some 34.2% of fish stocks are now fished at biologically unsustainable levels, according to SOFIA's benchmark analysis. This figure is not globally improving, although 78.7% of all fish landed come from biologically sustainable stocks. Furthermore, sustainability trends for many major species are improving.
