Figures due to be released by the Marine Stewardship Council show that the number of fish and seafood products in the UK certified as ’sustainable’ has increased by 41% since 2010.

What fisheries minister Richard Benyon has described as a ’seismic shift’ in people’s attitudes towards the fish they eat has led to a significant increase in consumer demand for seafood products bearing the MSC logo. This certification ensures that products have come from sustainable fish stocks where fishing rates are controlled below the rate of replenishment so the population is not depleted. This move towards more sustainable fish consumption is welcome as currently, 85% of fish stocks globally are exploited to their maximum capacity or overfished.

Upcoming reforms of the EU common fisheries policy are also hoped to contribute to the protection of dwindling fish populations by changing EU fishing practices.

The European Commission is expected to announce a ban on discards during Wednesday this week as part of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The shake-up brings victory for TV chef, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall who fronted the Big Fish Fight campaign along with a number of other celebrity chefs including Gordon Ramsey, and Heston Blumenthal. The campaign gained over 700,000 signatures of support and was backed by London’s Selfridges in a bid to raise awareness about the increasing decline of ocean fish stocks.

Currently under the CFP, fishermen are forced to throw back millions of tonnes of dead fish, known as discards, into the sea each year in order to meet legal quotas on size and species. The quotas cause up to 80% of catches to be discarded including edible and often endangered species in order to meet the current rules. Such unsustainable practice has been blamed for the severe decline in North Sea fish stocks which have plummeted to less than 10% of post-war levels, driving species such as Cod and Haddock to breaking point.

The reform will see the end of such wasteful methods with the scrapping of discards. The new plans are also expected to adopt a more scientific approach to the management of fish stocks, with the aim to limit catches to a sustainable level by 2015. Following the announcement, MEP’s will have a year to consult on the plans before they become legislation in 2012. The Commission admits that the reform – which is the biggest in 40 years, will mean some job losses. Yet they argue that the cost of no action will be far greater, and state support will be given to those affected.

England’s Biodiversity Strategy is due to be released this month, outlining how England will meet its international environmental commitments. It is expected to detail future plans for the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) across the country in order to meet agreed biodiversity targets.

The new Biodiversity Strategy follows the 2010 Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting held in Nagoya, Japan. At which, the parties agreed on a new international framework – the Strategic Plan, to protect and enhance biodiversity and ecosystems, with deals labeled ‘historic’ by the Natural Environment White Paper.

Japans negotiations also unveiled a new global vision; that ‘by 2050, biodiversity will be valued, conserved, restored and widely used maintaining ecosystem service, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people’. The conference set an additional short term mission target; to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2020. In order to achieve this, parties agreed on 20 ambitious but realistic targets, and 5 strategic goals. These included the sustainable management of all future fish stocks, ensuring biodiversity conservation on land managed for forestry and agriculture, and commitments to restore 15% of degraded ecosystems by 2020.

The Strategic Plan emphasized the need for urgent and appropriate action, effective policy and evidence based decision making, requesting that all member states develop a strategy in line with the plans targets in order to proceed. England’s Biodiversity Strategy is expected this month, followed shortly by those submitted by the devolved administrations.

A panel of scientists has today concluded that the planets oceans are in an even worse state that previously considered, with some referring to the results as “shocking”.

The report, written by experts on coral reefs, fisheries, climate and pollution that form the International Program on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) concludes that ocean life is “at high risk of entering a phase of extinction of marine species unprecedented in human history”. The reason for this decline in marine life is human induced climate change, pollution and over-fishing.

“What we’re seeing at the moment is unprecedented in the fossil record” said Alex Rogers, Scientific Director of the IPSO and Professor of conservation biology at Oxford University. In the past, mass extinctions took place over millions of years, not overnight as often perceived. The rate of decline seen today exceeds the speed at which the previous 5 mass extinctions took place, which some say indicates that we are now moving into a 6th period of mass extinction. The report concludes that is too early to say definitively that this is the case, but warns that current trends indicate that such a situation is likely to occur in the future.

The report presented to government at the UN headquarters in New York later this week during discussions on the reform of ocean governance. The publication will recommend three main changes to marine policy:

1. Making swift reductions in green house gas emissions
2. Reducing the input of pollutants
3. Bringing a stop to exploitative fishing

Pressures to implement action are supported both economically and in terms of human welfare. At present, coral reefs are estimated to be worth millions through tourism and for sea-defense, but 75% are at risk of severe decline. While a huge 70% of the world’s population reply on fish as their main source of protein, yet 50% of fisheries still remain classified as unsustainable in the UK alone.

Report contributor Dan Laffoley, an advisor to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) however remained positive, saying that “unlike previous generations, we know what now needs to happen”.

Aquaculture is the fastest growing food production sector but there is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding it’s environmental impact and how this is likely to change into the future as the sector expands to meet global food demands. A new report published by Conservation International and the WorldFish Centre investigating the aquaculture sector has identified some of the challenges in ensuring that the sector minimises adverse impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services whilst maintaining high growth to respond to global food shortages as population size increases.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation estimate that around 84% of the world’s fish stocks are already over exploited indicating that fisheries will not be able to meet the protein demands of a rapidly growing population. Fish farming is becoming increasingly common (the sector has grown by 8.4% per annum since 1970) particularly in Asia and Africa, and now accounts for around half of all the fish we consume reducing pressure on natural fish stocks.

To identify the main sources of environmental damage in the industry and establish opportunities for increasing sustainability into the future the researchers investigated several different methods of aquaculture, measuring their inputs (fertilizers, energy, land and water) and outputs (carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and phosphorus) and then estimated the impact of the enterprise on ecosystems and biodiversity (acidification, eutrophication, and climate change).

Perhaps unsurprisingly the enterprises producing the largest quantity of fish had the highest environmental impact. The type of fish reared also has implications for the sustainability of the fishery, for example rearing carnivorous fish such as salmon and rearing shrimps and prawns which are highly dependent on temperature control decreases the efficiency of the enterprise and increases emission of nitrogen and green house gases. Seaweeds, oysters and mussels were found to have the lowest environmental impact.

A comparison between sectors was also included in the report, showing that aquaculture has a much smaller demand on fresh water and energy than poultry, pig and cattle farming, and has lower outputs of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus.

By 2030 the sector is expected to double in size, producing 110 million tonnes of fish and seafood and the associated environmental impact is also expected to double. The report makes a series of research and policy recommendations to ensure that the sector is sustainable in the future, whilst simultaneously meeting the global demand for meat.

These include research into innovative methods to increase sustainability and improve efficiency, establishing regional networks to help improve efficiency in developing countries and promote best practice, and a variety of legislative measures to monitor the sector and promote compliance with environmental standards. The report also emphasises the importance of preventing new enterprises from establishing in important carbon sinks such as mangrove swamps

The report suggests that aquaculture may be the best solution to the global demand for meat as requirements for energy water and land are only a fraction of that for pig, cattle and poultry farming. Aquaculture will most likely be able to produce the most meat for the least demand on ecosystems, and the report indicates that fish farming should be promoted in policy to slow expansion of the other meat production sectors.

Sustainable eel fishing may start to increase in the European Union following the development of a new labelling scheme by the Sustainable Eel Group. The group, whose members include scientists, NGOs and policymakers, have developed a new standard (the Sustainable Eel Standard) to identify and promote best practice in the eel fishing industry. The development of the new standard is part of a move in the EU to put pressure on caterers and retailers to purchase eel only when they can be certain that it has been sustainably caught.

Eel populations have declined dramatically since monitoring began. A variety of factors have contributed to this decline including habitat destruction, pollution of waterways, disease, blocking of migratory pathways, and the complexity of the European eel lifecycle. These problems led to the eel being listed as endangered in 2008, after numbers had declined by as much as 90%. The new standard will start to tackle these problems by creating wetland habitats, monitoring water quality, and making alterations to the blocks in migratory pathways to allow eels to pass.

The new standard outlines key actions that the fishery must undertake in order to obtain a green score. These include:
• To achieve 40% escapement of eels, and minimise mortality during fishing
• To be licensed and provide accurate logbook data
• To use only legal gear
• To cause only negligible impacts on bycatch species or rare and protected species
• To cause on negligible impacts on habitats
• To active contribute in research and monitoring
• To develop and implement an eel management plan for restocking, and monitor the success of restocking
The report also contains recommendations for reducing the environmental and ecological impact of cultured eel and recommendations for animal welfare. Although these recommendations will ensure progression towards sustainability in the eel fishing industry the report also recognises that the fishery can not yet be called sustainable, as recovery of the stocks has not been sufficient.

The Sustainable Eel group is working with the Environment Agency to ensure that these recommendations are implemented in line with an EU Eel Management Plan

Spanish officials today seized over £4 million worth of illegally caught fish landed in the Canary Islands. It is thought the move is the start of a new EU scheme to prevent to deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing after new regulations were introduced last year. The fish seized, weighing over 1100 tonnes, were destined for sale in Europe.

Illegal fishing of the coast of West Africa is a serious problem for local people, who rely on fishing for employment and as a source of protein. EU officials estimate that Sierra Leone loses around $29 million per year as a result of illegal fishing. Declines in fish stocks can increase pressure on other natural resources such as bush meat. Environmental Justice Foundation, the organisation to which the illegal fishing was first reported, said that the EU needs to take more responsibility for policing it’s waters. Among the species illegally caught were octopus, squid, sole, shrimp, and grouper some of which are known to be endangered or have depleted stocks.

Three boats involved in the illegal fishing, owned by South Korea, Panama, and China, were apprehended in the port of Las Palmas. Fish were taken from waters off the coast of Sierra Leone which are reserved for use by local fishermen under international fishing agreements. Other allegations were also made against the vessels, including use of child labour, damage to the local fishermen’s equipment, and even assault. EU officials noted that illegal fishing often goes hand in hand with other criminal activities.

This move is the most drastic action the European Union has ever taken on illegal fishing and a second strike is planned for later this year. Europe is currently investigating the activities of over 70 vessels from both member states and other countries. If vessels are found to be involved in illegal fishing they can be banned from landing fish in any European port, excluding them from the world’s biggest market for fish. Europe is also demanding answers from the Panamanian authorities who provided certificates to show that the fish landed were caught within international fishing agreements which protect certain areas for use by local fishermen.

See Fish worth £4m seized in EU crackdown on illegal fishing by Robert Booth for more information.

Half of all fish caught in the North Sea are thrown back dead. This is due to strict fishing quotas set out by the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) that limit the number of fish landed each day. Although these quotas were originally developed with the intention to help conserve fish stocks, they are in fact doing the exact opposite and forcing fishermen to throw back thousands of dead fish, known as discard, every day.

The problem occurs because in a mixed fishery, where species other than the target fish live, non-target species get caught along with the desired catch, and are then later thrown back over-board dead. This is not only a waste of food but has absolutely no benefit to conservation.

In response, the Big Fish Fight kicked off on Channel 4 this month. The campaign aims to lobby change in EU fisheries policy in order to make fishing more sustainable, as well as encourage the public to diversify their eating habits, and increase supermarket sourcing awareness.

The high profile campaign is fronted by celebrity chefs including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal who have been showcasing sustainable seafood recipes to the public. The campaign is also supported by conservation NGO’s such as WWF and the Marine Conservation Society, who are working to develop solutions to help make the CFP work for fish, fishermen and consumers alike.

The Big Fish Fight has already received tremendous public support, with over half a million people signing up in favor of the CFP reform in 2012. To join the fight and find out more sign up at http://www.fishfight.net

A survey of the world’s reefs and sea mounts has revealed that deep-sea trawling is causing widespread destruction of marine habitats. Deep-sea trawlers drag giant nets over the seafloor, destroying habitat over huge areas. Cold water coral reefs in temperate regions are among the most threatened sites; these areas contain pristine habitats with many species which are new to science. Deep-sea reefs are particularly vulnerable to trawling, unlike shallow water reefs which are stronger because they need to withstand wave action.

Bans on deep-sea trawling exist in a number of sites around the world, including the biggest cold-water reef in the world, which is in Norway. However Jason Hall-Spencer, a researcher from Plymouth University involved with the survey, emphasises that more needs to be done. He calls for the establishment of an international network of marine reserves which ban deep-sea trawling.

Source: Guardian, 19th February 2010

New research published in the journal Science shows that efforts made to rebuild depleted fish stocks are worthwhile and can be successful. An international team of researchers evaluated the condition of marine fisheries and the effects of fishing in ten of the world’s largest marine communities. In five of the ten ecosystems they found that fishing levels had been substantially reduced and clear signs of rebuilding could be seen.

Of the ten areas studied, 63% need to be rebuilt. 14% of the assessed stocks had collapsed by 2007, although this varied regionally (60% of the assessed stocks in Eastern Canada, for example, had collapsed).

In Kenya, a successful management strategy, involving co-operating with local communities, restrictions on damaging fishing gear and the introduction of protected areas, has led to an increase in fish stocks, in the size of caught fish and in the income gained from fishing.

The researchers conclude that fish stocks can be rebuilt if strategically placed fishing closures are combined with gear restrictions, ‘ocean zoning’ – separating areas for fisheries and conservation – with catch quotas and local management. They recommend that countries take early action, before overexploitation becomes apparent, and that nations adopt a culturally sensitive approach to rebuilding fish stocks. Closing fisheries will involve short-term losses, in yield and of jobs, and so will have a disproportionate effect on those in the developing world who may rely soley on fishing for protein and for income.

Original research: Worm, B., Hilborn, R., Baum, J. et al. (2009). Rebuilding global fisheries. Science. 325: 578-585.
Source article: Science for Environment Policy, EU