Sustainable fishing
Sustainable fishing means that the fishing methods used and their methods of application are sustainable and do not reduce the reproductive capacity of the target fish species (no overfishing ), that the ecosystem (e.g. the seabed) is not damaged and the proportion of unwanted bycatch is largely minimized. Sustainable fish products can come from sea fishing , inland fishing , angling and aquaculture .
General
Overfishing , illegal fishing and excessively high bycatch rates have already decimated numerous fish species in the world's oceans, threatening their survival, or bringing them to the verge of extinction.
Especially fish species that reproduce very slowly such as B. sharks , swordfish or the larger tuna species can quickly be endangered by overfishing. However, some of the most overfished edible fish species worldwide also include species such as cod . Fish species that grow quickly, that reproduce comparatively early and that have no special spawning grounds, such as sardines , herring or skipjack tuna , are more resistant.
The breeding of fish in fish farms can with harmful consequences be connected to the ecosystem. In the case of certain species, such as the yellowfin tuna , aquaculture also has a direct impact on the population of the species, since the fish are not bred in the facilities, but are caught wild as young fish and are only fattened in the net cages until they are ready for slaughter. In addition, fish farms in which predatory fish are bred or fattened can have negative effects on the stocks of feed fish species, which in turn are taken from the wild.
Various fisheries and parts of the fish processing industry as well as more and more consumers see sustainable fisheries and aquaculture as a way out of the global fisheries crisis.
Sustainable fishing terms
| B 0 | Unexploited stock size - biomass that the stock would have without fishing |
| B MEY = 2/3 B 0 | Maximum economic yield - stock can presumably fulfill its natural role in the ecosystem ( MEY , maximum economic yield ) |
| B MSY = 0.5 B 0 | Maximum sustainable yield - further increased fishing will result in smaller stocks and lower catch quotas ( MSY , maximum sustainable yield ) |
| B pa = 30% of B 0 | Precautionary lower biomass limit - stock size below which the reproductive capacity could be restricted |
| L opt | Size of the individuals in an unfished fish year that has reached its maximum biomass |
| L M | Average age and height at the time of sexual maturity |
| L opt = 2/3 | Age from which the individual growth rate and the unfished biomass of a vintage reach their maximum |
| TAC | Maximum allowed (eng. Catch total allowable catch ) |
Ecolabel and certification organizations
Marine Stewardship Council
Currently the largest certification organization is the independent, non-profit Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). In 2015 there were more than 20,000 MSC certified fish products sold in 82 countries. Around 10% of global fish and seafood catches came from MSC certified fisheries in 2015. Fisheries recognized as sustainable by the MSC have been awarded the MSC blue eco-label.
The MSC uses three criteria to assess the sustainability of a fishery:
- The state of the fish stocks (is there enough fish for sustainable fishing).
- The impact of fishing on the marine environment (e.g. how does fishing affect seabirds).
- The fisheries management systems (the implemented rules and procedures, as well as the way they are implemented, ensure sustainable fishing and minimal damage to the marine environment).
Various environmental organizations such as B. Greenpeace criticize the MSC label because MSC-certified products come from overfished stocks or are fished using destructive bottom trawling and fisheries that do not act sustainably can receive the label.
Friend of the Sea
Friend of the Sea (short FOS , dt. Friend of the Sea is) a program for promotion and certification of environmentally friendly fisheries and aquaculture and an eponymous eco-label . The program was founded by the US Earth Island Institute (EII). Fisheries recognized by Friend of the Sea are limited to catching species that are not overfished, fishing methods must not affect the seabed and the bycatch rate must be less than 8% of total catches.
FOS-certified fish farms must not have any negative effects on the environment, the feed may only contain fish components from filleting waste or from a fishery certified by FOS, genetically modified organisms, chemicals and anti-corrosion paints may not be used. The escape of the farmed fish must be prevented as well as the penetration of other animals into the farm. The emissions from the breeding farm must be limited and controlled.
The certification process of a fishery or aquaculture is carried out according to the data and guidelines of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the various fisheries commissions. The red FOS label is awarded to a product from a fishing region. All products bearing the FOS label are listed on the FOS website.
FOS provides fisheries and traders with a CO 2 calculator , the Seafood Carbon Footprint Calculator (SCFC) , which can be used to calculate the CO 2 balance , i.e. the amount of CO 2 emissions resulting from the production of one kilogram of fish Distance from the catch to the supermarket, can calculate. The aim is to assess the climate impact of fishing and the global trade in fish.
SAFE
SAFE is a control program for dolphin-safe caught tuna by the US Earth Island Institute (EII) and an eco-label of the same name . In Germany, the Society for the Rescue of Dolphins implements the program and checks importers and dealers.
It is primarily a dolphin protection program that aims to prevent the wanted and unwanted by-catch of marine mammals when fishing for canned tuna products. However, fisheries certified by SAFE must implement measures to reduce bycatch for sea turtles, sharks and other non-target fish species such as swordfish or spearfish ; they should refrain from catching juvenile tuna and release them again, like all other bycatch species. However, the program does not exclude unwanted by-catches and catches from overfished tuna stocks.
SAFE is certified according to ISO-9001 and ISO 14001 and has 12 inspectors in action worldwide, who inspect almost 400 tuna producers in 52 countries. About 90 percent of the world's canned tuna trade is affiliated with SAFE. Recognized products receive the SAFE environmental seal.
Organic aquaculture
In addition to FOS, there are various programs such as Naturland or regional producers such as organic salmon farms from Ireland and Scotland who offer fish products from sustainable and ecological production and label them accordingly.
Seafood Watch
The Seafood Watch Program , founded by California's Monterey Bay Aquarium , does not award an environmental seal like MSC or FOS. It is a comprehensive information and assessment platform for sustainable fisheries and lists the stock situation of various fish species, crustaceans and other seafood.
Fish guide
Various environmental organizations from home and abroad publish sometimes inconsistent so-called fish guides or fish guides . These usually work according to a traffic light system: green stands for harmless fish products, red for fish species that are not recommended to be consumed for environmental reasons. The most famous fish guides in Germany are developed by Greenpeace and the WWF (who co-founded the MSC organization and is still represented on the board today).
The more detailed fish guides also deal with the fishing method used in a fishing zone for the respective target fish species. So z. B. White tuna can be both harmless (green) when caught with trolls in the Pacific , and unsafe (red) if the catch is from pelagic longline fisheries .
See also
literature
- Peter C. Mayer-Tasch: Sea without fish? Profit and world food. Campus Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2007, ISBN 3-593-38350-0 .
- Hans-Peter Rodenberg, Gudrun Pawelke: See in Not. The greatest source of food on the planet: an inventory. Marebuchverlag, Hamburg 2004, ISBN 3-936384-49-5 .
swell
- ↑ UN warn against overfishing of the seas. Society for the Rescue of the Delphine eV, accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Cod (Gadus morhua). WWF, accessed September 27, 2015 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g Designed for Failure: A Critique of the Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union, April 1, 2010 (PDF, eng.). IFW-Kiel, accessed on September 27, 2015 .
- ↑ Lopt Explanation of terms (English) ( Memento of the original from October 1, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , CFP Reform Watch “Fish should be caught only after they reach their optimal length”, July 19, 2010 (eng.)
- ↑ Marine Stewardship Council (Ed.): From sustainable fishers to seafood lovers - Annual Report 2015-16 . 2016, p. 4, 7 ( msc.org [PDF; 9.7 MB ]). From sustainable fishers to seafood lovers - Annual Report 2015-16 ( Memento of the original from August 24, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Certifications: How credible are the quality seals of fish products? Presentation and evaluation of the seals of approval: “Marine Stewardship Council” (MSC), “Friend of the Sea” (FOTS), “GLOBALG.AP” and “Dolphin Safe”. (PDF; 178 kB) Greenpeace, August 2010, archived from the original on March 17, 2013 ; Retrieved June 29, 2012 .
- ↑ Friend of the Sea website . Retrieved August 24, 2017 .
- ↑ Seafood Carbon Footprint Calculator. Friend of the Sea, November 20, 2007, accessed June 29, 2012 .
- ↑ SAFE - collection of facts. Society for the Rescue of Dolphins, accessed on September 27, 2015 .
- ↑ SAFE - Dolphin-safe tuna. (No longer available online.) Federal Association of Consumer Organizations and Consumer Associations - Bundesverband eV, portal Lebensmittelklarheit.de, archived from the original on August 25, 2013 ; accessed on September 28, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Seafood Watch. Monterey Bay Aquarium. Retrieved September 27, 2015 .
- ↑ Fish guide of the WWF with traffic light system
- ↑ Making smart seafood decisions for today and tomorrow. SeaChoice.org, accessed September 27, 2015 .
