Do You Ask Where Your Fish Comes From?

Waitrose, the UK supermarket, is calling for a sea change on the issue of sustainable fishing with their World Without Fish campaign. New research reveals:

• 72% of people are unaware that some fish are as close to extinction as the white rhino
• Half our cod could be illegall, but 78% of people admit they don’t even try to buy fish from a sustainable source
• However 70% are more likely to make sustainable choices when given the facts

Over half (52%) are unaware that fish stocks could be wiped out completely within this century if we continue as we are. And almost two thirds of people (63%) are unaware of the damaging effect beam trawling can have on the marine environment.

However, the research also reveals that consumers do want to shop ethically. When told just a little about the issues involved, 70% say they are more likely to seek out sustainable seafood. Most people questioned want restaurants (87%) and supermarkets (86%) to buy their fish from sustainable sources. And over half said they would be prepared to pay a little more for seafood if it is sustainably sourced (51%).

A new film ‘The End of the Line‘ opened on World Oceans Day (June 8th). The film, based on the book by former Telegraph Environment Editor Charles Clover, promises to be ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ for the Oceans, drawing much-needed attention to the issue of sustainable fishing. You can watch the trailer below:

The plight of the world’s fish stocks has been described by the film’s makers as “the greatest environmental disaster that people haven’t heard about”. Some scientists warn that seafood resources could face total collapse by 2048 if we continue as we are, taking fish off the menu for good and having a devastating impact on the environment.

Are Grocery Stores Really Emptying The Ocean?

It’s been known for a long time that certain fish species are and have been heavily over-fished. Greenpeace is asking the question to whether your local (US) grocery store is helping to “empty the ocean?“. We have previously written about the trials of being a fish, and the Conserve Our Oceans Legacy campaign, which is along the same lines, but Greenpeace are trying to quantify the impact of grocery stores.

The Greenpeace website has an easy-to-read guide to red listed fish and a comprehensive grocery store report card where you can see how your local supermarket performs. US consumes spend around $16 billion on seafood per year, and half that is in supermarkets. See how your local grocery performs here.

The Trials Of Being A Fish

The Conserve Our Ocean Legacy campaign is a non-profit, campaign that is an effort to build support for ocean and fish protection in America.

To highlight their campaign they have released an online overfishing game “Ocean Survivor“. It’s designed to draw attention to the perils of overfishing and provide people with an opportunity to sign a petition to make a difference.

Pollution, habitat destruction, mismanagement and overfishing have impoverished ocean resources, and have caused more than 90% of the world’s large fish, including tuna, swordfish and marlin to disappear.