Careful co-operation between industry and government means Australia is setting the gold standard for seafood sustainability. Thanks to ongoing co-operation between industry and government, Australian seafood stocks are safe for the long term.
Overfishing is a serious global problem – yet Australia continues to lead the world in seafood sustainability.
For the fifth year in a row, no fishery managed by the Commonwealth has been overfished, according to a report released by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resources Economics and Sciences.
Seafood Industry Australia CEO Jane Lovell says this is “great news”.
“Australia’s professional fishers care about the marine environment and we understand the need to protect and ensure the long-term sustainability of fish stocks. The ABARES release echoes just that.
“We all know Australians love to eat Australian seafood … and Australians can be confident their Aussie seafood is exceptionally managed.”
Richard Colbeck, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, adds: “This is no accident – it’s the result of careful, science-based fisheries management and co-operation between the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and the commercial fishing industry.
“It means consumers can be confident their delicious Australian seafood is being sourced from well-managed and sustainable fisheries.”
Lovell says the “fantastic news” continues as the bigeye tuna and swordfish in the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery are now classified as sustainably fished.
It’s a similar success story across the Tasman. Despite seafood being among New Zealand’s top exports, its fisheries management system has been ranked among the best in the world. A report into The Status Of New Zealand’s Fisheries 2017 declared “by far the majority of New Zealand’s fisheries were doing well”.
However, overfishing remains a serious global issue, where, according to the World Wildlife Fund, more than 30 per cent of the world’s fisheries have been pushed beyond their biological limit. Notably, China has exhausted its own domestic supplies. Accounting for nearly half of the world’s fishing activity, China is sending super trawlers around the world to satisfy the appetites of its growing middle class.
In Europe, the EU has pledged to end overfishing by 2020, but problems remain. Currently, the Mediterranean Sea is in the worst state of all of Europe’s seas, with around 90 per cent of the fish stocks overfished.
