80% of the world’s fish stocks are overfished or fished to their limit.
Peak Fish was reached in the late 1980s and there has been precipitous decline since.
90% of the big predatory species are gone (bluefin tuna swordfish sharks).
Australia is at 31 out of 53 for sustainability on the list of fishing nations. Not good. We are exploiting vulnerable or overfished species such as southern bluefin tuna orange roughy gemfish and shark.
We are “clear-felling” the oceans as if there were no tomorrow. We are kidding ourselves.
This is about our habits and tastes. The fish are going extinct because we (you and I) are eating them all up.
It is important to know where fish comes from.
Question: What species is the fish you are eating?
Question: Is it a species which is overfished and vulnerable?
Question: How was it caught? Is it wild or caged?
Question: Where can we find independent information on fish stocks?
Most sustainable fish tend to be smaller faster-growing species and they’re often the most local produce. Squid herring whiting mudcrab mussels. [We need a lot more information about local South-East Queensland species to know which are sustainable and which are being overfished.]
The Australian Marine Conservation Society has launched Australia’s Sustainable Seafood Guide.