Improving a Newfoundland cod fishery through a 'Fisheries Improvement Project'

摘要

Across the world's fisheries, 85％ have already been pushed to or beyond their exploitation limits while dependence on seafood remains high and continues to increase. Around 3.5 billion people depend on the ocean for their primary source of food. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) seeks reduction of the fishing footprint worldwide through initiatives such as encouraging fisheries to meet international sustainability standards through credible third-party assessment schemes, such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Yet, to date, only 7％ of fisheries worldwide are MSC certified or are under assessment, and only 8％ have been identified as potentially certifiable in the short term. Thus, by far, the largest portion of the world's fisheries and their management is in need of large-scale improvement. WWF supports fisheries improvement projects (FIPs) to enable fisheries to reach the sustainability standards set by the MSC. FIPs are changing the way that buyers committed to sourcing sustainable seafood engage with problematic fisheries, enabling them to incentivize improvement rather than discontinue purchasing.