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Seafood plays a vital role in the world's food supply. Around 3 billion people, mostly in developing countries, rely on seafood as their primary source of protein, making it a crucial part of their daily diet.
The FAO projects that the total production of aquatic animals will reach 202 million tonnes in 2030, thanks mainly to the sustained growth of aquaculture, expected to reach 106 million tonnes in 2030. On the other hand, capture fisheries production has remained the same for the past 20 years, at around 90 million metric tons. It is expected to increase 6% from 2020 to reach 96 million tonnes in 2030 due to improved resource management, underfished resources, reduced discards, waste and losses.
What are capture fisheries? Removing aquatic organisms from natural or enhanced inland waters.
Seafood plays a vital role in the world's food supply.
Around 3 billion people, mostly in developing countries, rely on seafood as their primary source of protein, making it a crucial part of their daily diet. Add to that the love for sushi and dipping shrimp in a cocktail sauce of developed countries, and it is no wonder the world's oceans and waterbodies are running short to meet our growing appetite.
The exploitation of our oceans has led to a decline in fish stocks. According to the FAO, in 2022, more than 90% of marine fish stocks are overexploited or maximally sustainably fished. This is threatening the entire marine ecosystem's fragile balance and the food security of coastal developing countries.
If aquaculture seems to be a solution to reduce the pressure on wild resources, this is not entirely true, and it has its fair share of challenges. Farming fish requires the production of feed high in marine content provided by fishmeal and fish oil from reduction fisheries; feed also contains soy which can contribute to deforestation and conversion of precious ecosystems. Farming installation and processes could also be linked to the destruction and pollution of natural habitats and forced labour issues.
To do so, we are working with French retailers to trace the fish in their products back to its source. Two years ago, we began this journey by studying the global list of fish and identifying which species pose the highest risk in term of stock depletion, environmental impact and social issues. We identified tuna, salmon and shrimp as key species.
The first core issues we aim to tackle with retailers are a lack of transparency in seafood supply lines, combined with the shortage of commitment to bring about sustainable change from key players in the market. So, we carried out a fish footprint showing the main species sold by each retailer. Now, we’ve started working in their supply chains, mapping supplies and engaging with the industry to work on credible goals. For the moment our focus is on tuna, which is the most popular fish sold in supermarkets.
CLICK HERE if you are interested in working with us.
CLICK HERE if you have a question about our work on seafood.
We believe we have a role in supporting this paradigm shift alongside our partners, companies and stakeholders.
Our work on Oceans had initially started supporting French retailers on different aspects of their seafood supply chains. This is why we have a special focus on species with the largest sales volumes, i.e. tuna, shrimp and salmon. Earthworm is notably coordinating three working groups with collective objectives and actions, composed of retailers and industry key players, to improve the responsibility of the sector (more information in the projects section below).
Today we're working with a wide range of companies within the seafood industry, from feed manufacturers, fleet owners or fish farmers to retailers. We are accompanying our partners in adopting sustainable policies and requirements, sourcing fish from sustainably managed stocks, implementing best aquaculture practices, respecting human rights and improving transparency in the supply chain.
CLICK HERE if you are interested in working with us.
CLICK HERE if you have a question about our work on seafood.
