31/01/2011
In the new report the
UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) paints another bleak picture of the
state of our global fisheries. Fish consumption in the world has reached an
all-time high and more people than ever are employed in or depend on the
fisheries sector but global fish stocks have not improved.
The study “State of the World’s
Fisheries and Aquaculture” indicates that “the contribution of fish to
global diets has reached a record of almost 17 kilograms per person on average,
supplying over three billion people with at least 15 per cent of their average
animal protein intake”.
The overall percentage
of overexploited, depleted or recovering fish stocks in the world's oceans has
not dropped and is estimated to be slightly higher than in 2006. About 32
percent of world fish stocks are estimated to be overexploited, depleted or
recovering and need to be urgently rebuilt, says the FAO report.
“As the fourth largest producer of fish and aquaculture products , the
European Union should turn the trend of overfishing around and lead by example.
Allowing European vessels to run down one fishery after the other in Europe and
elsewhere in the world is a sign of short-sighted, irresponsible management.
Europe’s Fisheries Policy is in need of ambitious reform to avert disaster and
save fish for generations to come,” said Louize Hill, Head of European
Marine and Fisheries Policy at WWF’s European Policy Office.
Read more on this
story: