Biggest Companies, Largest U.S. State Work to Save Fisheries

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Demand for fish caught using sustainable practices can help protect dwindling fish stocks.

Fish populations, over-harvested in much of the world, now have some sizable friends on their side, according to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times. Wal-Mart and McDonald’s, among the biggest companies in the world, are pushing for sustainable seafood supplies, and Alaska, the largest U.S. state, strictly regulates its fishing industry. The combined efforts of these key retailers and suppliers are leveraging change in the industry, the article reports.

Over the next 3–5 years, Wal-Mart has committed to selling only seafood certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, an independent organization that grants its blue-and-white label to fish harvested using sustainable fishing practices. Fishery collapses have also made McDonald’s executives consider their long-term interest in protecting fish populations. “We have seen fisheries dry up,” said Bob Langert, McDonald’s vice president for corporate social responsibility. “We want to make sure that we take actions within our supply chain to secure fish for the future. We want to have fish on our menu 10, 20, and 30 years from now.” The fast-food chain has begun to shift its supply from dwindling fish stocks to more sustainable ones, like MSC-certified Alaskan pollack and New Zealand hoki.

Alaska’s fishers learned from the collapse of their salmon fisheries some 50 years ago and have since worked hand-in-hand with the government to monitor and regulate fishing practices. Currently, only about 6 percent of the world’s fish catch is labeled as “sustainable” (much of it from Alaska), but with large companies like Wal-Mart and McDonald’s seeking to fund more-responsible fishing practices, suppliers are finding it profitable to meet this demand. Even the National Fisheries Institute, the principal lobby group for the U.S. seafood industry, has switched from resisting the sustainable seafood movement to supporting it. As more fishers meet sustainability standards, more companies are able to demand it, allowing for cyclical growth of responsible practices.

“This is supply-chain pressure of the best kind,” said Rupert Howes, chief executive of the Marine Stewardship Council. “The Wal-Mart commitment is actually catalyzing commitments from other retailers around the world. We have a major Japanese retailer that wants to launch MSC-labeled products.”

Some experts caution that increased seafood demand, even sustainable seafood, puts fish stocks at risk. “You create more customers for fish and invariably increase the pressure on the stocks,” explains Daniel Pauly, a fisheries scientist at the University of British Columbia. He notes that with two-thirds of the world’s commercial stocks now fished at or beyond capacity, and as the world’s population continues to grow, governments must assist the market in creating a sustainable fishing industry.

In his recent report Catch of the Day: Choosing Seafood for Healthier Oceans, Worldwatch Institute researcher Brian Halweil recommends, among other measures, reducing the $30 billion global annual subsidies for fishing boats, fuel, and other aid, as well as creating marine reserves or nurseries where fishing is off-limits. Governments may also help relieve pressure on fish stocks by buying-out boats and licenses, allocating an overall catch limit for fishers, and letting them buy and sell shares among themselves, which can create an economic incentive for some to stop fishing.


This story was produced by Eye on Earth, a joint project of the Worldwatch Institute and the blue moon fund. View the complete archive of Eye on Earth stories, or contact Staff Writer Alana Herro at aherro [AT] worldwatch [DOT] org with your questions, comments, and story ideas.