We communicate the science, policies, and human dimensions of sustainable fisheries.
State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018 Released
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released their biennial State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report this week. In this post, we summarize some of the highlights.
AP Investigation into Sea to Table Raises Questions
An AP investigation revealed Sea to Table had misrepresented where some of their seafood had been caught, raising some mislabeling questions.
New database gets us closer to understanding environmental impacts of food
A recent paper in Science introduced a new database for researchers to use to quantify the environmental impacts of food around the world. Every kind of food has an environmental cost – what is best for the planet?
Eating Plants & Seafood
Conscious eating can and should include several different kinds of food. A plant-based diet has lower impact relative to a standard diet that includes lots of animal protein, but a diet that includes fish can have as low, or even lower impact.
Seafood 101
We’ve developed this guide to give you insight into every aspect of fish as food for people around the world. Click on any heading to skip ahead or click through each post—the guide was written to read like a lesson that builds on each previous installment.
Seafood in a Global Context
Commercial Fishing
People & Fish
Recent Research
New database gets us closer to understanding environmental impacts of food
A recent paper in Science introduced a new database for researchers to use to quantify the environmental impacts of food around the world. Every kind of food has an environmental cost – what is best for the planet?
A closer look at the environmental costs of food
The relationship between food and environment is one of the most important conservation issues in the anthropocene. Comparing and quantifying environmental impacts of different foods is important to guide agricultural policy and empower consumer choice. A new paper does just that.
Fish will migrate as temperatures warm, putting fisheries at risk
A new paper projects how warming ocean temperatures will affect the geographic distribution of 686 commercially important species around North America. Species migration and shifting home ranges have serious implications for natural resource management, particularly fisheries.
MPAs will suffer, along with the rest of the ocean, as the planet warms
A new paper mapped the effects of future emissions on marine protected areas (MPAs) around the world. The results were unsurprising—climate change threatens every MPA (and indeed every part of the ocean), with a range of impacts.
Global Fisheries Beautifully Illustrated & Mapped
A new paper out in Marine Policy gorgeously illustrates global fisheries over the past 150 years. The figures tell the story and are cool as heck (spoiler—we saved the best for last).
In-depth coverage of particular fisheries
#OceanOptimism
Good Management can Lead to a More Sustainable Future
A new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science shows that there is a triple bottom line, that abundance, catch and profit
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Management & Policy
Number of overfished U.S. stocks at an all-time low
The United States reaffirmed itself as the global leader in sustainable fisheries with the release of NOAA’s Status of Stocks 2017, the annual report to Congress on the state of U.S. fisheries. Just 9% of stocks are subject to overfishing and 15% of stocks are overfished.
Pulse Trawling, Tradeoffs, and Managing new Technology
Pulse trawling, a new kind of technology that uses electric pulses to startle fish into nets, has less potential environmental impact than bottom trawling, but has equity concerns among fishers and ethical considerations for fish. The EU recently decided to ban the practice.
New California protected areas are excellent fishery management
Fishery management goals are to keep stakeholders happy and ensure triple bottom line success. With new protections off the coast of California, the PFMC hit a home a run: fishermen & women get to catch more rockfish on sandy bottoms and coral and sponges are protected for the future.
Recovering marine mammals increase pressure on West Coast salmon
Recovering populations of killer whales, sea lions and harbor seals on the West Coast are eating increased numbers of Chinook salmon, and their consumption may now exceed the combined harvest by commercial and recreational fisheries, a new study finds.
Expert Commentary
Two fishery scientists help explain allometric vs isometric scaling in fishery management
Two fishery scientists help explain the difference between allometric and isometric scaling to show why the recent claim that overharvesting of BOFFFFs has created significant fish stock depletion is missing a key metric – F40%.
Experts Weigh in on Farmed Salmon Escape in Washington State
A few weeks ago in Puget Sound, a net pen used for farming Atlantic salmon broke and allowed over 150,000 salmon to escape. Fear of
Scientists Respond to Mark Kurlansky’s Doom & Gloom
Mark Kurlansky, author of the seminal fishery history book, Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World, recently contributed to The Guardian
Wasted Fish – What to Make of Recent Data Showing 10% of Fish are Discarded at Sea?
A paper published last week titled, Global marine fisheries discards: A synthesis of reconstructed data, concludes that commercial fishermen have thrown away (discarded) about 10%