Seafood plays a crucial role as a protein source for over 3.3 billion individuals. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recognizes the need for a 15% increase in global fish consumption by 2030 to combat hunger and malnutrition. However, the global wild-fish catch has experienced a decline since its peak in 1963 and has been steadily declining in recent years. It is evident that we are currently beyond the point of “peak fish”.
Almost all of the world’s oceans are either overfished or operating at maximum capacity. A study conducted on 1,439 wild-fish populations revealed that 10% are on the verge of collapsing, while 45% are already overfished. Insufficient data is available to determine the sustainability of the remaining populations. The 2021 Global Fishing Index states, “Over the past 50 years, the health of our fisheries has significantly deteriorated. We are depleting fish stocks at a much faster rate than they can naturally replenish.”
The deteriorating health of ocean life can be attributed to various factors, such as marine pollution (including the immense amount of plastic waste), rising water temperatures due to global heating, and increased ocean acidity caused by CO2 emissions. Overfishing, particularly bottom trawling, which destroys corals and other habitats, is one of the major contributors to this crisis.
While aquaculture has been seen as a potential solution to the shortage of seafood, its growth rate has also been declining since 1996. Although the industry experienced rapid growth in the past, its current five-year moving-average annual growth rate sits at about 2%. This suggests that we may soon face a decline in aquaculture as well. The challenges faced by the industry include finding suitable locations for fish farms, securing high-quality water, ensuring an adequate and affordable food supply for farmed species, combating diseases and pests, and dealing with the impacts of climate change and weather variability.
Another surprising reason for the seafood shortage is the increasing opposition to ocean-based fish farms. Numerous protests by local fishing communities, Indigenous groups, and environmentalists have resulted in the phasing out of more than 100 salmon fish farms on Canada’s west coast by 2025.
Many marine scientists believe that proper management of the oceans could yield a significantly larger wild fish population than what exists today. Studies indicate that global fisheries catches could increase by 16 million tons each year compared to current levels. Achieving this would require effective measures such as the protection of 30% of oceans, as agreed upon in the recent Convention on Biological Diversity (Cop 15), a ban on harmful fisheries subsidies (amounting to an estimated $15.4 billion annually, primarily from China, Japan, and the EU) enforced by the WTO, improved governance of the high seas, and a binding global treaty to address plastic pollution.
I would like to emphasize the importance of marine protected areas (MPAs). These areas, where fishing is either limited or prohibited, serve as sanctuaries for fish and contribute to the overall health of marine ecosystems. It is particularly crucial to protect larger, older fish as they can produce a much greater number of offspring during their lifespan, which disperses into surrounding unprotected waters. Numerous studies have demonstrated that protected ecosystems exhibit enhanced health and significantly higher fish populations. The biomass in fully protected MPAs, for example, can be 670% greater than in adjacent unprotected areas. Eventually, the fish from MPAs will overflow into other areas where they can be sustainably harvested.
Rashid Sumaila, a fisheries economist at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries in Canada, emphasizes the need to rebuild and preserve our wild fish populations. With sustainable aquaculture practices in place, we can hope to meet the demand for fish in the future.
Protecting 30% of the world’s oceans through fully designated MPAs would be a significant step towards restoring their health and abundance. This would not only benefit the 3.3 billion people dependent on seafood as a protein source but also have a positive impact on all of humanity.
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