Posted on January, 12 2017

By 2050, millions of people in developing countries might not be able to afford fish, which currently constitutes a major source of food and protein, according to a new WWF report on the future of global fish supply.
 
The report: “Fishing for proteins – How marine fisheries impact on global food security up to 2050”, analyse how much fish can sustainably be taken from the seas by 2050. The analysis foreshadows that many people living in poverty will opt to export fish rather than eat it and will not have access to this source of protein. To prevent this from happening, WWF calls on decision-makers to prioritise improved fisheries management as a key part of the action plan to secure the ocean’s valuable resources for future generations.
 
In that sense, a Western Indian Ocean Economy report will be launched next, on 24 January in Madagascar. Thе report will highlight the region’s considerable marine and coastal wealth, raising awareness about the serious consequences of failing to address current negative impacts on the ocean. The report will also set out priority actions on how to protect the economic, food security and livelihood values of ocean assets in the region. 

Seafood guide assists consumers in buying sustainable fish in Bulgaria and Romania

WWF launched a seafood guide in Romanian and Bulgarian language to assist consumers in buying sustainable seafood products. The guide is available online and contains information about 31 fish and seafood species available at the market in the two countries. The seafood guide aims to call the attention of both consumers and business, importers and retailers of seafood, and to raise awareness about responsible fish trading and seafood products certification standarts such as the Marine Stewardship Certification (MSC) programme.

Fish species included in the guide are analyzed by origin, method of fishing and the stocks of fish species. Therefore, if the guide code shows sustainable tuna consumption is needed, the buying option is to choose fish labeled with Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The guide also presents stories about some fish species representative for Europe, including sturgeon, and have 10 recipes based on seafood or fish.

WWF-Romania’s Seafood Guide can be accessed here: http://ghidpeste.wwf.ro/
WWF-Bulgaria’s Seafood Guide can be accessed here: http://riba.wwf.bg/

WWF’s project for fish and seafood from sustainable sources

 “Fish forward – sustainable seafood for the environment, people and developing countries” is a project launched during the European Year for Development, co-financed by the EU, for more environmental, social and economic sustainability in fish and seafood consumption. In 2015, WWF started the ambitious project in 11 member states of the European Union to increase consumer awareness of the global ecological and social consequences their fish consumption has.

More about the project: http://www.fishforward.eu/