Overfishing, illegal fishing, accidental capture... For centuries, humanity has acted as if the seas and oceans were inexhaustible resources capable of feeding us and regenerating ourselves ad infinitum, but they are not.
Dn the world, 90% of fish stocks are overexploited or fully exploited, by-catch accounts for 40% of global fishing volumes, 12 to 28 % of global catches come from illegal fishing. Many solutions exist to reduce pressures on the oceans. It is urgent to implement them!
As a reminder, on 30 May, the WWF announced that in less than 6 months France had already consumed the equivalent of all the fishery resources that it could fish and raise in its national metropolitan waters and, as of today, it was postponing its impacts on other countries, particularly the most vulnerable.
On this World Oceans Day, WWF reminds us that we are all concerned and that each of us can accelerate the movement towards more sustainable fisheries. "The ocean is a renewable resource capable of meeting the needs of all future generations if the pressures to which it is exposed are effectively mitigated," explains Isabelle Autissier, President of WWF France.
Institutions, industry and consumers have a great responsibility for the sustainability of resources and the living conditions of communities in the countries most dependent on fisheries.
The WWF therefore formulates a call for general mobilization:
International organizations must take urgent decisions for the conservation of resources, such as the reduction of tuna fishing in the Indian Ocean, which must be accelerated.
The European Union must strengthen the implementation of its legislation on illegal, unreported and unregulated fisheries
Companies must commit to transforming their seafood procurement policies by adhering to charters prohibiting all purchases from illegal fishing and promoting MSC-certified fisheries or CSA farms.
WWF also invites companies that are able to do so to act as an intermediary in raising awareness for responsible fishing.
Finally, consumers must become aware of their role and power. In 2015, the WWF launched the Fish Forward programme, raising awareness among European citizens of the impact of their consumption on the countries of the South and recommending responsible seafood purchasing by promoting, for example, MSC or ASC certified products.
