Fish for world nutrition – urgent need for action for global food security

On World Food Day (October 16), the non-profit organization Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) warns urgently about the dramatic consequences of overfishing for global food security. Given the alarming rise in overfished stocks, supplying the world’s growing population with fish and seafood is facing major challenges.

By 2050, the earth will have to feed around two billion more people than today. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), fish and other aquatic foods will play a key role in this task. The FAO calls for a greater focus on the oceans in strategies for future food production: so-called “blue foods” or “blue food,” as the United Nations calls food from water, could provide more people with nutrients than they already do today case is. In many aspects they are considered to be ecologically advantageous compared to other animal protein sources. Wild fish in particular can be an ecologically more compatible alternative. It is a naturally renewable resource, uses no land or fresh water and requires no fertilizers, pesticides or animal feed.

But despite all the positive aspects, the production of food from the sea is already reaching its limits: According to current FAO data, 37.7% of all marine fish stocks are considered overfished – an alarming trend that has become even worse in recent years. At the same time, the FAO predicts that global fish and seafood production will have to increase by 22% by 2050 in order to supply the growing world population with fish and seafood – even if per capita consumption remains the same. This calculation does not take into account that the current average per capita consumption of 20.7kg of fish and seafood is also expected to continue to increase due to increasing globalization, urbanization and increasing health awareness.

Overfishing of the oceans costs us valuable protein every year

Overfishing is one of the biggest threats to the health of our oceans. It endangers biodiversity, marine ecosystems, jobs and the food security of millions of people worldwide. But the good news is: we know what to do. Sustainable fishing is crucial to secure the fish resource in the long term and to provide billions of people with valuable proteins on a long-term basis. One Analyse shows: If all the world’s fisheries were sustainable, they would be able to catch more fish – so much more that it could meet the daily protein needs of an additional 72 million people!

“This requires clear, binding rules and bold measures. This requires the active participation of fishing companies, politicians, consumers, environmental organizations and science,” said the MSC, which manages the world’s leading certification program and environmental seal for sustainable fishing.

For consumers, this means in concrete terms: Purchasing sustainably caught fish contributes to the preservation of the oceans and to securing global nutrition. Every individual can make a contribution through conscious consumption decisions. The MSC seal helps with this. It identifies fish and seafood from certified sustainable fisheries.