Analysis from environmental charity WWF shows that, as of this week, the amount of fish consumed this year in the European Union (EU) has already reached the annual amount that can be obtained from the Mediterranean. To match demand, Italy and other southern European countries have to rely on imports. The WWF and New Economics Foundation call it “Fish Dependence Day”.
Every year the EU sets the Total Allowable Catches (TAC) for most commercial fish stocks. They are looking at how many, or how many tonnes, of each species can be caught sustainably. How much fish Europeans want to eat, though, is another question, and demand doesn’t match supply.
On average EU citizens eat 24 kilograms (53 pounds) of fish per year, but this number is higher across Mediterranean countries. Here, people eat 33 kilograms (73 pounds) – a high demand that the Mediterranean sea can no longer meet.
It’s not only the EU that is limiting the amount of fish caught in the Mediterranean. The size of catches has been decreasing as many populations dwindle due to decades of overfishing, and rising temperatures. Warming waters have brought in invasive species, which can prey on local fish or compete for resources. Native species are moving to find more suitable climates.
Overfishing is the poor management of fish resources. It can be caused by catching too many individuals, as well as by catching more young individuals. A loss of young fish doesn’t allow the populations to grow back.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s overfishing led to a crisis in the bluefin tuna population in the Mediterranean. Careful management of fishing quotas and protection of juvenile fish has allowed the species to come back. The case of the bluefin tuna shows that there is a way forward. However, today, 58 percent of the Mediterranean fishing stock is still being overfished.
By marking Fish Dependence Day, the WWF urges all EU countries to work towards having fish self-sufficiency: you can only eat what you can catch.
So what can we eat? Giulia Prato, WWF Italy’s marine programme manager, encourages consumers to choose seasonal, adult fish, besides reducing overall consumption. Eating unpopular species is also a more sustainable choice. Hake, shrimp, sardines and mullet are the most at-risk species today. It’s time to make mussels and anchovies cool again.
Source Link: EU Has Already Run Out Of Fish For This Year, WWF Warns
