A new scientific paper co-written by the WWF charity shows that nearly half of the world’s recorded fish catch goes completely unused. This equates to over 38 million tonnes of fish left unused every year, with North East Atlantic fishermen, who target cod, leaving a fifth of their total catch.
Leader of WWF’s Bycatch Initiative and co-author of the paper, Amanda Nickson, said –
The health of our oceans cannot be restored and fisheries sustainably managed if 40% of the global fishing catch is unused or un-managed. A huge quantity of fish and marine animals are being thrown back to sea dead or dying. Even if this bycatch is retained, there is no way of telling whether it was sustainable to remove it from the sea in the first place.
The paper shows the proportion of bycatch in 46 fishing countries, go well beyond previous global estimations. Bycatch costs fishers time and money which in turn leads to overfishing and a major killer of marine wildlife. This overfishing is putting several species at risk of extinction and altering the balance of marine ecosystems, with the worst case of wasteful fishing is for sharks, where 92% of what is caught is thrown back in the ocean.
Fisheries Policy Officer at WWF-UK, Giles Bartlett, said –
Simple, proven methods to reduce bycatch are already being implemented by many fisheries in Europe. These include more selective fishing gear and the use of onboard observers to document total catch. However such practises need to become much more widespread and we urge ministers to ensure the upcoming reform of the Common Fisheries Policy addresses this issue as a matter of priority.
The WWF is calling for stronger action on bycatch within Europe and that anything removed from the ocean is considered part of that fishing effort to prevent millions of tonnes of fish being wasted every year.
