Each and every one of us has a vital role in helping to stop the unnecessary waste of marine life caused by bycatch – from fishers and fish processors to seafood lovers, supermarket and restaurant employees, and politicians.
Everyone can help stop bycatch
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Fishers, fisheries managers, and governments clearly need to implement and enforce measures to reduce bycatch.
And all processors, traders, retailers, and consumers of seafood need to realize and exercise their influence on the way fish are caught and fisheries are managed.
And all processors, traders, retailers, and consumers of seafood need to realize and exercise their influence on the way fish are caught and fisheries are managed.
Seafood lovers
- Demand seafood from sustainable fisheries and avoid seafood from problematic fisheries. Want to identify these? See our seafood guides
- Spread the word! Bycatch is a largely hidden problem – so the more people who know about it, the more pressure there will be on fisheries to reduce bycatch
- Become a member – your valuable support will help WWF in its work to tackle bycatch
Fish processors, traders, and retailers
- Demand seafood from responsible fisheries
- Put positive pressure on your seafood supply chain to improve environmental performance, i.e. MSC-certified fish products and bycatch reduction measures
- Purchase MSC-certified fish
Fishers: Take a leadership role!
- Design and use more selective fishing gear
- Proactively support and campaign for the creation of better fisheries management
- Engage in correct post-capture release techniques to maximize an animal's chances of survival
- Proactively become involved in the testing of bycatch solutions
- Explore the potential for MSC certification in your fishery
Fisheries managers and governments
- Implement and enforce more selective fishing gear
- Implement and enforce better fisheries management
- Create and implement better fisheries policies
- Implement and enforce observers
- Look into the possibilities for MSC certification