Choosing sustainable seafood in Canada

Geographical location:

North America > North America > Canada

Summary

Once considered inexhaustible, the world’s oceans are in a state of global collapse. More than 70% of the world’s commercial marine fish stocks are either fully exploited or overfished. The seafood you choose can determine whether tomorrow’s generations will continue to enjoy our oceans’ riches.

In Canada, WWF is working with the seafood industry to promote sustainable fisheries and to raise the profile of sustainable seafood products with consumers and markets. Some of the work involves supporting the activities of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an independent organization that certifies sustainable marine fisheries and products.

You can do your bit by always looking out for seafood carrying the distinctive blue MSC label. This gives you a simple way to identify and purchase fish from well-managed sources.

Background

Worldwide, seafood consumption continues to rise, with over 1 billion people, or nearly 20% of humanity, relying on the ocean for protein. The human population has doubled in the last 50 years, but annual catch has quadrupled from approximately 20 to 90 million tonnes.

This means that pressure on fish stocks and the marine ecosystem has risen and continues to rise drastically. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimates that 75% of all global fish stocks are overfished or fished to the limit.

Canada’s fisheries are under similar pressure, with many high profile collapses in the past decade, including Atlantic cod, Pacific rockfish, and Atlantic salmon. This pattern of fishing is clearly unsustainable.

Objectives

- WWF Canada understands major drivers in the Canadian seafood market, including supply, demand, price, and trade flows (with a focus on major fish imported to Canada, exported from Canada, and consumed domestically).

- Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) recognizes, supports, and cooperates with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certifications.

- High quality MSC certifications of 2 fisheries in the Northeast Pacific are complete (Pacific salmon and Pacific halibut).

- High quality MSC certifications of 2 fisheries in the Northwest Atlantic are complete. (Northern prawn, Gulf of St. Lawrence stock, and Northern prawn, Northwest Atlantic stock).

- Full MSC assessment of a Northwest Atlantic groundfish fishery formally launched.

- Wal-Mart Canada sells its first Canadian-caught and MSC certified fish.

- A commitment to a 4-step sustainable seafood procurement policy is secured from 2 major Canadian retail or wholesale companies.

- 2 major Canadian retail or wholesale companies have MSC products promoted in-store.

- At least 3 major Canadian environmental NGOs involved in sustainable seafood initiatives recognize MSC as a leading sustainability option.

- 10% consumers are purchasing sustainable seafood.

Solution

The Sustainable Seafood project will support delivery of conservation targets in WWF-Canada’s priority marine ecoregions as well as WWF-Canada’s corporate objective to engage urban Canadians in consumption and lifestyle choices. These 2 concepts are featured in WWF-Canada’s 2006-2010 Strategic Plan.

In addition, the project will help meet WWF’s global goal of using positive market-based pressure to drive fisheries’ sustainability.

Fostering an understanding of the sustainable seafood concept in rural fishing communities will be key to gaining support and reaching project conservation goals.