The Marine Conservation Society has released the latest update to its Good Fish Guide, which sees 53 rating changes, with 19 ratings moving down the sustainability scale.
The Good Fish Guide includes 337 ratings for seafood caught in UK waters, split into three categories, where ‘green’ is the most sustainable best choice; ‘amber’, which indicates there are some concerns or a lack of data; and ‘red’ – fish to avoid completely due to overfished or otherwise compromised stocks.
The majority of seafood ratings in the latest guide – 62 per cent – are amber-rated; just 13 per cent are green.
Charlotte Coombes, Good Fish Guide Manager, said: ‘With the majority of UK ratings in the Good Fish Guide staying on amber, it is evident that the UK has yet to fulfil its commitment to achieving world-class sustainability in fisheries. In this latest update, an additional 12 ratings have regrettably received red ratings. Urgent and improved fisheries management is imperative for the sake of our seas.’
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The UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has released a suite of consultations on the future management of UK fisheries, including details of the new, highly anticipated Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs).
The Fisheries Management Plans are intended to be ‘on-the-water’ delivery mechanisms for the Fisheries Act, but there is concern from environmental organisations about the lack of proposed action and the sheer number of important consultations under review at the same time.
‘It is vital that all fisheries stakeholders have their voice heard for truly informed and sound policy development,’ said Dr Kenneth Bodles, Head of Fisheries and Aquaculture at the Marine Conservation Society. ‘While we welcome these first draft Fisheries Management Plans, they are scant on details.’
‘These plans should outline clear short- and long-term management options.’ said Dr Bodles. ‘They should bring forward strong proposals for monitoring, assessment and control, and include clear targets to restore stocks, minimise bycatch, monitor habitat impacts and maximise economic and social benefits. However, the current plans fail to deliver the management needed.’
In the first of almost 50 new plans for UK seas, DEFRA has produced drafts for six ‘frontrunner FMPs’, including species such as lobsters, scallops, and cuttlefish. Cuttlefish is mostly red-rated in the Good Fish Guide, reflecting the need for better management and data collection. Very little is known about the population size, but with several thousand tonnes caught each year and mostly exported to Europe, cuttlefish are a particularly valuable fishery.
The Marine Conservation Society says it wants to see the widespread roll-out of cameras on boats – Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) – which would monitor what fish are being caught and provide data to support scientists and governments in making informed decisions about how much seafood to catch.
Nicola Cusack, Fisheries Policy Officer at the Marine Conservation Society, said, ‘Data and better management go hand-in-hand. You can’t have well-managed fisheries without knowing what’s happening below the surface, and on boats. How we interact with the ocean is fundamental to keeping it vibrant and full of life. We need to maintain the health of our seas to support livelihoods, our culture and food production.’
‘It is possible to recover fish stocks to sustainable levels, protect and restore the marine environment, and secure fishing in the UK as a world-class example of good management. But it’s time to move on from plans and into action.’
