According to the World Wildlife Federation, two-thirds of the world’s fish stocks are either fished at their limit or over fished. The United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has estimated that 70 percent of the fish population is fully used, overused or in crisis. Meanwhile, according to the European Commission, global seafood consumption has more than doubled in the past 50 years.
As demand for seafood rises, the sustainability of fish stock becomes an ever more pressing issue. Consumer advocacy groups and industry alike are mobilising to create market incentives to protect, restore, and replenish fish supplies in addition to coming up with new and unique ways to satiate the growing global demand for fish-based proteins and flavours.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, given the complexity of a product’s potential environmental impacts and attributes, manufacturers have a tough job in trying to communicate the above information to buyers. Often there is little space on a product label or on a website for environmental information. A growing variety of communication tools and messaging techniques have entered the marketplace as manufacturers try to differentiate their products and consumers demand more environmental information. These tools include certifications.
Change in the seafood industry has been incremental only for the past 50 years or so according to GreenBiz. Now the sector is on the cusp of thoroughly re-imagining products, supply chains and technologies.
A variety of global trends are driving market demand behind this transformation, including new seafood sources, the growth of the plant-based marketplace, and aquaculture’s rapid expansion.
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