Fishing for Catastrophe, a report published by Changing Markets Foundation in October last year, revealed that every year, billions of sea fishes are dried, pressed and ground into oil and fishmeal.
The majority of this material is then fed to other farmed fish or aquaculture industry. Based on findings in India, Vietnam and Gambia, the report presented damning evidence that the production of fishmeal and oil for use in the global aquaculture industry is destroying natural fish stocks, marine ecosystems and traditional livelihoods as well as undermining the food security of vulnerable communities. In 2016, 69% of fishmeal and 75% of fish oil were used for seafood farming globally.
Demand for fish is growing more rapidly than the human population. Aquaculture currently accounts for roughly half of world fish consumption and is projected to grow even further. Researchers claim that farmed fishes are expected to contribute to an increasing share of global fish consumption, reaching about 60% of the total in 2030. FAO is estimating that 33% of stocks are fished at biologically unsustainable levels.
India is one of the world’s leading aquaculture producers and holds a dominant role in global fisheries, owing to its approximately 7,517 km of coastline. India exports 1.05 million tonnes of marine fish every year. It is also the world’s second-biggest exporter of prawns.
According to the government data, West Bengal has 405,000 hectares of brackish water that making it the largest area in the country for potential shrimp production. Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) statistics says that the production of shrimp in West Bengal reached 76,534 tonnes in 2017-18, up from 28,000 tonnes in 2007-08. As aquaculture production is increasing in the state, the demand for fishmeal is also rising. As a result, trawlers are engaging more into bottom trawling, and even smaller fishers are also forced to catch small aquatic creatures to feed local fishmeal factories.
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