Fish is still a popular commodity in many European countries. On market stalls, on supermarket shelves or in restaurants – fish can be found in all kinds of variations and is part of a healthy diet for many people. According to the new dietary recommendations in Austria, fish should also be eaten 1-2 times a week. Globally, around 21 kilograms of fish are eaten per person per year; in Austria, the amount is currently around eight kilograms of fish. But how sustainable is fish anyway?
Are our oceans overfished?
Whether a fish dish is actually sustainable or not usually has to do with the previous history and the supply chain. In most cases, however, there is currently a lack of transparency and information regarding sustainability, origin and fishing methods.
By taking large quantities of certain fish species, fishing changes the composition and dynamics of the marine food web. Fish, especially large fish species, play an important role in the food web for other smaller fish and marine mammals. In addition to the climate crisis, overfishing has become the greatest threat to our oceans in recent decades. Over 37 percent of all fish stocks worldwide are already overfished, and 32 percent of stocks in the North-East Atlantic in Europe are considered to be overfished. In other European sea areas, such as the Mediterranean, stocks are only recovering very slowly or hardly at all. This is due to the fact that the catch levels that are actually set by the EU as part of the Common Fisheries Policy often exceed scientific recommendations and are not sustainable.
Ocean pollution and aquaculture
Not only the overfishing of the seas, but also the pollution of the oceans with plastic from fishing is a problem that is linked to today’s fish consumption. Aquaculture is also not necessarily more sustainable than wild-caught fish. According to a study by the Helmholtz Center, aquaculture (or aquafarming) cannot generally be seen as a solution to overfishing of the oceans and should be viewed increasingly critically due to its strong environmental impact. The use of antibiotics, wild fish as animal feed and the destruction of habitats are among the environmentally damaging consequences of aquaculture worldwide.
Is there such a thing as sustainable fish?
Fishing is sustainable if only as many fish are taken as can be reproduced naturally and through immigration. To ensure that sufficient fish and seafood are available in the long term, it is therefore advisable to source fish from sustainable, nature-friendly fisheries. But can we still consume fish without a guilty conscience? You can use the WWF fish guide to help you make an ecologically sustainable choice of fish and fish products. It specifically describes which fish are currently classified as green or red. Fish classified as green are therefore a good choice, as these fish stocks are not overfished or the fishing methods are categorized as sustainable. In contrast, fish marked as red should be avoided altogether, as these species are already overfished and environmentally damaging farming and fishing methods are used.
In general, smaller fish should be eaten rather than larger fish such as tuna, cod, salmon, swordfish or sharks. Carp, for example, can be preferred as a farmed fish, as it is a so-called peaceful fish and does not hunt other fish.
It is also recommended that you reduce your own fish consumption and pay attention to transparent environmental labels, such as various organic labels, ASC and MSC. For pangasius and prawns in particular, it is important to only buy certified products.
When it comes to fishing methods, consumers can make sure that fish have been caught using environmentally friendly methods – such as organic aquaculture, fishing lines or hand lines. By paying attention to regionality, long transportation routes by plane can be avoided.
