A week before Brussels’ Ocean Week and a few months before the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, a group of researchers published the results of an unprecedented scientific effort: they redefine the concept of ‘sustainable fishing’ and propose eleven ‘golden rules’ that radically challenge the flawed notion that currently prevails in fisheries management.
These eleven ‘golden rules’ have been devised to end the ongoing destruction of the oceans caused by fishing, and ensure the renewal of abundant fish populations to feed future generations. They come at a time when scientists have drastically downgraded their assessment of the ocean’s health status, [1] and two-thirds of the world’s coral reefs are exposed to potentially lethal temperatures. [2] These eleven breakthrough actions are intended to be implemented by companies, governments, and legislators.
[…]
“We are witnessing a growing disconnect between the widespread availability of supposedly sustainable fish products, the collapse of ocean ecosystems and the frequency of reported human rights abuses. Supermarkets must stop misleading consumers,” warned Pauline Bricault, BLOOM Association’s markets campaign lead, “both the IPCC and IPBES have set 2030 as a deadline for critical changes.[7] Industry stakeholders have no more excuses, they must act now”.
