The ocean is vast. But that doesn’t mean its resources aren’t expendable! The earliest humans who walked the planet were fishermen, using the sea for the food they needed. In modern times, we still turn to the waters for the tastes we love... But there’s more of us now in this globalizing world, and fishing on a larger scale comes with a cost. There’s a much greater demand on our waters, and a lot more work needs to be done to protect them.

What does sustainable fishing mean?

The world “sustainable” refers to processes that can keep going indefinitely—processes that don’t deplete a certain resource disproportionately to the rate of its renewal. Sustainability also encompasses consideration of the climate, pollution management, minimizing overfishing and illegal fishing, and preservation of natural habitats. There’s also a social aspect: making sure fishing is safe and economically fair to fishermen and their communities. In other words, sustainable fishing means maintaining a balanced ecosystem.

What does sustainable fishing look like?

Right now, 170 billion tons of seafood are removed from our planet’s waters and sold as food. Methods like longlining—dragging a long system of baited hooks behind a boat—or drift nets and purse seining (using a large drawstring net to indiscriminately capture huge numbers of fish) are extremely efficient—too efficient!—in catching the maximum number of fish. Fish populations take a serious hit from these methods. Scientists have calculated that it simply can’t continue like that. There are a few sustainable fishing methods that are both socially responsible and have a low impact on the health of the waters. Wild-caught and farm (AKA aquaculture) fishing operations might choose to use some of the following practices:

• Seasonal limits
  Only fishing during certain times of year or specific cycles of the tide allows aquatic life to breed and replenish itself in between seasons. 

• Area restrictions
  Having discreet locations where fishing can take place is a great way to cut down on illegal fishing and overfishing of large tracts of water. 

• Traditional methods
  Hook and line, spearfishing, diving, and cast nets are all traditional ways to collect seafood from the water. Historically, bone or shell hooks and long spears have been used for ages to bring home enough fish for the family. 

• Modern improvements
  Spear guns are one step up from traditional spearfishing, but can’t put too devastating a dent in fish populations, since it targets one fish at a time. Rod-and-reel fishing is the updated version of hook-and-line and allows fishers use species-specific bait and to return unwanted fish (AKA bycatches) to the sea. 

• Regulatory policies
  The seafood industry is regulated nationally in most countries. Out on the high seas, international agreements protect shared waters. Organizations and Commissions span the globe to limit catches and enforce proper methods.

Why source from sustainable fisheries? 

Look slightly into the future and you’ll realize we can’t cut corners on this. When you buy sustainably-produced seafood or support restaurants that source sustainably, you encourage the suppliers to keep up with the demand. Marketing environmentally responsible products has already caused many improvements to the food industry around the globe, such as the organic movement and fair trade coffee. According to the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch, more than half of American consumers are aware of the need to protect the sea and are ready to support sustainable fisheries. This simple choice has huge repercussions on the environment and on our ability to continue to enjoy the seafood we love.