Sustainable sushi

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Sustainable sushi is sushi made from fished or farmed sources that can be maintained or whose future production does not significantly jeopardize the ecosystems from which it is acquired. Concerns over the sustainability of sushi ingredients arise from greater concerns over environmental, economic and social stability, and human health.

Contents

Origin

In 1999, Miya's created the first plant-based sushi menu, in New Haven, Connecticut, as a healthier and more environmentally responsible approach to the cuisine of sushi. By 2004, Miya's had created the first sushi menu that featured sustainable sushi. [1] Miya's is credited as the first sushi restaurant in the world to actively promote sustainable items on its menu. [2] [3] [4] Across the country from Miya's, Bamboo in Portland was the world's first certified sustainable sushi restaurant. Opening in 2008, Bamboo works with independent third party organizations to audit their supply chain for sustainable seafood. Also, opening in 2008 was Tataki in San Francisco, which featured sustainable seafood.

Since then, a growing number of sushi restaurants have adopted sustainability as a guiding principle and have come together to form what they refer to as the "sustainable sushi movement". These individuals espouse the use of only environmentally responsible seafood products as a means of preserving the art of sushi and the health of the world's oceans. Currently, there are upwards of 25 sustainable sushi restaurants in the United States. The gravity of the movement has been acknowledged by many media outlets around the world, including TIME Magazine, [5] which recognized the restaurants Miya's, Bamboo, and Tataki as pioneers in the sushi sustainability.

Background on environmental sustainability

Sustainable sushi raises questions about the sources of the fish used—whether ingredients were caught or raised. It also raises questions about the vulnerability of the species (longevity and reproductive capability) and whether humans are overfishing the stock. Many of the current methods used to fish leads to overfishing and the unintentional killing of fish and other marine life. Industrial pollution from power plants, waste incinerators and mining operations has led to the increasing levels of mercury found in marine life today. [6]

Irresponsible fishing practices if allowed to persist unabated would lead to a seafood species worldwide crash by 2048 (in a worst-case scenario). [7] It is estimated that worldwide, 90% of large predatory fish species are gone. Of the 230 US fisheries assessed, it was determined that 54 stocks are overfished, 45 are currently undergoing overfishing while the status of a bit over half of the US’s stocks are unknown.[ citation needed ] These problems are largely due to the lack of regulation fishing has had in the past. In the 1960s there was complete access to the fish supply. Marine fisheries were not regulated and largely exploited fishing for economic gain as calls for the expansion of US fishing fleets were met by increased fishing efficiency. [7]

In the 1970s fishing was met with regulation as American fishermen were threatened by the growing presence of global fishing fleets around the US. Congress in 1976 passed the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which expanded federal jurisdiction of fisheries to 200 miles offshore when it had previously been 12 miles offshore. This act established American regulation over its fisheries through the creation of eight Regional Fishery Management Councils. [ citation needed ]

From the 1980s to the present day, laws and regulations on fishing have been much stricter. Today there are restrictions on vessels and gear and on the number of days fishing fleets are allowed to be out at sea. This has created an atmosphere of intense competition between fishermen and regulators, which has translated into "ghost fishing" and increased numbers of "bycatch" or "bykill". For example, when regulators made the fishing season shorter, fishermen responded by increasing the size of their fishing fleets and by using more powerful ships. Incentive structures are set up so that fishermen are compelled to take drastic and irresponsible measures to ensure a catch. In efforts to maximize their earnings with increasing restrictions on fishing, many fishermen put out more hooks, lines and nets. Fouled gear is cut adrift and less selective gear is used and instances of bycatch grow dramatically. Often, fishermen exceed their catch limits and fish populations decrease faster than they can be replenished, which has resulted in crashing fish stock. [ citation needed ]

An increased demand for sushi made with sustainably fished or raised seafood would decrease the amount of overfishing and bycatch as well as help mitigate all of the negative effects of unsustainable fishing practices. Demanding sustainable sushi is a practical way consumers can contract the market for unsustainably acquired fish while expanding the market for more sustainable seafood. [8]

While some groups advocate for a complete stop to fishing, there are societies and cultures still in existence that rely on fishing for their livelihood. Not only is sea life a large part of their diet but many times fishing is their main source of income as well. As overfishing and unsustainable practices continue, these fishermen will have to go out further and further away from the coastal shelf to find fish to catch. As it becomes more difficult to find fish, it also becomes more expensive to fish commercially. The higher cost of fishing would lead to fewer jobs for fishermen. [9]

Possible solutions

A possible solution to unsustainable fishing practices and decreasing fish stocks, besides responsible fish consumption, are "catch shares". The belief is that aligning conservation and economic incentives through assigning "a share of the catch to an individual fisherman, a group of fishermen or a community which can also be area-based, such as a Territorial Use Right for Fishing, delineating and dedicating a specific area for management by an individual, group or community." [7] The Environmental Defense Fund champions catch shares as a promising solution to reviving fisheries and fishing communities. The EDF believes that catch shares foster better fishing practices, higher prices and less waste. It also changes incentives among fishermen, so that, like stockholders, their desire to see their shares go up lead to their actively protecting their fishery.

The Marine Stewardship Council takes a similar "multi-stakeholder" approach to sustainable fishing. In a 2004 article that appeared in the Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management Journal, author Alexia Cummins describes the success the Marine Stewardship Council has had as a NGO-business partnership. The council established an "eco-labelling programme designed to reward sustainable and well managed fisheries with a visible environmental endorsement." [10]

The MSC as the only international fisheries organization, works to provide a market-based incentives by encouraging consumers to make the best environmental choice in seafood, by setting a standard against which independent accredited certification bodies assess fisheries. [11]

Advisory lists

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishery</span> Raising or harvesting fish

Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place. Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both in freshwater waterbodies and the oceans. About 500 million people worldwide are economically dependent on fisheries. 171 million tonnes of fish were produced in 2016, but overfishing is an increasing problem, causing declines in some populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bycatch</span> Fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally

Bycatch, in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juveniles of the target species. The term "bycatch" is also sometimes used for untargeted catch in other forms of animal harvesting or collecting. Non-marine species that are caught but regarded as generally "undesirable" are referred to as rough fish or coarse fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overfishing</span> Removal of a species of fish from water at a rate that the species cannot replenish

Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally, resulting in the species becoming increasingly underpopulated in that area. Overfishing can occur in water bodies of any sizes, such as ponds, wetlands, rivers, lakes or oceans, and can result in resource depletion, reduced biological growth rates and low biomass levels. Sustained overfishing can lead to critical depensation, where the fish population is no longer able to sustain itself. Some forms of overfishing, such as the overfishing of sharks, has led to the upset of entire marine ecosystems. Types of overfishing include: growth overfishing, recruitment overfishing, ecosystem overfishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable fishery</span> Sustainable fishing for the long term fishing

A conventional idea of a sustainable fishery is that it is one that is harvested at a sustainable rate, where the fish population does not decline over time because of fishing practices. Sustainability in fisheries combines theoretical disciplines, such as the population dynamics of fisheries, with practical strategies, such as avoiding overfishing through techniques such as individual fishing quotas, curtailing destructive and illegal fishing practices by lobbying for appropriate law and policy, setting up protected areas, restoring collapsed fisheries, incorporating all externalities involved in harvesting marine ecosystems into fishery economics, educating stakeholders and the wider public, and developing independent certification programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing industry</span> Economic branch

The fishing industry includes any industry or activity that takes, cultures, processes, preserves, stores, transports, markets or sells fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including recreational, subsistence and commercial fishing, as well as the related harvesting, processing, and marketing sectors. The commercial activity is aimed at the delivery of fish and other seafood products for human consumption or as input factors in other industrial processes. The livelihood of over 500 million people in developing countries depends directly or indirectly on fisheries and aquaculture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fisheries management</span> Regulation of fishing

The goal of fisheries management is to produce sustainable biological, environmental and socioeconomic benefits from renewable aquatic resources. Wild fisheries are classified as renewable when the organisms of interest produce an annual biological surplus that with judicious management can be harvested without reducing future productivity. Fishery management employs activities that protect fishery resources so sustainable exploitation is possible, drawing on fisheries science and possibly including the precautionary principle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commercial fishing</span> Catching seafood for commercial profit

Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions. Large-scale commercial fishing is called industrial fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Stewardship Council</span> Fishing certifier

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is a non-profit organisation which aims to set standards for sustainable fishing. Fisheries that wish to demonstrate they are well-managed and sustainable compared to the MSC's standards are assessed by a team of Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act</span>

The Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA), commonly referred to as the Magnuson–Stevens Act (MSA), is the legislation providing for the management of marine fisheries in U.S. waters. Originally enacted in 1976 to assert control of foreign fisheries that were operating within 200 nautical miles off the U.S. coast, the legislation has since been amended, in 1996 and 2007, to better address the twin problems of overfishing and overcapacity. These ecological and economic problems arose in the domestic fishing industry as it grew to fill the vacuum left by departing foreign fishing fleets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Marine Fisheries Service</span> Office of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), informally known as NOAA Fisheries, is a United States federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that is responsible for the stewardship of U.S. national marine resources. It conserves and manages fisheries to promote sustainability and prevent lost economic potential associated with overfishing, declining species, and degraded habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skipjack tuna</span> Species of fish

The skipjack tuna is a medium-sized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae, and is the only member of the genus Katsuwonus. It is otherwise known as katsuo, arctic bonito, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna or victor fish. It grows up to 1 m (3 ft) in length. It is a cosmopolitan pelagic fish found in tropical and warm-temperate waters. It is a very important species for fisheries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unsustainable fishing methods</span> Fishing methods with expected lowering of fish population

Unsustainable fishing methods refers to the utilization of the various fishing methods in order to capture or harvest fish at a rate which sees the declining of fish populations over time. These methods are observed to facilitate the destructive fishing practices that destroy ecosystems within the ocean, and more readily results in overfishing, the depletion of fish populations at a rate that cannot be sustained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental impact of fishing</span>

The environmental impact of fishing includes issues such as the availability of fish, overfishing, fisheries, and fisheries management; as well as the impact of industrial fishing on other elements of the environment, such as bycatch. These issues are part of marine conservation, and are addressed in fisheries science programs. According to a 2019 FAO report, global production of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic animals has continued to grow and reached 172.6 million tonnes in 2017, with an increase of 4.1 percent compared with 2016. There is a growing gap between the supply of fish and demand, due in part to world population growth.

<i>The End of the Line</i> (book) Book by Charles Clover

The End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Eat is a book by journalist Charles Clover about overfishing. It was made into a movie released in 2009 and was re-released with updates in 2017.

Sustainable seafood is seafood that is caught or farmed in ways that consider the long-term vitality of harvested species and the well-being of the oceans, as well as the livelihoods of fisheries-dependent communities. It was first promoted through the sustainable seafood movement which began in the 1990s. This operation highlights overfishing and environmentally destructive fishing methods. Through a number of initiatives, the movement has increased awareness and raised concerns over the way our seafood is obtained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friend of the Sea</span> Sustainable seafood organization

Friend of the Sea is a project of the World Sustainability Organization for the certification and promotion of seafood from sustainable fisheries and sustainable aquaculture. It is the only certification scheme which, with the same logo, certifies both wild and farmed seafood.

A community-supported fishery (CSF) is an alternative business model for selling fresh, locally sourced seafood. CSF programs, modeled after increasingly popular community-supported agriculture programs, offer members weekly shares of fresh seafood for a pre-paid membership fee. The first CSF program was started in Port Clyde, Maine, in 2007, and similar CSF programs have since been started across the United States and in Europe. Community supported fisheries aim to promote a positive relationship between fishermen, consumers, and the ocean by providing high-quality, locally caught seafood to members. CSF programs began as a method to help marine ecosystems recover from the effects of overfishing while maintaining a thriving fishing community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Conservation Alliance</span> Seafood Industry Association

The Marine Conservation Alliance (MCA) is a Juneau, Alaska-based coalition of seafood processors, harvesters, support industries and coastal communities that participate in Alaska fisheries. The coalition was established in 2001 by fishery associations, communities, Community Development Quota (CDQ) groups, harvesters, processors and support businesses, to promote science-based conservation measures to ensure sustainable Alaska fisheries.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to fisheries:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; National Standard Guidelines</span>

The Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions is necessary to help compliance the requirements of the MSA to end and prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, and achieve maximum yield

References

  1. ↑ "Speakers - Pages - WWF". World Wildlife Fund.
  2. ↑ "Harvard Design Magazine: Why Fight Them When We Can Eat Them?". www.harvarddesignmagazine.org.
  3. ↑ "6 Restaurants in New Haven Where Food Meets Culture". blog.shermanstravel.com.
  4. ↑ "Miya's Sushi - INFONewHaven". infonewhaven.com.
  5. ↑ "Should I Eat Sushi?". Time.
  6. ↑ Sustainable Sushi: A Guide to Saving Oceans One Bite At A Time Casson Trenor
  7. 1 2 3 "Fisheries are in trouble | Environmental Defense Fund". Archived from the original on 2012-05-29. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  8. ↑ McCandless, David (24 June 2011). "Information is Beautiful: Which fish are good to eat? Visualised". the Guardian.
  9. ↑ "Sustainablesushi.net". www.sustainablesushi.net. 14 January 2022.
  10. ↑ Alexia Cummins, The Marine Stewardship Council: A multi-stakeholder approach to sustainable fishing,"Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, Vol 11 Issue 2 Pages 85-94, June 2004,
  11. ↑ Cummins, Alexia (1 June 2004). "The Marine Stewardship Council: A multi-stakeholder approach to sustainable fishing". Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. 11 (2): 85–94. doi:10.1002/csr.56.
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