enquiry about small guides for consumers...
Dear Patrick,
Firstly, sorry for the delay in getting back to your request with
regard to 'Sustainable Fish'. In answer to your question we do not
have a booklet that advises on fish products in the manner that you
asked. We were planning to produce such a resource but due to staff
and funding cutbacks we have had to concentrate on other issues.
However here are some thoughts.
When sourcing fish responsibly, origin, quality and traceability are
all hugely important factors, alongside the use of environmentally
friendly capture and harvesting practices. Buying fresh and buying
local is perhaps the best choice that can be made. Where this is not
possible, however; if for example you are sourcing your seafood from
abroad, you should look for Environmental and Quality assurance labels
that can demonstrate that the product has come from a well-managed and
sustainable source.
The variety of schemes available and the practices that need to be
considered when purchasing seafood, reflect the complexity of the
seafood sourcing issue. There are many national and international
schemes in place to assure the quality and safety of seafood. For
example, BIM's own accredited aquaculture Eco-Standards for mussels
and salmon, and internationally recognised, independent eco-labels,
for instance the Marine Stewardship Council label, Seafish Responsible
Fishing Scheme and the Dolphin-friendly tuna logo, among others. These
standards illustrate how a fishery or farm may be managed and operated
in an environmentally responsible manner.
Cod is perhaps one of the most popular and best known fish. It is
recognised that many of the world's cod stocks have been overfished,
and this has lead to both a general increase in the price and a
decrease in the availability of cod. Currently, the cod stocks in the
Irish Sea and much of Europe are subject to EU funded 'Recovery Plans'
which have imposed strict catch and fishing effort limits on fishermen
to help alleviate the pressure on European cod stocks. These recovery
plans hope to bring the stocks up to levels where the species can be
sustainably fished in the near future. Until then, however, much of
the cod that is available at fish counters and on menus, throughout
Ireland and elsewhere, is sourced from the well managed fisheries of
Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands where, cod stocks are found in
healthy quantities and are only fished to a sustainable level. In
Iceland alone, the 2006 quota for fishing cod was almost 200 thousand
tons!
It should be noted, however, that there is no directed cod fishery in
Irish seas. The cod caught in these waters is a by-catch fishery,
where fishermen are given small quotas for cod, especially in prawn
fisheries, so that the cod does not have to be thrown back over-board
as unwanted by-catch. Much technical work has been undertaken to
reduce the level of cod by-catch in these fisheries, through the use
of release doors and modified nets. Work like this also helps to make
cod a more sustainable fishery in Ireland and supports the work of the
EU recovery plans.
In summary, there are a number of issues to consider when buying
seafood but in particular we would advise you to consider the
following:
§ Ensure your fish is fresh and of the highest quality, look
for recognised quality assurance, eco or organic labels or logos or
evidence that the product has been caught responsibly. Ask BIM to
verify this if you are unsure;
§ Don't forget to ask your seafood producer where the product
you are buying was farmed, or the region from which it was caught.
They are obliged to inform you!;
§ Consider the issues associated with buying imported seafood
when planning your menu and sales offerings.
If you would like more details on the work that BIM is doing in this
area please feel free to contact me directly. I will be pushing to get
this info out in a booklet form in the next year and I will keep you
updated on our progress. Also if you are planning any events/workshops
in the area of fisheries please don't hesitate to contact us as we
would be very happy to take part in such events.
Regards
Emmet
Emmet Jackson
Resource Development & Environment Officer
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Bord Iascaigh Mhara
Irish Sea Fisheries Board
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