In a new report, the conservation group WWF has revealed that over half of the world’s fisheries are not exploited at the “appropriate level,” meaning they are underutilized.
“In a world where global warming threatens the world fish stocks, it is time to acknowledge and acknowledge the true value of these oceans,” said WWF CEO Hugh Williamson in a statement.
“There is a growing body of evidence that shows the value of fishing in the oceans.
But the vast majority of the fishing done in the world today is not sustainable, or it is underused.”
In order to calculate how much fish are being caught by the oceans, WWF analyzed data from fisheries agencies around the world.
The group found that of the more than 60,000 fisheries around the globe, nearly 2,000 are not being exploited at a level that “is sustainable,” or at least not being used as intended.
As of June 30, the world had 4,945 fishing vessels operating in international waters, a figure that includes vessels fishing for other types of fish, including shrimp, fish and squid.
“The numbers tell the story of a lack of sustainability in fisheries,” said Paul Dreyer, WWF’s oceans and fisheries policy director.
“We need to find a way to get fishing in sustainable ways.”
In the report, WWF found that fishing for shrimp and fish was the most productive fishing activity in the ocean.
“Fishing for shrimp has become a critical part of a sustainable fishing economy,” said Dreyers.
“It is the backbone of our economy and it is also the backbone for the sustainability of our oceans.”
In addition to the shrimp fishery, the group also looked at other fish and shellfish species for the sustainable harvest.
The report found that more than one-third of the fisheries worldwide are not fishing for any other species, which means that “fish species that are not considered essential to the sustainability and quality of our fisheries are being missed by fisheries managers.”
The WWF’s findings are in line with the recent findings from the World Wildlife Fund, which concluded that only about 1% of the fish stocks in the global oceans were being used for food, and the rest of the food supply was being lost.
“These numbers tell us that there are many fisheries that are overutilized and over-exploited,” said Gary Kupchan, WWF senior fisheries analyst.
“What we need to do is to take more action on fisheries management.”