China is by far the largest producer of fish, whether in the fishing or aquaculture sector. As global supplies explode, the seas continue to empty. Will the fish eventually disappear?

A text by Danielle Beaudoin

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), global fish production has reached unprecedented levels. According to the latest data, the catch fishery in 2014 was 93.4 million tons. The majority of catches come from sea fishing, but around 11.9 million tonnes of fish also come from continental waters.

China remains the top producer of marine fisheries, ahead of Indonesia, the United States and Russia. The Middle Kingdom also dominates inland fishery production. Next are Myanmar, India and Bangladesh.

Fisheries production has been fairly stable since the 1980s. It is aquaculture that has contributed to the strong growth of the world’s fish supply. In 1974, aquaculture accounted for only 7% of total world production. In 2014 it rose to 41%. This year, 73.8 million tonnes of aquatic animals were produced in aquaculture, mainly fish, but also molluscs, crustaceans and amphibians.

China produces more than 60% of global aquaculture production. It ranks first among producers of farmed fish, ahead of India, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Egypt.

The devastating consequences of overfishing

According to the latest FAO report, marine resources are still in poor condition due to overfishing and the situation has not improved.

According to the FAO, almost a third of commercial fish stocks are so overfished that they no longer have time to reproduce. That’s three times as much as in 1974. But the damage doesn’t stop there. Another significant portion of marine resources is being exploited at maximum capacity.

The report highlights that the situation is alarming in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, where 59% of stocks assessed in 2013 were fished “at biologically unsustainable levels”.

What can be done to prevent the death of the seas?

To ensure sustainable management of fish stocks, we need to promote small-scale fishing and limit industrial fishing, says Daniel Pauly, principal investigator of the Sea Around Us project at the University of British Columbia.

The scientist believes that local fishermen should have unrestricted access to areas along the coasts and that industrial fishermen should be restricted to marine areas.

Daniel Pauly gives the example of the cod fishery in Newfoundland. Now that cod is back, why not give Newfoundland’s fishermen privileged access to this resource? “A resource that is now being handed over to industrial fishermen,” he said, “who will destroy the stock again in a few years.” »

Industrial fishermen […] Use huge boats whose fishing capacity is too large compared to the resource. So a big trawler will catch the authorized catch in a few days, in a few weeks, and that’s all. And it is very easy for them to go beyond what is allowed.

Aquaculture, yes, but…

FAO figures show that half of global aquaculture production of animals and plants comes from “unfed species” that survive primarily on plankton and other grasses. These species include: mussels, oysters and carp. This type of breeding is mainly carried out in Asia.

According to Daniel Pauly, this is the best form of aquaculture: “It is a solution that can improve the nutritional situation worldwide.” Of the other form of aquaculture, which is mainly practiced in the West and in which fish have to be fed with fish, is the expert was much less impressed. He cites salmon as an example.

Salmon need to be fed well, and what do we feed them? With sardines, anchovies, fish that are directly edible for humans.

The scientist also proposes the creation of marine protected areas to rebuild fish stocks. He believes that recovery of stocks should also be mandated, as is the case in the United States.

End “appalling fishing methods”

Daniel Pauly explains that the trawler levels everything in its path by plowing up the seabed, leaving only mud and sand behind. It destroys oyster, sponge and coral reefs that took centuries to form.

This change in habitat reduces the ocean’s productive capacity. And we rely on this production capacity because we do not produce seafood, we only harvest it.

“We can also pass laws that force fishermen not to throw away fish they don’t like and to stop discards. Norway does it,” adds Daniel Pauly.

Enough fish to feed the planet?

“Perhaps we will not have enough fish to feed everyone because the sea cannot produce them indefinitely,” believes the specialist. There are of course aquacultures that can produce more fish. But even “good aquaculture” is harmful to the environment and has its limits, adds Daniel Pauly.

In fact, oxygen-free zones in the sea are increasing, fishing is decreasing and we have to be careful. We might even lose what is there now.