A new paper makes the case that seafood standards focus on environmental sustainability, while failing to take social concerns into account. It argues that unless the standards recognise, for example, the need for decent livelihooods and equitable access to resources, the seafood sector cannot be truly sustainable.
Seafood is the world's most internationally traded food commodity, and approximately three out of every seven people globally rely on seafood as a primary source of animal protein. Many standards exist to steer this crucial economic activity onto a more environmentally sustainable path. But recent scandals have highlighted the widespread use of slave labour and other abusive practices in the sector. A paper published in the journal Science to coincide with the United Nations Ocean Conference in New York (5-9 June) argues that the scientific standards community must now take steps to bring these social issues within the remit of the standards. It proposes some key steps that are needed to ensure the seafood industry becomes socially as well as environmentally sustainable.
Read the paper here, and find out more about Sustain's Sustainable Fish Cities campaign here.
Published Sunday 11 June 2017
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
