56 / 72
56
When unmanaged catch is added to the figures, the number rises
to approximately 40 million tonnes of fish and other seafood.
Unmanaged catch refers to catch “that does not have specific
management to ensure the take is sustainable” (Davies
et al.
2009).
In European fisheries alone approximately 2.3 million tonnes of
fish is discarded in the North Atlantic and the North Sea each year,
accounting for about 40 to 60 per cent of all fish caught in Europe
(Stuart 2009; Schäfer
et al.
2010). Bycatch is especially high in
shrimp fisheries with discard rates as high as 95 per cent of the
total catch (Clucas 1997). Small-scale fisheries are reported to
show considerably lower discard rates than large-scale fisheries.
In developing countries, discard percentages of the total catch of
small-scale fishing operations have been estimated to be as low
as 1 per cent (World Bank 2012).
Elsewhere the magnitude of bycatch is high, resulting in extreme
losses of food for humans. Based on the global figure of bycatch,
it is estimated that the loss of food through bycatch is enough
to meet the total protein calorie needs of 370 million people.
6
Although not all bycatch is discarded or suitable for human
food and some can be re-fished, bycatch and discards cause an
enormous amount of food waste. Converting suitable bycatch
to aquaculture feed is one way of reducing fish waste while
also increasing fish availability. One estimate suggests that
the amount of fish discarded at sea can support a 50 per cent
increase in aquaculture production – approximately the same
increase needed to maintain per capita fish consumption at
current levels by 2050 (Nellemann
et al.
2009).
Ecosystem approaches to managing aquatic
ecosystems
The desperate situation of the world’s fish stocks has
resulted in a critical review of prevailing practices in fisheries
management. For example, many critics argue that the
fisheries management within the European Union has largely
failed to manage its fish resources sustainably because short-
term jobs have been given priority over protection of fish
stocks. Within the European Union, the annual fish quotas
in recent years have been 48 per cent higher than scientists’
recommendations and this has resulted in 88 per cent of
Europe’s fish stocks being overexploited (Schäfer
et al.
2010).
6. Estimate is based on findings from Davies
et al.
(2009), average protein
in fish and average daily protein needs for people.