SUSTAINABILITY
What is Sustainability or Renewable Resources?
Sustainability, in general terms, means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This concept of sustainability encompasses ideas, aspirations and values that continue to inspire public and private organizations to become better stewards of the environment and that promote positive economic growth and social objectives.
In an ecological context, sustainability can be defined as the ability of an ecosystem to maintain ecological processes, functions, biodiversity and productivity into the future. A natural resource is a renewable resource if it is replaced by natural processes at a rate comparable or faster than its rate of consumption by humans.
Sustainability has become a complex term that can be applied to almost every system on Earth – not only seafood.
Sustainable seafood is seafood from either fished or farmed sources that can maintain or increase production in the future without jeopardizing the ecosystems from which it was acquired. The sustainable seafood movement has gained momentum as more people become aware about both overfishing and environmentally-destructive fishing methods.
For humans to live sustainably, the Earth's resources must be used at a rate at which they can be replenished. However, there is now clear scientific evidence that humanity is living unsustainably, and that an unprecedented collective effort is needed to return human use of natural resources to within sustainable limits.
Goal: Honest, Renewable Seafood for everyone!
How seafood is deemed sustainable
In general, slow-growing fish that reproduce late in life, such as orange roughy, are quite vulnerable to overfishing. Seafood species that grow quickly and breed young, such as anchovies and sardines, are much more resistant to overfishing. Several organizations, including the Marine Stewardship Council and Friend of the Sea, certify seafood fisheries as sustainable.
In the US, the Sustainable Fisheries Act defines sustainable practices through national standards. Although there is no official certifying body like the MSC, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has created FishWatch to help guide concerned consumers to sustainable seafood choices. The NOAA Fisheries’ position is that the "ten National Standards of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, backed up by the principles of other applicable law such as the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Act, function as the US fisheries sustainability standards".
Support Sustainable Managed Fisheries by buying from them!
How do I benefit from buying and eating sustainable seafood?
- Empowerment to purchase responsibly
- Ease of identifying the 'best environmental choice in seafood'
- 'Fell good' factor in heling secure future fish supplies
- Opportunity to be informed about the issues of overfishing and using renewable resources
- Saving on health and its costs
Why is Sustainability important?
Good for the Environment
- Preserves the environment for future generations to exist without having to pay the burden of past generations
- Promotes healthy lifestyles
- Helps save money
- Satisfies the desire to give back to the community
- Fosters an efficient way of doing business
- Helps reduce operating costs
- Opportunity for differentiation and competitive advantage
