A sustainable future for fish on the horizon

As part of COP26, we're calling for international action to protect precious marine resources

A powerful new documentary released by our Global team highlights the stark reality of the impact of climate change on the fishing industry, and the previously under-recognised role of sustainable seafood in climate policy.   

“Fishing for solutions – the climate catastrophe: the time for action is now”, is a Farelight Productions creation, commissioned by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

As well as providing first-hand accounts of the impact of climate change on fishers across the globe, the film contains a powerful rallying call to policy makers to tackle the causes of climate change, and agree on adaptive, resilient solutions for managing shared fishery resources in the face of profound climate driven shifts in ocean ecosystems. 

Fish accounts for about 17 percent of animal protein consumed by the global population and provides employment for almost 60 million people. Concerningly, hazards presented by climate change pose a major challenge to the businesses, economies and communities that rely on fishing as a source of income and nutrition.  

Sustainable fishing has the potential to make fishing operations more resilient to climate change. Many of the key components of sustainable fisheries management also set fisheries up to be more adaptable to change. They also have the potential to help reduce carbon emissions by increasing the efficiency with which fish are caught. Although individual fisheries have an important role to play in implementing sustainable practices, international cooperation is vital to ensure shared stocks are managed in a way that ensures their long-term sustainability.