Gourmet seafood markets are now worth over
$1Billion/yr,
and seafood consumption is UP.
Simultaneously,
Sustainability is DOWN
Fisheries around the world are responsible for declines in populations of many non-target marine species, including fish with little or no commercial value, and high conservation value species, like marine turtles and marine mammals. It is estimated that a minimum of 300,000 turtles and 600,000 marine mammals are killed annually in commercial fisheries’ “bycatch”.
*FAO. State of the World's Fisheries and Aquaculture 2016: Contributing to Food security and nutrition for all.
200 (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 2016).
Simultaneously,
Transparency is NEEDED
Intermediaries blur the source of products and value volume over quality seafood.
Data collected on behalf of regulatory entities on seafood catch is commonly inadequate and insufficient.
Fish fraud
makes up more than
30%
of the total amount sold in retail and restaurants. **
2011 Ocean, Bait and Switch: How seafood fraud hurts our oceans, our wallets and our health.
There are over
30 million
small scale artisanal fisheries
Over 35 million people make a living directly from fisheries or aquaculture. And, there are over 90% of people employed globally in capture fisheries are classified as small-scale.
97%
of small-scale fishers
where their income generating activities are critical in alleviating poverty and providing a dietary source of protein*.
Technology can also improve fisheries’ income while protecting their coasts.
Access to mobile technology and local markets can give fishers a strategic commercial advantage. With the right source verification tools and adequate market access, fishers can capture this market and the premiums that come with it.
