The hook on sustainable seafood

Straits Times 30 May 09;

WORLD Wildlife Fund (WWF) ecologist Katherine Short was in Singapore recently to raise awareness of the charity's Marine Network Initiative, and the release of Singapore's first sustainable seafood guide next year.

She tells Victoria Vaughan what Singaporeans can do to help make sure the seafood they eat is sustainable.

# What is sustainable seafood?

Sustainable seafood refers to fish and other marine species that are caught or farmed in a responsible way. With wild fish, this means there is responsible management that allows species to continue to thrive as part of the ecosystem.

There are specific programmes, such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) - an independent organisation set up by WWF and Unilever - that defines responsible management.

# Which seafood should consumers avoid?

The WWF has published guides all over the world. It recommends seafood which comes from responsibly managed fisheries as well as listing fish to avoid and where they are caught.

While the Singapore guide will be out early next year, preliminary research here shows that the species to avoid are bluefin tuna, and leopard coral grouper from South-east Asia.

# How do consumers know which species of fish they are eating and where it is from?

Ask and look for the MSC logo found on products sold in supermarkets such as Cold Storage. If the person serving you does not know, ask the manager. If people begin to ask about what fish they are eating and where it was caught, retailers, restaurants and food service companies will start paying attention.

The MSC's label is the only one which complies with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation's fisheries eco-labelling guidelines. Products with the MSC stamp of approval available in Singapore are listed on the MSC website at www.msc.org

# What if people do not do anything?

Scientists predict that the world will run out of seafood by 2048 if the decline in fish stocks continues at the current rate. There are not enough fish to go around.