Reevaluating Seafood Alternatives: The Environmental Impact of Replacing Wild-Caught Fisheries
Increasing concerns regarding the environmental and ethical effects of fishing have led to a rising demand for agricultural and plant-based seafood alternatives. However, a thought-provoking paper by Duncan Leadbitter at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, University of Wollongong, suggests that moving away from ocean-caught proteins may actually exacerbate biodiversity loss.
The prevailing belief is that agriculture is inherently more sustainable than marine fishing. Leadbitter’s research challenges this notion, noting, “The underlying assumption is that the comparative impacts of agriculture versus fisheries favour agriculture, but this may not be the case, especially when biodiversity is the basis for the comparison.”
The paper criticizes popular documentaries like Seaspiracy and Oceans for propagating the idea that sustainable fishing is unachievable, inadvertently leading consumers to rethink their dietary choices in favour of alternatives perceived as more eco-friendly.
This research originated from a workshop funded by The Marine Ingredients Organisation (IFFO), emphasizing the necessity for responsibly managed fisheries within sustainable food systems and biodiversity conservation. Despite their environmental impacts, agricultural systems are crucial for feeding the growing global population.
Reassessment of Agricultural Strategies
Dr. Brett Glencross, IFFO’s Technical Director, stated, “More tools are needed to enable objective, localized comparisons between the biodiversity impacts of land-based animal protein production and marine fishing.” To address this, IFFO is launching a pilot project designed to enhance discussions around biodiversity, aiming to provide indicators for measuring environmental impacts and assisting decision-making.
Land Use and Biodiversity Concerns
Currently, around half of the Earth’s arable land has been transformed from natural habitats into agricultural production, significantly driving terrestrial biodiversity loss. Approximately 83% of this agricultural expansion in the 1980s and 1990s replaced tropical forests, 77% of which is dedicated to livestock production, with the remainder supporting crop growth, some of which is used as animal feed.
Aquaculture is increasingly dependent on fed systems that often utilize fishmeal derived from wild fisheries; however, the use of plant-based alternatives, such as soy, is on the rise. The paper argues that replacing animal protein sourced from marine fisheries may necessitate an additional 5 million km2 of land—an area larger than Brazil’s intact rainforests. Additionally, a complete transition to plant-based diets in aquaculture would require over 47,000 km2 of new agricultural land.
The importance of integrated food systems cannot be overstated. Failing to conduct holistic assessments of feed ingredients and food production systems risks merely shifting environmental impacts from ocean to land, the researchers caution.
“Well-managed fisheries do not fundamentally alter ecosystems the way agriculture does, and there’s significant progress being made in enhancing fisheries management,” the researchers concluded. “Decisions made today regarding food production will have lasting implications on land use and biodiversity in the future.”
Conclusion
As the community grapples with food sustainability and environmental challenges, this research calls for a reevaluation of dietary choices, highlighting the importance of understanding the complex relationships between agriculture, aquaculture, and biodiversity.
Further Reading
Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture, 1–13.
Biodiversity Consequences of Replacing Animal Protein From Capture Fisheries With Animal Protein From Agriculture.
Leadbitter, D. et al
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