According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of harvested aquatic species, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats, purpose of the activities or a combination of the foregoing features".  

 

Directly or indirectly, the livelihood of over 500 million people in developing countries depends on fisheries and aquaculture.

 

Close to 90% of the world’s wild fishery catches come from oceans and seas, as opposed to inland waters. These marine catches have remained relatively stable since the mid-nineties ranging from 80,000,000–86,000,000 tonnes.

 

A small number of species support the majority of the world’s fisheries. These species include herring, cod, anchovy, tuna, flounder, mullet, squid, shrimp, salmon, crab, lobster, oyster and scallops. All except the last four provided a worldwide catch of well over 1,000,000 tonnes in 1999, with herring and sardines together providing a harvest of over 22,000,000 metric tons in 1999.

 

Friend of the Sea Criteria for Sustainable Fisheries require:

- target stock to be not overexploited

- fishery to generate maximum 8% discards

- no bycatch of endangered species

- no impact on the seabed

- compliance with regulations (TAC, IUU, FOC, minimum size, etc)

- social accountability

- gradual reduction of carbon footprint

 

Over 85 fisheries in all oceans have been found to be compliant with Friend of the Sea criteria and are considered approved. 23 fisheries origins have NOT been approved as they were not compliant with one or more Friend of the Sea criteria.

 

ALFONSINO

ANCHOVIES

BLUE COD

BRILL

  • Netherlands - Noordzee Vissers Consortium III fleet - Sumwing - Scopthalmus rhombus - FAO 27 North Sea

CLAMS

COD

CROAKER

  • Ghana - Artisanal fishery - Purse seine - Cassava Croaker - Pseudotolithus spp - FAO 34

CUTTLEFISH

DAB

  • Netherlands - Noordzee Vissers Consortium III fleet - Sumwing - Limanda limanda - FAO 27 North Sea

FORKBEARD

FROSTFISH

GROUPER

GURNARD

JOHN DORY

KINGFISH

KRILL

  • Norway - Olympic Seafoods - Midwater trawl - Euphasia superba - FAO 48, Sub 48.1 and 48.2
  • USA / China- Neptune / Shangaii Fisheries General Corp - Midwater trawl - Euphasia superba - FAO 48, Sub 48.1 and 48.2

LOBSTER

MACKEREL

MENHADEN

MOONFISH

PERCH AND PIKE PERCH

PINK CUSK EEL

PLAICE

  • Netherlands - Noordzee Vissers Consortium III fleet - Sumwing - Pleuronectes platessa - FAO 27 North Sea

POMPANO

PORAE

PRAWNS and SHRIMPS

SALMON

SARDINES

SEABREAM

SHARKS

SHRIMPS

SOLE

SMOOTH PUFFER

  • Ghana - Artisanal fishery - Line and Purse Seine - Lagocephalus laevigatus - FAO 34

SNAPPER

SQUID

SWORDFISH

TREVALLY

TUNA

TURBOT

  • Netherlands - Noordzee Vissers Consortium III fleet - Sumwing - Psetta maxima - FAO 27 North Sea

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