The vital importance of robust fisheries management – sustaining what sustains us on World Oceans Day

This Sunday (8 June) is United Nations World Oceans Day and the theme for 2025 is ‘Wonder: Sustaining what sustains us’. 

The ocean sustains we humans in many ways – capturing carbon, providing wellbeing and as a source of nutrition, with fishing an age-old world-wide tradition.

Today, with a new production high of more than 185 million tonnes of fish and aquatic animals being caught annually, it is more important than ever that we consider how we fish and what sustainability really means.

Orca and fishing boat, Strait of Gibraltar

In addition to questions about the sustainability of the fish populations themselves, there are other issues to consider. For example, the recent David Attenborough film Ocean highlighted, among other things, the destructive plight of bottom-trawling on some seabed habitats and EIA has recently produced a report on the welfare and conservation impacts of bycatch of whales, dolphins and porpoises in European waters, documenting the particular problem of static nets.

When it comes to protected species bycatch, including cetaceans, seabirds, turtles and seals, our ambition – and often the law – requires more than sustainability. For some marine species in many parts of the world, the requirement is to minimise and even eliminate bycatch.

Despite this, as EIA’s report shows, in Europe as elsewhere in the world, we are currently failing. Declines in many porpoise and dolphin populations continue due to fisheries bycatch.

As consumers, we are increasingly aware of the serious incidental impacts of fishing. The increasing awareness of seabed destruction and protected species bycatch brings with it a responsibility.

Bycaught dolphin (c) CSIP-ZSL

It is important to be able to make informed choices about purchasing fish that have been caught sustainably. Informing consumers about making better choices can help reduce seabed damage and impacts on protected species, as well as the protecting fish populations.

Providing clear and transparent labelling will help consumers make informed and appropriate choices. But these steps can only be taken if, as a first step, governments require robust fisheries management, using selective fishing methods and with monitoring and measures to prevent destructive fishing activities.

Such measures underscore the importance of sustainable fishing practices, in protecting fish populations, and also in ensuring the long-term health and abundance of marine wildlife and habitats.