Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Radio and print journalists are becoming more articulate in their presentation of
sustainable seafood topics and are increasingly creating opportunities to discuss
these in their programming. Some television producers and several film and
documentary makers have also begun exploring sustainable seafood topics and
use the Guide and the Australian Marine Conservation Society as a key source
of information and advice.
Unfortunately, the Guide has perhaps had less visible impact on the wild fishery
and aquaculture sectors, although it is notoriously difficult to measure the impact in
these areas. In recent times, both sectors have become increasingly sophisticated at
marketing the environmental credentials of their products despite an overwhelming
lack of independent evidence that would support most of these claims. These sec-
tors also continue to enjoy strong political favour, particularly due to their electoral
influence and increasing sophistication of their lobbying tactics. It is encourag-
ing, though, that individual wild fishery and aquaculture operators are striving for
environmental improvement and a small but increasing number of businesses con-
tact the Australian Marine Conservation Society directly to discuss the ecological
sustainability of their operations.
The Guide is encouraging more consumers and the media to ask questions of
government about the sustainability of Australia's wild fishery and aquaculture
sectors. Though it is also difficult to measure this impact, Australian governments
are becoming increasingly aware of the community 'mood' in favour of seafood
sustainability and are beginning to respond. In recent times, Australian governments
have worked more assiduously to constrain fishing effort and reduce ecological
impacts of the fishing and aquaculture sectors, and perhaps the Guide has had some
influence on this trend, particularly in its efforts to prevent overfishing.
However, governments have a long way to go before they can claim that
Australia's wild fishery and aquaculture sectors are sustainably managed. Gov-
ernments still dogmatically protect even the most unsustainable fisheries which,
in the view of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, should have already
been closed, such as deep-sea fisheries (those below 500 m), southern blue fin tuna
and directed shark fisheries. Unsustainable seacage aquaculture ventures and prawn
farming continues to be developed in some regions despite strong opposition from
conservationists.
19.5
The challenges
Delivering sustainable seafood options to consumers and advising on these through
publications such as the Guide, remains immensely challenging in the Australian
context. There is a paucity of information about seafood sustainability, and the com-
plex nature of fishing exacerbates this problem. There is jurisdictional complexity
as stocks are shared between jurisdictions and managed under differing regimes.
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