New findings released by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) show growing concern among the public around the world about the state of the world’s ocean, accompanied by a rise in those saying their buying habits can make a difference to this threat.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organisation which sets globally recognised, science-based standards for sustainable fishing and the seafood supply chain. The MSC ecolabel and certification program recognises and rewards sustainable fishing practices and is helping create a more sustainable seafood market.
The independent survey of attitudes to seafood and ocean health – carried out by GlobeScan in 23 countries and involving 25,000 people – is the largest of its kind in the world. It found that almost 90% of respondents were worried about the state of the ocean, with the Portuguese, South Koreans, and French the most worried and the Chinese, Polish, Singaporean and South African the most optimistic.
Top of concerns about the ocean were pollution (65%), overfishing (44%), and climate change (37%). With over a third of the world’s fish stocks overfished and climate change changing marine ecosystems, the survey shows consumers are more aware than ever of the impact their choices have on the ocean.
Amongst the key findings, there has been a sharp increase (8%) from two years ago in seafood consumers who believe their choices can make a difference to the health of the ocean. Almost three-quarters (73%) of consumers surveyed believe that people should eat seafood from sustainable sources, up from 65% compared to 2 years ago.
China, Germany, and Sweden led the rankings for countries where consumers said they had changed their diet for environmental reasons. Buying sustainable seafood is the most common action that seafood consumers globally say they have taken to protect the ocean (24%), with 18–34-year-olds globally much more likely than older consumers to have taken action to protect the ocean in the past year.
Globally, the top reasons for protecting the ocean were that a healthy ocean is necessary for the future health of the planet, (63%), to prevent ocean wildlife from going extinct (60%) while 51% said they wanted their children and grandchildren to have a healthy ocean.
Rupert Howes, Chief Executive of the Marine Stewardship Council, said “there is deep concern about the future of the ocean, but the clear message from this global survey is that more people than ever are recognising that their choices can help change that. It is essential that we act now to safeguard the ocean’s biodiversity, food supplies and the livelihoods that depend upon them. Consumers and markets are a powerful force for change, rewarding fishers who are fishing our ocean sustainably. However, given the scale of the challenge, it is essential that governments play their part, to ensure that fisheries around the world are managed sustainably.”
