Fishing for Catastrophe

The report argues that the production of fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) for aquaculture is precipitating the collapse of fish stocks and compromising food security in the Global South. Investigations in India, Vietnam, and The Gambia reveal rampant illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing, including the capture of juvenile fish and the use of illegal nets. The report establishes links between these unsustainable practices and major European aquafeed companies and retailers. It further critiques the Marine Ingredients Organisation (IFFO) certification as a 'sustainability smokescreen' and warns that the industry's reliance on finite wild-fish resources poses a systemic risk to the aquaculture sector's long-term viability.

• The production of fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) for global aquaculture is accelerating the collapse of fish stocks and threatening food security in India, Vietnam, and The Gambia, particularly as oceans are already stressed by climate change and pollution.
• In India, FMFO plants are indiscriminately accepting 'all fish', including juvenile fish caught with illegal nets and species not previously targeted, leading to a 'sardine crash' and a shift toward extracting reef species like leatherjacket and red-tooth triggerfish.
• Vietnamese fisheries are characterized by significant underreporting of catches and unauthorized transshipment, with boats regularly fishing illegally in Malaysian and Indonesian waters due to the depletion of local stocks.
• In The Gambia, the FMFO industry has a massive scale relative to national catches, with one plant alone accounting for approximately 40% of the country's total reported fish catches in 2016, while products are often exported illegally without food-safety certificates.
• The report identifies direct and indirect links between unsustainable FMFO sourcing in Asia and Africa and major European retailers, including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, ALDI, Lidl, and Carrefour (via various aquafeed and processor intermediaries).
• The Marine Ingredients Organisation (IFFO) certification is described as a 'sustainability smokescreen' because it certifies plants with proven links to unsustainable fishing and suffers from a conflict of interest due to its role as both a trade association and a certification body.
• The aquaculture industry faces a systemic resource risk as global demand for FMFO is projected to outstrip supply, leading to increased price volatility and costs, which is exacerbated by climate change impacts on key producers like Peru.
• FMFO production causes severe local environmental degradation, including the discharge of untreated wastewater into mangroves and rivers in India and The Gambia, and creates noxious odors that damage local ecotourism.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2019). Fishing for Catastrophe. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CM-WEB-FINAL-FISHING-FOR-CATASTROPHE-2019.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Fishing for Catastrophe. 2019. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CM-WEB-FINAL-FISHING-FOR-CATASTROPHE-2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Fishing for Catastrophe |date=October 2019 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CM-WEB-FINAL-FISHING-FOR-CATASTROPHE-2019.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2019fishing, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Fishing for Catastrophe}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2019}, month = oct, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/CM-WEB-FINAL-FISHING-FOR-CATASTROPHE-2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }