Erwischt

The report finds that Austrian supermarkets have poor sustainability standards for aquaculture, with none meeting half of the evaluated indicators. It highlights the environmental and social costs of 'reduction fisheries' used to produce fishmeal and fish oil, and argues for a decoupling of aquaculture from wild-capture fisheries through alternative feeds.

• Austrian supermarkets demonstrate a significant lack of sustainability in their aquaculture supply chains, with no evaluated retailer meeting even half of the 13 indicators used for assessment. Lidl Austria performed the best with 33% (8 out of 24 points), while METRO had the worst result at 8% (2 points).
• The aquaculture industry is heavily dependent on 'reduction fisheries' for fishmeal and fish oil. Approximately 15 to 18 million tonnes of wild fish are processed annually into these products, representing nearly 20% of the global marine catch, with 70% of this production used to feed farmed fish.
• The use of wild-caught fish for aquaculture feed threatens global food security and local populations in the Global South. In Gambia, for example, one fishmeal factory processed approximately 40% of the country's total reported fish catch in 2016, diverting essential protein from the local population.
• Fish welfare in aquaculture is severely neglected, characterized by high mortality rates and stressful conditions. In Scotland, salmon farm mortality rose from 3.1% in 2002 to 13.5% in 2019, a rate more than three times higher than that of British poultry farms.
• Existing sustainability certifications, such as ASC, MSC, and BAP, are deemed insufficient because they often permit the use of wild-caught fish in feed and fail to assess fish welfare.
• There is a critical lack of transparency regarding feed ingredients in Austrian supermarkets. No chain provided information on feed suppliers, and packaging typically only lists the country of origin, not the type of feed used.
• Sustainable alternatives to fishmeal and fish oil exist, including plant-based proteins from potatoes, wheat, corn, or rapeseed, and microalgae for Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA). However, the use of soy as an alternative is criticized for contributing to deforestation in Brazil.

APA

Fietz, K. (2021). Erwischt. Changing Markets Foundation. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Erwischt_report_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Fietz, Katharina. Erwischt. Changing Markets Foundation, 2021. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Erwischt_report_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fietz |first1=Katharina |title=Erwischt |publisher=Changing Markets Foundation |date=March 2021 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Erwischt_report_FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fietz2021erwischt, author = {Fietz, Katharina}, title = {{Erwischt}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Erwischt_report_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }