1 / 14

The Bite Back fisheries campaign “Vis wijzer, vis niet!”

The Bite Back fisheries campaign “Vis wijzer, vis niet!”. Stijn Bruers IARG, July 2011. Situation : biodiversity and overfishing. 88% of EU fish populations are overfished Worldwide : 50% fully exploited , 25% over exploited (FAO)

stash
Download Presentation

The Bite Back fisheries campaign “Vis wijzer, vis niet!”

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Bite Back fisheriescampaign“Vis wijzer, vis niet!” Stijn Bruers IARG, July 2011

  2. Situation: biodiversity and overfishing • 88% of EU fishpopulations are overfished • Worldwide: 50% fullyexploited, 25% over exploited (FAO) • Global fish stocks mightcollapseby 2050 (B. Worm, D. Pauly) • Ecologicalfootprint of fish is 5 to 10 timeshigherthan plant basedsources (algae, seaweed, linseed,…)

  3. > 30 Mtonbycatch Sea >20 Mtonillegal (IUU) captures Companionanimals and furindustry 5 Mton 16 Mton Livestock (animalfeed) 80 Mtonlegal wild fish marine captures Aquaculture (inland) 20 Mton 30 Mton Aquaculture (marine) 20 Mton 60 Mton Humans (fish consumption) 10 Mtonlegal wild fishinlandcaptures >0,1 Mton Humans (fishoil)

  4. Situation: the science of sentience • EU FoodSafetyAuthority (EFSA), “General approach to fish welfare and to the concept of sentience in fish”, Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Animal Health and Welfare, 2009 • “There is scientific evidence to support the assumption that some fish species have brain structures potentially capable of experiencing pain and fear. The balance of evidence indicates that some fish species have the capacity to experience pain.” • “Responses of fish, of some species and under certain situations, suggest that they are able to experiencefear.” • “The stress physiology in fish is directly comparable to that of higher vertebrates.” • “From studies of sensory systems, brain structure and functionality, pain, fear and distress there is some evidence for the neural components of sentience in some species of fish. Our knowledge and understanding of manifestations of sentience in fish, however, are limited.”

  5. Situation: the science of sentience • Pain receptor cells, • Nociceptiveneuralpathways to higherbrainstructures, • Specialized processing systems in the brain, • Specializedtransmittersubstances, • Endogenousopioids and opioidreceptors, • Electrophysiologicalresponses to cuts and bruises, • Suspension of normalactivityassociatedwithnoxious stimuli, • Behavioralavoidance, • Learnedavoidance of places, • Influence of analgesics in reducingresponses • Effects of chronic stress (immune system,…)

  6. Situation: socialintelligence • “Fish are steeped in socialintelligence, pursuingMachiavellianstrategies of manipulation, punishment and reconciliation, exhibitingstableculturaltraditions, and co-operating to inspect predators and catchfood” (Laland et al. 2003)

  7. Situation: fisheries and sentience • Wild catches: very slow deaths of the fish (hooking, drying, compressing, freezing, gutting, suffocating,…). Acute pain cannot be avoided by any means. • Farmedfish: diseases and chronicdistress

  8. Situation: fishconsumption • Toxics: (PCB’s, dioxins, heavy metals, flameretardants,…) • Dangerous: fattyfish, high in foodchain • Omega-3-fatty acids are also in algae, seaweed, linseed, nuts, purslane and otherleafyvegetables…

  9. Objective 2012 reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy • A substantial decrease and phase-out of the European fisheries subsidies, and a redirection of EU funding towards • maritime conservation: using vessels and skills for e.g. cleaning operations (plastic debris, oil spills,…) and tracing of illegal fishing operations. • research, development and promotion of qualitative plant-based alternatives for fish products (novel protein foods based on e.g. algae and seaweed). • In the short term: lowering the Total Allowable Catches in line with most recent independent scientific recommendations, based on an ecosystem approach instead of a single species approach. In the long term a further continuous decrease of the TAC is necessary in order to take the animal welfare and rights into account. • Phase-out of fuel tax exemptions and other perverse subsidies for unsustainable and polluting fishing practices (e.g. deep sea trawlers). • A moratorium on new aquaculture farms and a stronger environmental regulation of existing farms. • A support for marine protected areas. • A general promotion of a shift in consumers’ diets, away from animal proteins.

  10. Actions Banners, flyer, website www.viswijzervisniet.be

  11. Actions • EU Directorate-GeneralMaritimeAffairs and Fisheries: lobbying and action (sept, 2010)

  12. Actions • Council of the European Union (okt., nov. 2010)

  13. Actions • Consumerawareness: Antwerp, Ghent, Leuven,… (national and local TV and media)

More Related