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Fish Consumption: Less Fish, More Sea!

October 24, 2024

Worldwide fish consumption is growing rapidly, causing severe problems. In Switzerland, salmon and shrimps are particularly popular.

Fish is one of the most valuable food supplies. It provides high-quality protein, important nutrients, and the famous omega-3 fatty acids. Regardless of the overfishing in the world’s oceans, nutritionists still highly recommend eating fish regularly.

The continued rapid increase in global fish consumption is astonishing. No other animal protein source, whether meat, eggs or dairy products, can keep up with this rate of growth. With an annual increase of 3.1 percent since 1961, fish consumption has grown faster than the world population. According to the 2020 Fisheries Report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), per capita consumption rose from 9 kilograms in 1961 to 20.3 kilograms annually per person living on the planet.

But the distribution of the catch could not be more uneven. In countries such as Ethiopia, Tajikistan or Mongolia, not even one kilogram of fish per capita per year is eaten. In Iceland, Japan or island nations such as Kiribati, consumption is 100 times higher. It depends on nutritional culture and geography, and on proximity to the coast. But it is also a question of money: wealthy countries consume 24.4 kilograms of fish per capita per annum, with the least developed countries consuming 12.6 kilograms per annum.

For some, fish is a fancy meal; for others, it is essential for survival. In countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Gambia, Ghana, Indonesia, Sierra Leone and in the small island states, fish is the most important source of protein. This makes the plundering of fish stocks off the coasts of the South by fish trawlers of the North all the more problematic.

West African fishermen, who catch fewer and fewer fish, poach endangered animals out of necessity: sea turtles, dolphins, sea cows, swamp antelopes, water birds, but also crocodiles, monitor lizards and snakes. Ninety percent of the prey is sold to secure income, the rest is used for subsistence. This was confirmed by interviews with 120 fishermen from Benin and Togo.

The organization Bread for the World warns that: “Food from the world’s oceans must be preserved as a high-protein food and for the livelihood of people in the Global South.”

Fish consumption in Switzerland

Relatively little fish is eaten in Switzerland: according to Statista, each inhabitant consumed around nine kilograms of fish and shellfish in 2020, 96 percent of which was imported. Despite the small fish market, Switzerland has also seen a strong increase in fish consumption of some 60 percent over the past 25 years. Salmon (3,300 tons) and shrimps (2,500 tons) are the most popular products.

When it comes to domestic freshwater fish, trout are the most sought after, followed by perch and pikeperch. However, many Swiss consumers do not pay attention to the origin, regionality or sustainability of the fish that they buy. They are not actually aware of what sustainability in fish products actually means, as researchers have found. The 200 fishing and fish farming businesses in Switzerland produce around 1,700 tons of fish ready for sale from a catch of 3,500 tons. Seventy-five thousand tons of fish and fish products are imported. More than half of the fish consumed is served in restaurants.

Hope for eternal growth

The FAO is almost certain that global fish consumption will continue to rise. Per capita consumption is expected to increase to 21.5 kilograms per annum by 2030. With a global population of over eight billion, fish will then have to be shared among more and more people. Since wild catches have been stagnant for a long time, aquaculture is becoming the most important supplier, with, however, many reported problems:

  • Feeding farmed fish with large amounts of fish meal and soy is not sustainable;
  • The use of chemicals and pharmaceuticals to combat algae, parasites and fish diseases is dramatic;
  • Millions of fish that escape from net pens endanger wild populations;
  • Training and expertise of fish farm operators are often inadequate; and
  • The welfare of fish is not guaranteed in many facilities.

Most consumers however do not seem concerned. For them, the bones are the main problem. But fish is an increasingly delicate food with a large negative footprint. OceanCare therefore recommends to renounce fish consumption. Fish should be for those who are urgently in need of this source of protein.