Our seas are overfished, and yet fish is a crucial source of food, nutrition and income for more than 800 million people.
WWF’s Fish Forward 2 Project on Sustainable Seafood Consumption, led by WWF-Austria and with WWF-Bulgaria as a partner, has just been selected for SDG Accelerated Action during the UN Sustainable Development Goal Summit.
Fish Forward is a pan-European project raising awareness of social and environmental impacts of fish consumption. The choice of WWF’s Fish Forward Project as an SDG Accelerated Action demonstrates how imperative the UN now considers the rapid global decline in fish stocks, and the situation’s impact on nature and people.
Our seas are overfished, and yet fish is a crucial source of food, nutrition and income for more than 800 million people – mainly living in developing countries. The EU is the biggest market and importer of seafood in the world, with more consumption of seafood supplied through products imported from non-EU countries rather than through EU catches or aquaculture production. Overfishing, illegal fishing and climate change mostly affect people living in developing countries, where most of the fish we eat is coming from. Choosing and sourcing sustainable seafood benefits both people and nature worldwide. European consumers, corporations and authorities can make a global difference.
This is why WWF and the Environmental Justice Foundation teamed up with partners in Europe and the developing world – to drive the European market and global fisheries in a more sustainable direction. A responsible choice of seafood in Europe is a global driver for change.
The EU co-funded Fish Forward Project raises awareness of sustainable seafood consumption. Fish Forward aims to achieve behavioural change in European consumers and corporations based on an increased awareness and knowledge of the implications of seafood consumption and sourcing choices on people and oceans in the developing countries, but also in Europe.
Expected impacts:
By 2020 consumers and the corporate sector in Europe will be taking responsibility by choosing sustainable seafood as active contributors to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and to climate change mitigation and adaptation;
A multi-channel sustainable seafood campaign engaging 60 million European consumers;
20 companies committing to improve their seafood portfolio, taking climate change, ethical supply chains and SDGs into consideration;
Technical guidance papers and engagement activities will provide EP, EC, and EU MS with enhanced evidence of policy implementation gaps, best practices and compliance opportunities; and
Sustainability assessments and stakeholder engagement processes will better inform producers and local authorities in 5 developing countries.
Whether purchasing domestic or imported seafood products, always go for the sustainable choice. This helps oceans and fish stocks to recover, and supports the livelihoods of people who depend on fish as a source of food and income. Please see WWF’s Seafood Guides for suggestions.
SDG Acceleration Actions
SDG Acceleration Actions are initiatives voluntarily undertaken by countries and other actors to contribute to the acceleration of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. On 24-25 September 2019, the United Nations High Level Political Forum (HLPF) under the auspices of the General Assembly, the SDG Summit, provided the central focus for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. Moreover, the summit identified ways to speed up progress. In addition to the inter-governmentally agreed political declaration, voluntary SDG acceleration actions towards implementation were announced before and during the SDG Summit. SDG Acceleration Actions should:
Facilitate and accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, reflect interlinkages among goals and contribute to policy coherence;
Respect the principles of the United Nations Charter and the 2030 Agenda;
Build on existing successful efforts/initiatives (scaling up, new phase, etc.) or introduce new ones;
Include a means of implementation such as finance, technology or capacity building as an element to help ensure longevity and sustainability of the initiative; and
Follow the SMART Criteria – a commitment that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Resource- based, and with Time-based deliverables.
Lead organisation: WWF-Austria
Partners: ANP/WWF, Environmental Justice Foundation, WWF-Adria, WWF-Bulgaria, WWF- Denmark, WWF-EPO, WWF-Germany, WWF-Greece, WWF-India, WWF-Italy, WWF-Mediterranean, WWF -Philippines, WWF-Poland, WWF-South Africa, WWF-Turkey and WWF-UK
For More Information
www.fishforward.eu
www.fishforward.eu/en/seafoodguides
Source: WWF – World Wide Fund For Nature
