Fish, loved and consumed all over the world, is always recommended by doctors and nutritionist for its beneficial properties and healthy nutritional intake.
This food supports body growing and, at the same time, the people who are directly involved in fishing and who find in fishing a work to keep their standard life.
Fish consumption has increased over time, 20kg per capita in 2014, less than 11 kg more than in 60s. Also people involved in activities related to the industry have grown and today are more than half a billion.
But what is the situation in our seas?
Researchs describes a marine ecosystem in danger, threatened by a strong exploitation. Trapping methods, more and more industrialized and intensive, are destructive and cruel, and bring with them many negative consequences: damage to the seabed, death of young fish, pregnant or species that, although not of interest for the sale , end in nets. As a result, today more than three-quarters of the world’s fisheries are over-exploited and, in many cases, at risk of collapse.
What are we doing about it?
Regulation of excessive fishing and sea protection is a priority expressed even by the new Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030: “conserve and use in a sustainable way oceans, seas and marine resources,“.
Through the collaboration of international and local partners has been initiated the creation of a network of protected marine areas in the Mediterranean sea, to achieve by 2020, to keep biodiversity and safeguard of fish stock. This activity is linked to the implementation of precise rules, the establishment of a market share and all the activities of awareness and information of populations.
Fishing at Expo2015
In Expo there are many pavillions that cover the subject of oceans health and marine ecosystems. Within these we report the Principality of Monaco Pavilion, where scenography and architectures elaborated leave space to semplicity, to focus all on communication and dissemination of multiple themes awareness proposed by Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
The Pavilion is called ‘hangar of ideas’, and is composed by eleven exposition stations realized with wood boxes symbolizing the initiatives and actions, thanks to Expo 2015, will be ready to be “sent” worldwide.
The tour of pavilion is enriched by movies and simulation and game experiences that, apart of catching the attention of visitors, help learning. An example? You can drive virtual boats and fish in the ocean, being careful, avoiding the protected species. Interesting and suggestive is the station dedicated to the invasion of jellyfish. The exponential growing of their number is strictly connected to the excessive fishing and, in turn, contributes to the disappearence of fish: a vicios circle to break.
What can we each do
We can support the wellness of the oceans during our daily purchases, simply by choosing consciously. For example, if eatable fish species are various and different, but we limit ourselves to eat just some of these, the latter will be necessarly in danger of extinction. In the Mediterranean eatable fishes are more than 180. Did you know that even fishes have a own seasonality? In order to do a more conscious expense you can follow Mr.Goodfish tips, the mascot of the homonymous campaign promoted by the World Ocean Network and supported, within others, also by Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. Mr Goodfish suggest the best species based on season and location and offers tasty recipes.
Originally written by Sara Marsili. Translated into English by Alejandro Santos.