Overfishing, a scourge of our times, reveals WWF report

Over 82 percent of the fishes in the Mediterranean is being overfished and in the last 40 years up to 50 percent of the sea life in the planet has disappeared. The fishery products lost globally could feed up to 20 million people every year. 11-26 million tons of fish of total value ranging from 10-23 billion dollars are illegally fished. Light to the tremendous repercussions of the overfishing casts WWF's report and calls consumers, enterprises and entities to support the fishery sustainability and the responsible consumption of fishes through its new campaign Fish Forward.

Lazarou urged that we "must stop considering the small fish a treat. It is a myth. The fish must keep its juices, to have the right weight and size in order to be cooked and to enjoy it. A small fish is not a treat, it is a murder. We must stop buying baby fish. Let's leave the fishes to grow in order to have them and in the future," he said.

Speaking to ANA-MPA, WWF director Dimitris Karavellas noted: "We have the example of Spain and Italy that through the protection of sea region, the fishing sustainability had impressive results. The population of fishes increased, the fishermen's income rose, the consumers secured a better quality and the traders offered more competitive products".

In Greece, a country that fishing constitutes a main pylon of its productive net, there are 24,000 fishermen. However, Greece imports 36,000 tons of fisheries from over 40 countries while 62 percent of the Greek people does not know where he can find sustainable fisheries. "For how long can we leave this valuable capital go to waste, a capital that could contribute to the country's financial development and to the prosperity of the people that work in the fishing sector."

Referring to the role of the State, Karavellas stressed: "In order fishing to be sustainable it needs a vision and political volition, distribution rules and the implementation of the law.

The picture in the Mediterranean is disappointing and according to WWF's data, however the organisation's head remains optimistic because wherever the sustainable fisheries models were applied the results very encouraging.

It is noted that the National Programme of Exchange Fisheries Data which is Greece's obligation to the EU restarted, with delay, in 2012 with national funds and in 2013 with EU co-financing. The programme was fully implemented in 2014 and with delay in 2015.

The European Union is the largest importer of fisheries and 50 percent comes from the developing countries. The fish covers the protein needed to 3 billion people. Fisheries safeguard an income to 800 million people and their families.

WWF, through its new website wwf.gr/fish urges consumers, enterprises and entities and proposes sustainable solutions for the society and the sea and sounds the alarm bell against the danger of overfishing.