Currently, at least 40% of fish stocks are considered overfished. This means they are threatened with extinction! They can only recover if fewer fishes are caught. Healthy fish populations are also important for us humans: according to estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), more than 3 billion people worldwide obtain around 20% of their animal protein from fishes, and in some regions this figure is even higher than half. But in many parts of Europe, our diet is not dependent on fishes. Therefore, we can help combat overfishing by consuming fewer fish products, thereby reducing the impact on food security in other regions.
The “Planetary Health Diet”, which promotes healthy and sustainable nutrition, recommends 0-200 grams of fish meat per week, although 200 grams per week is difficult to justify in terms of sustainability. This means that fish products do not have to be on the menu every week! Once a month is enough. Important nutrients such as selenium, iodine and certain omega-3 fatty acids can also be obtained from foods other than fishes. Certain algae are particularly rich in these nutrients and are also sustainable.
In Switzerland, around 80,000 tonnes of ready-to-sell fishes and seafood were consumed in 2024, which is about 9 kilograms per person! More than 95% of this is imported. This fuels overfishing of the oceans. And since fishes are caught and farmed in huge quantities, the welfare of individual fishes is unfortunately often overlooked. Many fishes suffer stress, panic and pain, even though this is completely unnecessary. In order to do justice to the individual fish, we must turn away from mass production and industrial fishing.
fair‑fish is committed to ensuring that good fish welfare and sustainability are also a priority for you and that fishing and farming conditions become transparent! However, both in aquaculture and in fisheries, the scope for good animal welfare is still limited: according to current knowledge, only a few species benefit from this in farms, and in fishing, it is mainly non-industrial methods that show significant potential for reducing suffering.
Would you like to find out more about the decisions we make when buying fish products, and why? As part of her internship, Aurelia Philipps has written a paper that explores exactly that. Many people would be willing to pay more for better animal welfare, but only if the information is clear, straightforward and trustworthy. Read here.
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