International non-profit organisation the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) will be highlighting the vital role Australians can play every day to help keep our oceans healthy and teeming with life, with the announcement of Australia’s first ever Sustainable Seafood Week, happening 12-18 March 2018.
MSC, in partnership with Taronga Zoo’s famous Seal Show, will be using the week to highlight the need for consumers to safeguard Australian seafood supplies. By simply opting for seafood products that bear the MSC blue fish tick, Australians will be helping to keep our oceans teeming with life for years to come.
With 95 percent of Australian households purchasing seafood each year, MSC ambassador and celebrity chef, Scott Gooding, says it’s important for consumers to be informed on how to make sustainable seafood choices in order to maintain the health of Australia’s native ocean life.
“Australians consume roughly 19kgs of seafood each year, and it’s only expected to increase in the next decade,” says Scott. “The MSC blue fish tick guarantees consumers are choosing sustainable seafood that safeguards seafood supplies for future generations.”
MSC ambassador, marine scientist and model Laura Wells believes Sustainable Seafood Week will help drive conversation about Australia’s marine habitats and the complex interplay between species, including native Australian sea lions.
“There’s already strong support for protecting the ocean’s food-chain, with 75 percent of Australian seafood consumers believing seafood should only come from sustainable sources to help protect marine species such as our beautiful sea lions and seals,” says Laura.
“They are one of many creatures to be affected by unsustainable fishing, and by purchasing MSC’s blue fish tick, consumers are helping to safeguard meals for seals!”
MSC’s Oceania Program Director, Anne Gabriel says with growing global populations, choosing sustainable seafood is important now more than ever. About one billion people depend on seafood as a primary source of protein, mostly in the developing world. Australians are lucky to have a variety of certified sustainable seafood to choose from to do our part to keep our global oceans healthy.
“We’re proud of the support we have from partners such as Taronga Zoo, to highlight the importance of minimising impacts to sea life such as Australian sea lions and seals through choosing seafood which can be traced back to certified sustainable fisheries,” says Ms Gabriel.
“MSC has set the standard for fisheries across the globe with the world’s most recognised certification program for sustainable, wild caught seafood, ensuring the option is there for consumers to make the right decision to keep their diet, and our native species, forever wild.”
For more information about Sustainable Seafood Week 12-18 March 2018, please visit the MSC website: https://www.msc.org/foreverwild