Fishing the Feed

The ocean covers two-thirds of our planet and plays a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth. However, overfishing, pollution, growing demand for natural resources and climate change are placing ocean ecosystems under extreme stress. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that over 90% of global fish stocks are either overfished (33.1%) or fished to maximum sustainable levels (59.9%). Chronic over-harvesting of fish and other species poses a threat to biodiversity, to the long-term sustainability of fisheries and to the people who depend on them for their lives and livelihoods. Despite these trends, global seafood consumption has doubled over the past 50 years and roughly half of world fish consumption today comes from aquaculture. Proponents of the industry claim aquaculture has the potential to deliver affordable, healthy protein and could provide a way of diverting pressure from wild fish stocks. However, the industry is failing to deliver on this promise due to its continued reliance on wild-caught fish; almost one-fifth of the world’s total catch of wild fish is processed into fishmeal and fish oil that is fed to farmed fish. This campaign highlights the impacts of using wild-caught fish to feed farmed fish on marine ecosystems and food security and sheds light on murky global supply chains.

Spotlight

Feeding a Monster: How European aquaculture and animal industries are stealing food from West African communities

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Reports

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Floundering Around: graphic of fishing boat with nets

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Nov 2021 Report
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Investing in troubled waters: the material risks of fish mortality and the use of wild-caught fish in feed for the aquaculture sector

This report shows investors could be doing much more to push companies to rapidly address two critical business risks: the use of wild-caught fish in feed and high mortality rates that stem from poor fish we...

Jul 2021 Report
Feeding a Monster: graphic of fisher carrying fish

Feeding a Monster: How European aquaculture and animal industries are stealing food from West African communities

This report uncovers how each year, over half a million tonnes of wild-caught fish are taken out of the oceans around West Africa and ground down into fishmeal and fish oil to feed farmed fish and animals.

Jun 2021 Report
Dans les mailles du filet. graphic of supermarket fish shelves

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This report evaluates the performance of the eight biggest food retailers in France when it comes to protecting our oceans and offering their customers sustainably farmed fish and seafood.

May 2021 Report
Erwischt: Wildfisch graphic of woman with trolley in supermarket

Erwischt: Wildfisch als Fischfutter für Aquakulturen!

This report outlines how effectively Austrian retailers are safeguarding the health of the oceans and fish welfare through the sustainability of their aquaculture supply chains. Read our German language report:

Mar 2021 Report
Überfischung - graphic of shopper pushing trolley in supermarket with fish shelves

Überfischung: Wildfisch als Fischfutter in Aquakulturen – Schweizer Detailhändler im Vergleich

This report outlines how effectively Swiss retailers are safeguarding the health of the oceans and fish welfare through the sustainability of their aquaculture supply chains. Read our German language report:

Feb 2021 Report
Atrapados: graphic of shopper in supermarket near fish counter

Atrapados: Cómo los supermercados españoles abordan el empleo de pescado salvaje en su cadena de suministro acuícola

This report looks at how effectively Spanish supermarkets are safeguarding the health of the oceans, through the sustainability of their farmed fish supply chains. Read our Spanish language report:

Dec 2020 Report
Futter Bei Die Fische: graphic of supermarket fish shelves

Futter Bei Die Fische: Ein Bericht zum Umgang von Groß- und Einzelhändlern in Deutschland mit Wildfisch als Fischfutter in ihren Aquakultur-Lieferketten

This report assess how effectively the top seven German supermarkets are addressing the ocean sustainability implications of the farmed seafood they sell. Read our German language report:

Dec 2020 Report
What Lies Beneath - graphic of pollution entering ocean from factories

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This report calls for a rapid phase-out of the use of wild-caught fish to feed farmed fish and other farmed animals.

Nov 2020 Report
Caught Out: graphic of man choosing fish in supermarket

Caught Out: How UK retailers are tackling the use of wild fish in their aquaculture supply chains

This report scores the top 10 UK supermarkets to assess how effectively they are addressing the ocean sustainability implications of the farmed seafood they sell, which remains largely reliant on the use of ...

Mar 2020 Report
Fishing the Feed 1

Fishing for Catastrophe

This report presents damning evidence that the production of fishmeal and fish oil for use in the growing global aquaculture industry is destroying fish stocks, marine ecosystems and traditional livelihoods.

Oct 2019 Report
Until the Seas Run Dry: How industrial aquaculture is plundering the oceans

Until the Seas Run Dry: How industrial aquaculture is plundering the oceans

This report shines a spotlight on the environmental and social impacts of reduction fisheries - the use of wild-caught fish in fishmeal and fish oil to feed farmed fish.

Apr 2019 Report

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