FAQS:
How do you know you are fishing sustainably?
Sealord supports the Quota Management System in New Zealand which is globally recognised as an effective way to manage fish stocks.
What is Sealord’s position on bottom trawling?
All food gathering has an impact on the habitat, both on land and sea. Sealord’s fishing techniques are not destructive and do not cause any significant adverse impacts. Our goal is to minimise our impact as much as possible and to constantly monitor and do research into this.
Bottom trawling involves netting marine species that are close to or touching the bottom of the sea. It can be divided into two methods, benthic and demersal trawling. Benthic trawling is towing a net at the very bottom of the ocean in the benthic zone and demersal trawling, which is what Sealord and many commercial fishers do, is towing a net just above the benthic zone.
The New Zealand Government's Ministry of Fisheries’ satellite tracking system – which has tracked all large fishing vessels within the country's ocean for more than 20 years - shows that less than 10% of New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone has ever been bottom trawled.
Greenpeace says your tuna is caught using FADs and that this is a destructive fishing method that kills turtles and sharks. Why do you use FADs?
Sealord people ensure we fish sustainably and we apply the same standards when we purchase our tuna from third parties.
FADs (fish aggregating devices) are used by the entire tuna catching industry in the Western Pacific at some stage. Less than half of the tuna from the Western and Central Pacific is caught using FADs.
The UN’s Fisheries Commission (the WCPFC) www.wcpfc.int confirm the survival of endangered species is not threatened by FADs. The amount of non tuna species caught on FADs (other fish species like mackerel) is less than 2% of all catch.
It is important to be responsible with regard to bycatch with any fishing method. Sealord supports the work and assessments being done by the WCPFC and other organisations to protect turtles, dolphins, sharks and other species.
Why don’t you offer the choice of Pole and Line caught tuna?
Pole and Line involves catching fish with bait fish. It has its own sustainability issues (the use of bait and the impact on those bait species and the tendency for juvenile fish to be landed because it is easy to bring them on board) and also quality issues as fish are left to deteriorate in the sun rather than being frozen to a low temperature immediately. The ISSF says pole and line results in juvenile tuna bycatch of 10%
This view is shared by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and ISSF (International Sustainable Fishing Foundation) which says tuna fishing will not be sustainable based upon a shift to one method. This link has more info on their approach and views.
At Sealord we believe care must be taken to reduce bycatch and other environmental impacts with all types of fishing methods.
The movie ‘The end of the Line’ said all the fish will be gone by 2048 – doesn’t this mean I should stop eating fish?
More recent research by Dr Boris Worm, who made the comment about 2048 in the film, has shown this prediction is very unlikely. In July 2009 Dr Boris Worm and Prof Ray Hilborn, along with 19 marine and ecosystem scientists from around the world, released the results of their research and assessment of many of the world's fisheries.
The New Zealand fisheries assessed received the highest possible rating for ecologically sustainable management. According to the authors' analysis, Alaska and New Zealand have led the world in terms of management success by not waiting until drastic measures are needed to conserve, restore and rebuild marine resources.
The research shows that New Zealand is an area where eco-systems have never been overfished and are effectively managed for ecological sustainability. You can watch a summary of this research here.
What does Sealord do to prevent bycatch?
We have introduced innovation such as the line setting tunnel at the back of a vessel which means the line is dropped directly into the water to ensure marine birds are not caught in lines. Bycatch (non-targeted species) is monitored and recorded and technology used to minimise this.