The fishmeal industry is an extremely complex sector and one of the things I enjoy in working for IFFO is gaining an in-depth understanding of the whole value chain in fishmeal and fish oil production and its complexities across the globe.
Several media reports in recent months illustrate that the IFFO staff’s general enthusiasm for the fishmeal industry is not always shared, nor is our belief in the importance of an evidence-based and factual approach as a crucial way of communicating the industry’s activities. A reading of some of the reports of fishmeal production by non-specialists would, unfortunately, provide that reader with a picture of the situation that is quite a departure from reality.
As one example of this, recent items on fishmeal, whether they be on television, social media or the internet seem to portray the fishing industry generally as a “free for all” and there is regular reference – incorrectly – to levels of overfishing around the world. The implication is that fisheries are left unmanaged, and in a perpetual state of decline. Sadly, there is little reference to fishery management, regulation and enforcement and the way that industry generally works closely with government and regulators in managing stocks.
Nowhere is the situation of good management better presented than in Peru, the location of a recent trip by IFFO staff to visit members and stakeholders in-country. These are important visits for a trade association like IFFO because it provides an opportunity to engage directly with our members and listen to the issues that are at the heart of the fishmeal production companies.
Read more, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
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