Fishing responsibly and sustainably.

Abstract

In their Policy Forum “Committing to socially responsible seafood” (2 June, p. [912][1]), J. N. Kittinger et al. do an admirable job of highlighting the need for marine scientists to catch up with other stakeholders in the growing discipline of socially responsible food. However, efforts to provide and research socially responsible seafood should not replace the work to ensure that seafood is sustainably managed. Unfortunately, fishing operations can use their efforts to combat the socioeconomic problems associated with industrialized fishing as an excuse to let slip their commitments to sustainable fishing. As Kittinger et al. rightly point out, bad actors engaging in social malpractice depress the cost of seafood and simultaneously allow for overexploitation over the long term. However, efforts to solve social issues—such as increased wages, improved living conditions, and access to better food and health care—should not be used as incentives to catch and sell more fish in the short term in order to offset the true cost of labor. In a recent study of the impacts of each marine sustainable development target on the others, researchers concluded that ending overfishing is the most common prerequisite for the success of other targets on the United Nations' sustainable development plan ([ 1 ][2]). Overfishing cannot be used to pay for fundamental human rights. ![Figure][3] Socially responsible fishing practices could lead to overfishing to recoup labor costs. PHOTO: DUYBOX/ISTOCKPHOTO At the UN Oceans Conference, several companies, along with environmental organizations and some national governments, endorsed the Tuna 2020 Traceability Declaration ([ 2 ][4]). The Declaration commits not only to catching or sourcing socially responsible tuna but also to combatting illegal fishing, implementing sustainable fishing practices, recovering overfished stocks, and moving fisheries management toward the development and use of previously agreed-upon harvest control rules when making management decisions. Through the language of the Declaration, the endorsers demonstrated their joint commitment to social and environmental responsibility. This can be a model for other seafood products around the world. 1. [↵][5]1. G. G. Singh et al ., Mar. Policy 10.1016/j.marpol.2017.05.030 (2017). 2. [↵][6]1. D. Waughray , Tuna 2020 Traceability Declaration: Stopping illegal tuna from coming to market (World Economic Forum, 2017); [www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/06/tuna-2020-traceability-declaration-stopping-illegal-tuna-from-coming-to-market/][7]. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aam9969 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: pending:yes [4]: #ref-2 [5]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text [7]: http://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/06/tuna-2020-traceability-declaration-stopping-illegal-tuna-from-coming-to-market/