Today, November 21 is World Fisheries Day! A day to recognize the importance of fisheries and all workers in the fisheries sector. At Fish Tales we celebrate our fisheries every day by highlighting their amazing work. Fisheries are crucial for providing delicious seafood and in ensuring healthy marine ecosystems. Furthermore, many fisheries are closely connected to their local communities and cultural or spiritual values! That’s why we carefully select the fisheries we work with and spread their amazing stories.
Each year, all fish, shrimps, mussels, octopuses and other species are caught by about 38 million fishermen and women worldwide. Do you know where the seafood you buy comes from? Have you ever wondered what their lives and fisheries look like? With every Fish Tales product you will know everything about the fishery. We not only find this information important for you to know as a consumer, but also want to show the entire world how amazing these fisheries are!
For example, did you know that tuna fisherman Bije and his crew are fishing every skipjack tuna, one by one, with pole and line? This method is traditional for the area and is only used by 8% of the tuna fisheries in the world! Or meet David and his crew, they fish for Cornish sardines during the night. Regardless of the cold, waves and wind, the Cornish fishermen go fishing to get the tastiest sardines to your plate! Take a look at our fisheries page for more!
Aside from providing a large part of the world with essential proteins, fisheries are also important in ensuring the livelihood for many people around the globe. Where almost 60 million people work in the primary production of fisheries and fish farms, it is estimated that another 140 million people work in the seafood processing and sales sector! These are the men and women processing, packing and distributing seafood worldwide.
Furthermore, fisheries often have a strong link with cultural values and expressions in many regions. Take for example the culture of herring curing and eating in the Netherlands, the cultural heritage of salmon fishing in Alaska or the tradition of specific fishing methods, such as pole and line tuna around the world. By acknowledging these cultural values, spreading the stories and collaborating with these fisheries we aim to preserve these traditions.
At last, the crucial role fisheries have for the protection of our oceans is often overlooked. Our oceans are facing many human induced threats. Fisheries are certainly one of them. However, fisheries also play a key role in preserving and even the recovery of ocean habitats and fish stocks. They are the ones who are operating the fishing gear, choose the fishing location and capture the fish. We need fisheries who take care of the ocean to make sure that there will be fish for future generations. After all, without fish there would not be any fisheries. We need to make sure that fisheries around the world are aware of their potential impact, are managed-well and refrain from using harmful fishing gear.
At Fish Tales we believe that sustainable fishing starts with the fishermen. The fishermen are in charge, they are the ones who can make sustainable choices in the way they work, the amount of fish they catch, and how they catch it. By cooperating with locally led and sustainable fisheries, we can provide you with the best and most delicious seafood, while the fishermen can provide well for themselves, their families and their communities. Our aim is to visit each fishery we work with before we start our collaboration. Unfortunately this is not always possible, especially during and since the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about our selection criteria for our fisheries in our Mission Report 2021.
Do you want to know more about the fisheries we work with? Try scanning the QR code on our packages to directly enter the fisheries page of the specific fishery. Here you can find all information about the fisherman, the location, fishing method and inspirational recipes! Or find these stories by entering our website directly. Enjoy!
