What does the fisherman net?

A fisherman nets fish. Obviously. But what does the fisherman net for that fish? While it’s important that fish is caught sustainably from healthy stocks, we should also consider the well-being of the entire fishing community.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, no less than 10 to 12 percent of the total world population depends directly or indirectly on fishing. Of that number, 90 percent work in small-scale fishing communities. Nearly all of these people (97 percent live in developing countries (The World Bank, 2012). A total of 3.7 million fishing vessels ply the world’s oceans and “only” 1.7 percent of these can be classified as large-scale. This may seem like a tiny percentage until we realize that these large boats are responsible for 60 percent of the global fish catch (World Ocean Observatory, 2017). With our support, small-scale fishing communities—and all those who depend on fishing for their livelihoods—can continue their sustainable working methods.