A lot of people are thinking about the oceans today thanks to an official designation by the United Nations of World Oceans Day, so it’s a good time to step back and ponder why the oceans are so important. They cover 70 percent of the planet. One out of six people in the world depend on seafood for their protein and 200 million people rely on fishing alone for their income.
Of course much of what we hear about the oceans these day is bad. They’re being emptied of seafood, 90% of large fish like tuna and swordfish have been removed and fishing is fundamentally altering ocean ecosystems. But thankfully, there is some really good news too.
Years ago, EDF chose to focus its Oceans program on catch shares, a proven, innovative management system for fisheries that is proving itself around the world. A raft of new catch share initiatives are moving across the country and the prospects for broad change are growing. That’s certainly something to celebrate – for fishermen, consumers and the oceans.
Are sardines making a sustainable and sumptuous comeback? 
I was pleased that the group tied in the tastings with a bit of history, noting that Cannery Row was once considered the sardine Mecca of the U.S. in the late 1930s. However, by the 1950s the sardine population was severely depleted due to poor fishery management that didn’t take into account natural ocean cycles. 
By Ryan Ono, Gulf Oceans Program Research and Outreach Associate
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