Environmental Footprint
Explainer Video: Eating Wild Pacific Halibut is Good for You and the Environment
Wild Pacific halibut fishermen and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) continuously work together to look for ways to improve the fishery and ensure sustainable resource management.
Flat out Facts
All food production has an impact on the environment and studies have shown that wild seafood production produces relatively low greenhouse gas emissions. So eating wild Pacific halibut is good for you and the environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT OF FISHING WILD PACIFIC HALIBUT
As a food source, wild Pacific halibut has a low environmental footprint because it:
• Feeds naturally in the ocean
• Requires no land
• Requires no fresh water
The wild Pacific halibut fishery is also structured so fishermen do not have to race to catch the fish, and the number of vessels participating adjusts to match the available harvest. This helps reduce pressure on marine resources and the environment.
FEWER BOATS AND A SLOWER PACED FISHERY MEAN:
• Reduced fuel consumption
• Reduced amount of gear deployed in the ocean
• Reduced amount of lost gear
• Reduced impact on the ocean floor
• Reduced bycatch of other species
• Reduced potential for encounters with seabirds or marine mammals
SPATIAL FOOTPRINT OF FISHING:
The wild Pacific halibut fishery takes place in less than 0.7% of Canada’s Pacific marine area. Continued access to this footprint is vital to ensuring the fishery can continue to meet sustainability objectives.
Protein Scorecard Source: World Resources Institute, 2016
ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT BY DIET TYPE
All food production has an impact on the environment. Studies show that, like plant-based diets, greenhouse gas emissions from a fish-based diet are low.
Source: Peter Scarborough et al. University of Oxford, 2014
Scientific studies take place on an on-going basis to provide the most accurate and current Flat out Facts about the environmental impact of food production including fish harvesting.