Personal action - shopping

You have a right to know what you are eating.  When buying fish choose organically farmed fish, avoid imported seafood and stay clear of fish sticks, shrimp, cod or tuna.

Many seafood species have characteristics that make them particularly vulnerable to overfishing. Ask your fish merchant the following questions - if the answer is "yes" or "I don't know" then make another choice - or visit another fish retailer!

1. Is the species long-lived or slow growing?

   If a species lives more than 20 years, then it can be considered a long-lived species. Such species generally grow slowly, take years to reach breeding age and often grow quite large (eg. cod, shark, ray). They also usually produce fewer offspring and consequently are prone to overfishing.

2. Is it a deep-sea species?

   Deep sea species (below 500 m) are also often long-lived, slow-growing and produce fewer young than shallow water species. Although deep sea species can occur in large numbers, like orange roughy for example, this does not mean that they are productive. They can be quickly overfished. Many scientists and conservationists now believe that fishing deep sea species is unsustainable and should be stopped.

Find out more

The Australian Marine Conservation Society has produced a guide to buying fish sustainably in Australia.

Check out our database of pirate fishing vessels on the Greenpeace International website

Political action

Urge your government to support converting the three areas of international waters into marine reserves to protect future tuna fisheries and breeding areas. Learn more.

If you are in the Pacific, meet or write to your government leaders and officials to encourage a 50% cut in tuna fishing in their waters.