May 22, 2012

France's 2012 fish imports on the rise due to scarcity

A study conducted by New Economics Foundation (NEF) and European fishery association Ocean2012 said that the stock of fish produced in France for 2012 has already run out and the country will rely on imports for the rest of the year.

If France depended exclusively on fishery and aquaculture, its stock of fish would be exhausted on May 21, three weeks earlier compared to 2011.

European citizens consume much more fish than their own seas can produce and are increasingly dependent on other countries, the study said.

The current situation is the result of a decrease in fish catching due to overfishing and stocks decline, and of growing consumption.

France is the fifth major fish consumer in Europe, with 34.2 kilogrammes per person per year.