From the coast of Oregon to the ports of Indonesia, sustainability isn’t just a catch phrase. Dozens of species are on the rebound, including Gulf red snapper, and chronically overfished species such as canary rockfish, Pacific ocean perch and bocaccio are now fully rebuilt, in some cases years ahead of schedule. Box 2030, Bentonville, AR 72712 | 479-464-1570 | info@wffmail.com | Social Media, Steady intervention from markets has helped improve ocean health and build well-managed fisheries, Distributors are finding new ways to provide consumers healthy, sustainable seafood, A global analysis of how FIPs have grown and evolved since 2015, On average, fish stocks are increasing where they are assessed. In more and more places, we are seeing policies that can ensure that there are enough fish in the ocean to keep oceans healthy while providing livelihoods for fishermen and protein for nearly one billion people. Early life and career. Climate change is real—and it demands a host of rapid responses. Thomson Reuters Foundation is a charity registered in England and Wales (registration number: 1082139), We focus on the human and development impacts of climate change, OPINION: It is long past time for the Department of the Interior to be led by a Native American, U.S. State Department drops legal fight over same-sex couples' children, U.S. Christian groups spent $280m fighting LGBT+ rights, abortion overseas, Woman's suicide prompts Indian state to mull LGBT+ conversion therapy ban, Comic Relief stops sending celebs to Africa after white saviour furore. Lukas Walton chairs the Environmental Committee of the Walton Family Foundation. Together, we have achieved real improvement in fishing practices. It’s the key to healthy oceans and healthy fisheries. Fred Krupp is president of Environmental Defense Fund. He works as the director of the Walton Family Foundation that supports education and protects oceans and rivers. One is to manage fisheries in ways that protect our oceans and the people who depend on them, even as the waters warm. In Chile and Peru, for example, shifting fish stocks are moving rapidly into new waters, and advocates, government officials and fishermen are working together to develop new management approaches in response. But fish also represent another equally important thing: they are signs of possibility and hope. They are an essential source of nutrition for more than a billion people around the world, the cornerstone of the ocean’s food chain and the driver of hundreds of millions of jobs globally. The U.N. report points out that the rate of ocean warming has more than doubled over the last few decades and warming will continue to increase. In just over 20 years, the global seafood sustainability movement has helped turn the tide against overfishing that has damaged or destroyed fisheries. This work is both a proof point that sustainable fishing practices matter, and a mandate for us to do more now. In the face of this dire news, there are practical things that we can and must do to make a difference. Now is the time for nations, advocates and industry leaders to work together to adopt common-sense approaches to building resilient fisheries for the good of ourselves, our children and grandchildren. The family-led foundation also works toward community development and … Philanthropists and advocates, including the co-authors of this piece, have long partnered with fishermen and seafood industry leaders around the world to create and grow the sustainable seafood movement. If you take care of fish, you’re taking care of a world where people and nature can prosper together. This mass migration is pushing nations to manage their fish stocks in new and strikingly different ways, requiring significantly more cooperation, data sharing and fisheries management across traditional boundaries. In the United States, overfishing is at historic lows, while fishing jobs and revenue have grown. Our global editorial team of about 55 journalists and more than 350 freelancers covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Lukas now serves as the Environment Program Committee Chair for the Walton Family Foundation.