“The fish on your plate is more than a meal — it’s a stake in a fragile global system.”
The latest Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) publication report on agrifood systems sounds an urgent warning: food systems are delivering nutrition today at the expense of the environment and long-term security. For seafood consumers, this means that choices we make — and policies governments set — are shaping the future of our oceans and our access to healthy, local fish.
Hidden Costs in Every Catch
The FAO calls for “true cost accounting” in food systems: looking beyond the supermarket price to include environmental, social and health costs.
“Cheap seafood isn’t really cheap when it costs the ocean.”
For seafood, those hidden costs include over-fishing, habitat loss, weak labour protections and rising emissions from global shipping and doubling up on certification. If we ignore them, we’ll pay later through higher prices, less fresh local fish, and uncertain supply.
What This Means for Seafood Consumers
- Price and availability risks – Climate and policy pressures can make seafood costlier and less predictable.
- Trust and transparency – As global supply chains stretch, consumers need better origin and sustainability labelling.
- Nutrition under pressure – Seafood remains one of the best natural sources of omega-3s and micronutrients, but these benefits rely on stable, traceable supply.
- Local resilience matters – Investing in local fisheries and aquaculture builds food security and community livelihoods.
“The best way to protect your seafood future is to know the species and where it comes from.”
Lessons from the FAO Report
The report stresses that healthy oceans and sustainable seafood systems are integral to global food security. When countries neglect marine ecosystems or allow unsustainable imports to dominate, consumers lose both nutrition and choice.
Research also shows that regulated commercial fisheries — when properly managed — are often more sustainable than loosely monitored recreational or foreign sources. Building resilient, transparent seafood supply chains protects both the environment and consumer confidence.
What We Can Do
- Buy local and traceable: Support fishers and retailers who know the species, origin and harvest method.
- Ask about sustainability: Choose seafood responsibly sourced or verified by credible programs aligned with FAO standards.
- Diversify your diet: Try lesser-known species to ease pressure on popular ones.
- Engage and advocate: Connect with the Seafood Consumer Association or ask policymakers to support balanced, responsible seafood strategies.
“Every seafood purchase is a vote for the kind of ocean future we want.”
Why It Matters
Climate change is already reshaping the seafood landscape — shifting fish stocks, increasing jellyfish blooms, and raising risks in global trade. The FAO warns that without reform, hidden costs will become real costs: supply disruptions, nutrition loss, and higher consumer prices. Most governments who rely on imports are not prepared.
There is hope. If governments, producers and consumers work together, seafood can remain a cornerstone of sustainable nutrition and coastal economies.
The Takeaway
The FAO’s message is clear: food systems, including seafood, must deliver nutrition, fairness and sustainability together.
For Australian consumers, that means supporting responsible local producers and demanding transparency across the seafood supply chain ensuring minimum standards are applied.
For governments, it means recognising seafood as part of national food security — not just a trade commodity.
“Seafood isn’t a luxury. It’s a lifeline — for health, culture and the planet.”
Vision for the Future - Healthy oceans → Sustainable fishers/farmers → Informed consumers