The State’s peak environment group is urging consumers to think about the environmental impact of their traditional Good Friday fish meal this Easter and avoid overfished species such as Snapper.
“Snapper is currently being fished and eaten at too young an age for the species to sustain itself. For the fish to survive, we should only be eating them when they hit 35cm,” said Cate Faehrmann, Director of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.
“On average, a 30 centimetre long Snapper is only two years old. Not all two year old snapper are sexually mature, and therefore cannot produce eggs. This presents a serious risk to the sustainability of NSW’s Snapper population.
“We need seafood consumers to think about the fish that they eat and ask retailers to serve their Snapper longer than 35cm.
“Overfishing is a serious problem that many people feel is beyond their ability to control. But buying more sustainable species now can have a profound influence on the fishing industry and the wellbeing of marine life.
“This Easter,we urge consumers to say no to Snapper and yes to Australian Sardines. Australian Sardines taste great, are not currently overfished and are relatively resilient to fishing pressure.
“Other species that can be comfortably consumed with minimum impact on numbers include Eastern School Whiting, Luderick, Sea Mullet and Spanner Crab.
“Small changes in our habits now will protect our delicious seafood varieties and mean they can be sustainably enjoyed by future generations,” Ms Faehrmann said.
