Seafood fact file
Sustainability is an attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human & natural environments both now & into the future. It relates to the continuity of economic, social, institutional & environmental aspects of human society & the non-human environment.
Facts about sustainable fishing
Our strict Quota Management System means that the seafood you see for commercial sale in New Zealand has been responsibly fished from a sustainably managed resource.
New Zealand hoki is a certified well managed fishery
It’s safe to eat hoki knowing that it is from a certified well managed fishery. In March 2001, New Zealand hoki became the World's first large whitefish stock to achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. It has since been recertified in 2007. This eco-label independently confirms that New Zealand hoki is a sustainable and well-managed fishery.
The Marine Stewardship Council is an independent, global, non-profit organisation, which has developed a certification standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. It was set up by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Unilever in 1997, but is now run as an independent charitable trust based in London.
Facts about commercial fishing
Our fishermen are among the keenest advocates of protecting marine biodiversity. They know that if the marine ecosystems that grow our fish are not healthy, neither is business.
In 2006 the New Zealand seafood industry proposed the World’s largest marine conservation policy to protect biodiversity and it came into effect on the 15 November 2007. The policy permanently ban bottom trawling in over a third of New Zealand’s deepwater seabed — that’s an area more than four times the size of New Zealand. Read more about the Benthic Protection Areas »
To date, only seven percent of New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone has ever been trawled.
Fishermen don't want to hurt marine mammals
Commercial fishermen use special technology and fishing methods to lessen the chance for marine mammals to be hurt by fishing. Our research has led us to new technology and fishing methods to help us target and harvest only the fish we set out to catch. The fishing gear we use is operated carefully to minimise impact with the seabed and contact with marine mammals and seabirds. The entire New Zealand seafood industry works hard to reduce by-catch of marine mammals and seabirds — our skippers have won national and international acclaim for their seabird-smart work!
To read more about the annual WWF Smart Gear Competition download the article 'Smart Gear competition makes everyone a winner' from Seafood New Zealand:
Fishermen don't want to catch albatrosses
Fishermen don’t like catching anything except the fish they’re targeting. So fishermen don’t ever want to accidentally catch or harm albatrosses. Besides, as all good seafarers know, it’s thought to be very bad luck to harm an albatross.
By using new technologies, and applying by-catch mitigation codes of practice, New Zealand fishermen have reduced the by-catch of albatrosses considerably. With New Zealand long-lining vessels, albatrosses are almost never accidentally caught.
To read more about how the New Zealand seafood industry is proactively working to minimise seabird by-catch click here »
Facts about seafood and mercury
There have been no cases of mercury poisoning caused by eating seafood reported in New Zealand. Average New Zealand intake of mercury is less than a quarter of the recommended maximum safe mercury level.
Health problems only occur where fish are feeding in water contaminated with heavy metals and other poisons. Contamination comes from industrial pollution and from geothermal activity. In New Zealand, geothermal activity can contribute to mercury levels in our rivers, lakes, and oceans, rather than pollution — but even then it is not at dangerous levels. The result is that most New Zealand seafood typically contains significantly less mercury than the World Health Organisation’s recommended maximum safe mercury level.
Canned or tinned tuna is not a mercury risk
The amount of mercury in New Zealand's canned tuna is well within international safety standards. Levels of mercury found in New Zealand canned tuna is typically as low as 0.33 and 0.45 parts per million. This is significantly less than the 1.0 parts per million maximum safe mercury level set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Facts for pregnant women
Pregnant women get many health benefits from eating fish regularly during pregnancy. You should continue to eat species like tarakihi, blue cod, hoki, salmon and canned fish as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
There are only a few species of fish that may contain relatively higher levels of mercury. These include dogfish, school shark, swordfish, marlin, and fish caught in geothermal waters, like trout. Pregnant and nursing mums should only eat one serving of these fish every one or two weeks.
Source: The Nutritional Importance of Foods of Animal Origin in a Healthy New Zealand Diet, Expert Review Committee, Sept 2006
For more detailed information on seafood and pregnancy visit our seafood and pregnancy information page.
New Zealand Food Safety Authority advice for pregnant women »
You can introduce young children to fish or shellfish as part of a healthy diet
Seafood allergy, as opposed to seafood sensitivity, is more common in adults than in children and is most often restricted to only one seafood group. You can introduce fish to an infant’s diet from 9 months of age, but wait until 12 months of age if there is a family history of fish allergy. If you delay introducing fish to the diet (and any other food-types that may cause allergic reactions) you may reduce the risk of fish allergy in later life.
Ministry of Health advice for infants and toddlers »
Facts about seafood and nutrition
Shellfish are not high in cholesterol. Shellfish are very low in saturated fat which is the major contributor to blood cholesterol. Research shows that seafood has a unique combination of low total fat combined with a high percentage of good fats — like omega-3s. This unique combination reduces the amount of blood cholesterol produced in the body after eating a meal of fish.
Top myths about seafood - debunked by dietitians »
Seafood is the only source of high quality omega-3 fatty acids
You must include at least two fish meals per week in your diet to get the best omega-3 health benefits. This is because two high-quality types of omega-3 fatty acid are only found in seafood.
"Eating fish a couple of times a week helps reduce our risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases " National Heart Foundation nutritionist