{"id":30429,"date":"2024-05-13T15:59:14","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T19:59:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/?p=30429"},"modified":"2025-04-18T12:51:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T16:51:59","slug":"founded-on-fish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/","title":{"rendered":"Founded on Fish"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How Oceana is campaigning to protect abundant oceans in Canada and Peru<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Search for the world\u2019s longest, most sprawling coastline and you\u2019ll find it in Canada. Look for the world\u2019s largest fishery and you\u2019ll end up surrounded by millions of anchoveta in the waters of Peru. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s no surprise that fishing looms large in these two countries, driving their economies and providing
a cultural touchstone to rich traditions. Both countries depend on abundant fish \u2014 especially those at the bottom of the food chain \u2014 and flourishing ocean habitat for fish to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it established campaign teams in Canada and Peru in 2015, Oceana has fought to ensure that healthy fisheries and healthy habitats last far into the future, just as they have thrived in centuries past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Capelin has suffered a steep decline, currently at just 9% of its historic population off northeast Newfoundland and Labrador.
\u00a9 Oceana Canada \/ Nicholas Hiscock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
A resident of Newfoundland and Labrador uses a cast net to catch capelin for personal use at Middle Cove Beach. \u00a9 Oceana Canada \/ Nicholas Hiscock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The capelin are coming<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When tens of thousands of shiny silver fish roll up onto the shores of Canada\u2019s easternmost province, Newfoundland and Labrador, word spreads fast. Every year, the small forage fish, called capelin, come to spawn on the beaches during the summer. And they draw scores of northern cod, humpback whales, sea birds, and, of course, human observers, with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe capelin leaps out of the ocean and into the above-surface realities for people,\u201d describes Shane Mahoney, a resident of Newfoundland and Labrador and founder of Conservation Visions Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People gather at coves known as capelin hotspots to scoop up the fish with nets or whatever buckets \u2014 or, in the case of some college students, pasta strainers \u2014 they have on hand. Local beaches transform into festivals, lit with campfires, covered in beach blankets, and brimming with family picnics. For kids, the annual event known as the \u201cCapelin Roll\u201d might be their first encounter with Canada\u2019s oldest industry: wild fisheries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capelin has been harvested alongside cod since humans have lived in Newfoundland and Labrador. People cook with capelin, or find other uses like fertilizer, bait, or dog food. \u201cThis fish is quite democratic,\u201d says Jack Daly, Marine Scientist at Oceana Canada. \u201cEverybody can grab it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, aside from the summertime Capelin Roll fishing bonanza, capelin are largely caught by Canada\u2019s fishing industry and exported to Japan, China, and Europe. Capelin eggs draw demand as roe for sushi. After intense industrial fishing, capelin has now suffered a steep decline, currently at approximately 9% of its historic population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many, this trajectory eerily echoes the infamous northern cod collapse of 1992, when one of Canada\u2019s most prominent fisheries disappeared after years of overfishing and poor environmental conditions. When Oceana partnered with a Canadian polling agency to conduct a survey in Newfoundland and Labrador, it found that over 80% of people in the province support closing the commercial capelin fishery so the fish can recover before it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think everyone belongs as part of the decision-making process. [Even if] you are not a fish harvester, you\u2019re still a human being who needs to live on this planet, eat somehow, and deal with the consequences of climate change,\u201d says Jasmine Paul, a fourth-generation commercial fisher in Newfoundland and Labrador. \u201cI think everyone should be involved and have as much information as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All about rebuilding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Capelin is not an isolated case. Less than one-third of Canada\u2019s fish stocks can be considered healthy today, Oceana\u2019s 2023 Fisheries Audit found. The rest are in critical or cautious zones, or have an unknown status. Since its establishment in Canada, Oceana has focused on rebuilding Canada\u2019s fisheries, starting with making scientific information about the status of fish populations available to the public for the first time in 2017 \u2014 and every year since.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
A fisher cleans his catch of Atlantic cod in the fishing village of Quidi Vidi, Newfoundland and Labrador. \u00a9 Oceana Canada \/ Nicholas Hiscock.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

In 2019, Oceana won a breakthrough victory. It successfully revamped Canada\u2019s fisheries law to require depleted fish populations to be rebuilt and well-managed. \u201cNow we\u2019re implementing the law,\u201d says Joshua Laughren, Oceana\u2019s Senior Vice President in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Oceana\u2019s latest analysis, a dramatic turnaround is possible. The number of healthy fish stocks in Canada could be brought from 30% to 80% within a decade. It will take urgent action and require the government to track all forms of fishing and steadily monitor boats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capelin are among the most important fish populations to rebuild. As forage fish, they\u2019re food for many other species, from puffins to seals to humpback whales. That means capelin are foundational to a healthy economy in Newfoundland and Labrador, which not only depends on fishing, but increasingly on ocean-based tourism. \u201cA lot is riding on the little fish,\u201d says Laughren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the face of mounting scientific evidence that the capelin fishery is nearing the edge, industry pressure continues to sway decision-making. Government scientists confirmed that capelin populations are depleted, yet Canada\u2019s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans did not reduce the existing fishing quota \u2014 approximately 14,500 tonnes
(16,000 tons) of capelin. Science-based limits are a must to rebuild fisheries, Oceana\u2019s team argues, for capelin as well as Canada\u2019s dozens of other depleted fish populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rebuilding fisheries also goes hand-in-hand with protecting ocean habitats. \u201cIf we don\u2019t have healthy habitats, whatever fisheries management we do won\u2019t be successful because there\u2019s no healthy place for them to live,\u201d says Laughren. Canada\u2019s ancient coral forests can be wiped out with a single pass of a trawl net.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Oceana came to Canada in 2015, less than 1% of the country\u2019s oceans were protected from industrial fishing. Today it\u2019s at 15% and growing. In 2024, Canada\u2019s government is expected to designate a new protected area off the West Coast that will cover nearly 140,000 square kilometers (54,000 square miles). This area includes 97% of Canada\u2019s coral-covered seamounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oceana previously led an expedition to gather scientific evidence for the protection of these seamounts, working with the Canadian government and First Nations to bring to light their importance and put a plan in place for their management. Canada and the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, the Council of the Haida Nation, Pacheedaht First Nation, and Quatsino First Nation have since signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperatively manage the new protected area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe stunning diversity and abundance of life on the seamounts leave no room for hesitation about protecting them,\u201d said Dr. Robert Rangeley, Oceana\u2019s Science Director in Canada. \u201cThis is a critical step toward protecting this extremely important marine ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"An
An industrial vessel fishes anchoveta, a key species in Peru’s marine ecosystems. \u00a9 Patricia Majluf<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Protecting Peru\u2019s ocean<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of miles to the south of Canada, the sandy, rocky shores of Peru loom over an ocean abounding with marine life. Peruvians have practiced fishing for millennia \u2014 from submerging reed baskets to trap fish, to later fashioning nets made of cactus threads and hooks from shells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the last century, Peru’s fishing underwent a dramatic transformation. As the country rapidly exported fish to feed allied troops during World War II, its catch skyrocketed. Between 1938 and 1970, Peru\u2019s total fish landings increased by 400 times in less than 40 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By weight, roughly 80% of the fish caught in Peru today are Peruvian anchoveta, silver fish in the anchovy family that, to a Canadian, might resemble a smaller version of capelin. As forage fish, they\u2019re a cornerstone of the ecosystem. And in Peru\u2019s economy, the small fish boast big value in the fishmeal and fish oil industries. Now the country\u2019s fourth-largest export, Peru\u2019s fishmeal is shipped around the world to use for livestock, pet food, and farmed fish feed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little information about the full extent of industrial fishing in Peru was available to the public, however, until 2017, when Oceana successfully campaigned for the country\u2019s authorities to make near real-time data from Peru\u2019s vessel monitoring system accessible online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Industrial fishing \u2014 much like intensive farming on land \u2014 takes a toll on the marine environment. A 2022 survey revealed that 85% of Peruvians are concerned that authorities are not protecting the Peruvian sea and its resources. Nearly all (98%) of those surveyed supported the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) to conserve biodiversity in the ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peru\u2019s first-ever offshore marine protected area was established in the Nazca Ridge National Reserve<\/a> in 2021, following campaigning by Oceana and its allies. Covering more than 60,000 square kilometers (over 23,000 square miles) off Peru\u2019s southwest coast, it protects a vast underwater mountain range home to over a thousand recorded species. Over 40% of the fish and invertebrates seen here are found nowhere else on Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initial celebration gave way to disappointment, however. Caving to industry pressure, Peru\u2019s government granted commercial fishers the ability to fish for tuna, anchoveta, and other species inside the so-called protected area. In fact, says Carmen Heck Franco, Oceana\u2019s Policy Director and Campaign Coordinator in Peru, commercial fishers took a greater interest in Nazca Ridge after it was \u201cprotected,\u201d fishing more frequently in attempts to establish their presence there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Peruvian legal framework is clear on the prohibition of industrial fishing within marine protected areas. We are determined to ensure that this prohibition is enforced in the Nazca Ridge and future protected areas,\u201d says Heck. \u201cThe fishing industry is very influential in Peruvian politics, but we know that sustainability can triumph over private interests. It has been done before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Peruvian legal framework is clear on the prohibition of industrial fishing within marine protected areas. We are determined to ensure that this prohibition is enforced in the Nazca Ridge and future protected areas,\u201d says Heck. \u201cThe fishing industry is very influential in Peruvian politics, but we know that sustainability can triumph over private interests. It has been done before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
A coral reef in the tropical Pacific Sea. \u00a9 Oceana\/Eduardo Sorensen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
\u00a9 Oceana\/Eduardo Sorensen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fight over fishing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Led by local artisanal fishing leaders, Oceana accomplished one of its most significant victories in Peru in May 2023<\/a>: A victory that gave artisanal fishers the exclusive right to fish Peru\u2019s coastal waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 50,000 Peruvian artisanal fishers rely on Peru\u2019s coastline to provide 80% of the fish that feeds the country\u2019s population. Amidst an industrial fishing boom, Peru\u2019s small-scale artisanal fisheries remain as vital as ever. \u201cFishing is as important to Peru\u2019s cultural heritage as it is to its economy,\u201d emphasizes Juan Carlos Sueiro, Oceana\u2019s Fisheries Director in Peru.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The five nautical miles closest to Peru\u2019s shore are particularly important, serving as a breeding ground for anchoveta and other fisheries. This area is \u201clikely more significant for biodiversity than any other coastal zone,\u201d according to Oceana\u2019s Science Director in Peru, Juan Carlos Riveros. Artisanal fishers possessed the exclusive right to fish in this zone for over 30 years, using selective gear that causes minimal impact to ocean life and habitats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, however, boats using purse seines \u2014 weighted nets that surround a school of fish, capturing the fish and sometimes other creatures that happen to be in the way \u2014 grew increasingly popular. Despite not using low-impact, traditional artisanal fishing methods, these boats enjoyed the same close-to-coast privileges afforded to artisanal vessels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a big win, Oceana and its artisanal fisher allies successfully campaigned for a new law that reserved the zone closest to the coast for fishers using truly artisanal methods, not purse seines.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Fishing boats lie half-finished in a shipyard. In the last eight years, Peru’s small and medium-scale fleet increased by 2,080 vessels, but only 201 of these vessels had requested the required permits, according to the General Directorate of Captaincy and Coast Guard (Dicapi). \u00a9 Oceana\/Sebastian Casta\u00f1eda<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cThe approval of this law will ensure the country\u2019s food supply for the present and for future generations,\u201d emphasized a group of artisanal fishers from Lima known as the collective, \u201cGuardians of the Five Marine Miles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, Oceana\u2019s team is addressing the next challenge: the ever-growing number of illegal fishing boats on the water. \u201cPeru\u2019s fleet is too big, and it continues increasing even though the building of new vessels has been prohibited for 10 years,\u201d explains Heck. \u201cThe law isn\u2019t being followed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These new vessels \u2014 the same kind that use purse seines \u2014 impact artisanal fishers in the coastal zone. \u201cStudies have already proven that artisanal fishers have been suffering a decrease in income because the fleet is too big,\u201d says Heck. \u201cThe fishers need to increase their fishing effort in order to catch the same amount of fish they caught before, requiring more time and more money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oceana and its allies campaigned to increase the government\u2019s ability to enforce the decade-old prohibition, reclassifying the act of building these vessels as a crime, and penalizing those who build them. In January 2024, the new law was published, giving prosecutors and police better tools to fight this crime and contribute to the common goal of protecting the oceans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming together<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The future of fisheries and their habitats \u2014 in Peru, Canada, and beyond \u2014 remains tightly interconnected. Oceana continues to campaign for science-based catch limits and regulations to keep fishing in check, and protections to safeguard biodiversity for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe ocean and fishing [are] a shared human heritage. Every country, every culture, everywhere in the world knows how to fish and has always fished, so it\u2019s one thing that brings us all together as people,\u201d says fourth-generation fisher Jasmine Paul. \u201cIt might be different species and different techniques but there\u2019s just some kind of connection to going out there, catching your own food, and bringing it home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And with the right protections in place, both fish and fishers will thrive for generations to come.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
\u00a9 Oceana\/Sebastian Casta\u00f1eda<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How Oceana is campaigning to protect abundant oceans in Canada and Peru Search for the world\u2019s longest, most sprawling coastline and you\u2019ll find it in Canada. Look for the world\u2019s largest fishery and you\u2019ll end up surrounded by millions of anchoveta in the waters of Peru. It\u2019s no surprise that fishing looms large in these … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":538,"featured_media":30457,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"location":[],"expedition":[],"campaign":[193],"ppma_author":[352],"class_list":["post-30429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","campaign-responsible-fishing","infinite-scroll-item"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFounded on Fish | Oceana<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How Oceana is campaigning to protecting abundant oceans and flourishing fish in Canada and Peru.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Founded on Fish\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How Oceana is campaigning to protecting abundant oceans and flourishing fish in Canada and Peru.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Oceana\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/oceana\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-05-13T19:59:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-18T16:51:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2024\/05\/L48A0593-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sarah Holcomb\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Oceana\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Oceana\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sarah Holcomb\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"sarahholcomb\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/person\/485a08f2c94ecf959a5e87850a63a58f\"},\"headline\":\"Founded on Fish\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-13T19:59:14+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-18T16:51:59+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/\"},\"wordCount\":2305,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2024\/05\/L48A0593-scaled.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/\",\"name\":\"Founded on Fish | Oceana\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2024\/05\/L48A0593-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-13T19:59:14+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-18T16:51:59+00:00\",\"description\":\"How Oceana is campaigning to protecting abundant oceans and flourishing fish in Canada and Peru.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2024\/05\/L48A0593-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2024\/05\/L48A0593-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"\u00a9Oceana Canada\/Nicholas Hiscock\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/homepage\/home\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Founded on Fish\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/\",\"name\":\"Oceana\",\"description\":\"We are Protecting the World's Oceans.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Oceana\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2021\/06\/oceana-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2021\/06\/oceana-logo.jpg\",\"width\":500,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Oceana\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/oceana\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/Oceana\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/oceana\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/oceanaorg\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/person\/485a08f2c94ecf959a5e87850a63a58f\",\"name\":\"sarahholcomb\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/bb7e29fc92b563430acdbf2cb697d767\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b3ef0286254e8e1107e7b4fd1223116fb93a8687bfd4265dd62a50b054a89d01?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b3ef0286254e8e1107e7b4fd1223116fb93a8687bfd4265dd62a50b054a89d01?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"sarahholcomb\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/author\/sarahholcomb\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Founded on Fish | Oceana","description":"How Oceana is campaigning to protecting abundant oceans and flourishing fish in Canada and Peru.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Founded on Fish","og_description":"How Oceana is campaigning to protecting abundant oceans and flourishing fish in Canada and Peru.","og_url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/","og_site_name":"Oceana","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/oceana","article_published_time":"2024-05-13T19:59:14+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-04-18T16:51:59+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2024\/05\/L48A0593-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Sarah Holcomb","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@Oceana","twitter_site":"@Oceana","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sarah Holcomb","Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/"},"author":{"name":"sarahholcomb","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/person\/485a08f2c94ecf959a5e87850a63a58f"},"headline":"Founded on Fish","datePublished":"2024-05-13T19:59:14+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-18T16:51:59+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/"},"wordCount":2305,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2024\/05\/L48A0593-scaled.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/","url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/","name":"Founded on Fish | Oceana","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2024\/05\/L48A0593-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2024-05-13T19:59:14+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-18T16:51:59+00:00","description":"How Oceana is campaigning to protecting abundant oceans and flourishing fish in Canada and Peru.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2024\/05\/L48A0593-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2024\/05\/L48A0593-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"\u00a9Oceana Canada\/Nicholas Hiscock"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/founded-on-fish\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/homepage\/home\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Founded on Fish"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/","name":"Oceana","description":"We are Protecting the World's Oceans.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#organization","name":"Oceana","url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2021\/06\/oceana-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/18\/2021\/06\/oceana-logo.jpg","width":500,"height":500,"caption":"Oceana"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/oceana","https:\/\/x.com\/Oceana","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/oceana\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/oceanaorg"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/person\/485a08f2c94ecf959a5e87850a63a58f","name":"sarahholcomb","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/bb7e29fc92b563430acdbf2cb697d767","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b3ef0286254e8e1107e7b4fd1223116fb93a8687bfd4265dd62a50b054a89d01?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b3ef0286254e8e1107e7b4fd1223116fb93a8687bfd4265dd62a50b054a89d01?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"sarahholcomb"},"url":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/blog\/author\/sarahholcomb\/"}]}},"authors":[{"term_id":352,"user_id":538,"is_guest":0,"slug":"sarahholcomb","display_name":"Sarah Holcomb","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b3ef0286254e8e1107e7b4fd1223116fb93a8687bfd4265dd62a50b054a89d01?s=96&d=mm&r=g","phone":"","last_name_2":"","last_name":"Holcomb","first_name":"Sarah Holcomb","job_title":"","user_url":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/538"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30429"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41639,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30429\/revisions\/41639"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=30429"},{"taxonomy":"expedition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/expedition?post=30429"},{"taxonomy":"campaign","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campaign?post=30429"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oceana.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=30429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}