It makes sense to ask whether the points about low bycatch, minimal seabed damage, and reduced plastic pollution from purse seine fishing apply more broadly than just the specific fishery mentioned in the cited study. As far as I can tell, they do. Because of the shoaling behaviour of sardines and anchovies, purse seining is ideal and by far the most cost-effective way to catch them at scale. That’s why the vast majority of the global sardine and anchovy supply appears to be caught this way. There may be rare exceptions, such as small-scale artisanal fisheries using line and hook fishing, which likely has an even lower negative impact, or rare instances of trawling, which may occur when the fish are unusually deep and in regions with weaker regulatory oversight, but these seem to account for only a tiny fraction of the global catch. That said, I’m not an expert on global fisheries and would be very happy to hear from someone who is.
Regarding mussels and oysters: I think many of the arguments here also apply to them, and I see no ethical concerns with their consumption. However, there are some health-related reasons to be cautious about eating them too frequently. As filter feeders, they can accumulate heavy metals and microplastics, especially if sourced from polluted waters. Nutritionally, sardines and anchovies offer even greater benefits, particularly higher levels of EPA/DHA and calcium, which makes them a better overall choice in that regard. They also tend to be significantly more affordable.
It makes sense to ask whether the points about low bycatch, minimal seabed damage, and reduced plastic pollution from purse seine fishing apply more broadly than just the specific fishery mentioned in the cited study. As far as I can tell, they do. Because of the shoaling behaviour of sardines and anchovies, purse seining is ideal and by far the most cost-effective way to catch them at scale. That’s why the vast majority of the global sardine and anchovy supply appears to be caught this way. There may be rare exceptions, such as small-scale artisanal fisheries using line and hook fishing, which likely has an even lower negative impact, or rare instances of trawling, which may occur when the fish are unusually deep and in regions with weaker regulatory oversight, but these seem to account for only a tiny fraction of the global catch. That said, I’m not an expert on global fisheries and would be very happy to hear from someone who is.
Regarding mussels and oysters: I think many of the arguments here also apply to them, and I see no ethical concerns with their consumption. However, there are some health-related reasons to be cautious about eating them too frequently. As filter feeders, they can accumulate heavy metals and microplastics, especially if sourced from polluted waters. Nutritionally, sardines and anchovies offer even greater benefits, particularly higher levels of EPA/DHA and calcium, which makes them a better overall choice in that regard. They also tend to be significantly more affordable.