Some of the world's fish stocks have been over-fished and are depleted. However, recent media reports suggesting that there will soon be no fish left in the oceans are wide of the mark. Unfortunately, the media is being spun by the animal rights and animal welfare groups, and journalists have no way of actually verifying accurately just how many fish are out there.

The fact is that important work is already being made on managing fisheries - and it is securing positive results. The United States government issued a report in 2004 showing progress in rebuilding fish stocks to healthy levels. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is working with governments around the world to build management plans.

Meanwhile the campaign groups are also turning to scaremongering to reduce fish consumption, making extraordinary claims about mercury contamination in salmon and tuna. We believe in sustainable fisheries and hold that science - not unsubstantiated allegations - should guide management plans.