Fish has been a food source for tens of thousands of years. Well-known saltwater fish—like cod, salmon, tuna, herring, and mackerel—have all played an important role in food culture. In particular, different fish salting traditions can easily be found in coastal regions around the globe. Aside from that, fish is a great source of protein, and humans cooked up myriad dishes with unique twists and tweaks according to the characteristics of each region. But around the 2000s, the depletion of fishery resources emerged as an environmental issue, sparking organizations to take the lead in ocean sustainability efforts by creating ethical consumption guides and meal plans that can help protect aquatic ecosystems.

Very few people actually benefit from the world’s fisheries. The sea belongs to all of us. We need an ocean rich in oxygen, absorbing carbon to help cope with climate change, and a diverse fish-rich ocean for future generations.