Don't eat NEMO this Easter!

Australia's leading marine conservation charity, the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) is calling on the public to avoid overfished seafood species this Easter.

National Fisheries Campaigner, Craig Bohm said, "Don't eat NEMO and his friends this Easter! This is the core message of Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide, produced by AMCS to help us choose our seafood wisely.

Bohm continued, "Our 3 Step Guide to sustainable seafood says:

• Avoid overfished species like flake (shark), orange roughy (deep sea perch), silver trevally and southern scallops
• Ask the fish merchant whether the species is long-lived, deep sea or a shark/stingray - if they say 'yes' then say 'no thanks'
• Avoid imports and support Australian fisheries.

"Australia's Bureau of Rural Sciences 2004 Fishery Status Reports states that 23% of Australia's large offshore fisheries are overfished or depleted. Yet despite this, fishers are still permitted to catch them. It is unacceptable for the Australian Government to allow fishers to damage our ocean commons in this way," Bohm said.

AMCS is asking the Australian public to make only responsible seafood choices this Easter.

"Choose your seafood wisely and check whether the seafood on offer is vulnerable to overfishing e.g. orange roughy, which lives for 150 years but their population has been fished down to less than 10% of its original size," Bohm continued.

"Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide also asks people to avoid imported seafood unless it is environmentally accredited. Over 60% of our seafood is imported, often from wild fisheries and aquaculture farms with very damaging environmental practices. Common imported species include cheap prawns, baby octopus, hake, Nile perch and smoked cod," Bohm said.

Bohm concluded, "Increasingly, the Australian community expects our governments to manage fisheries sustainably. This is why AMCS has already responded to over 60,000 requests for Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide."

For more information the public can call 1800 066 299 or visit www.marineconservation.org.au