Stat: Eating forage fish could reduce deaths and mitigate climate change

Global – A recent study using data from more than 130 countries published in BMJ Global Health has found that changing from red meat to forage fish such as herring, sardines and anchovies could save between 500,000 and 750,000 lives a year. The change could also help tackle the climate crisis, and reduce diet-related diseases and deaths by 2050, primarily by lowering the incidence of coronary heart disease.

Evidence suggests that consuming red meat is associated with a higher risk of disease in humans and poses significant harm to the environment. Conversely, forage fish has high nutritional value, is environmentally friendly and is the most abundant fish species in the world’s oceans.

The researchers stated: ‘This study points to the need for fish-based food policy guidelines and nutrition-sensitive policies to pay more attention to the composition of future fish intake and to promote forage fish consumption.’

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