January 31, 2012 — The sorry state of the world's oceans is creating investment opportunities in a range of enterprises that are pioneering the sustainable fishing industry of the future.
The Pacific bluefin tuna population is down 96.4 percent. More than 85 percent of fisheries are being fished at or over their capacity. More than 100 species of fish are threatened with extinction.
Such indicators point to the threat to the $390 billion global seafood market, but also to openings for investments in stock recovery strategies, fishing fleets and processing equipment, management systems and certifications and marketing of sustainable brands, one of the fastest-growing segments of the industry.
In the coming months, Impact IQ, along with our partner SOCAP, the social capital markets conference, will be exploring opportunities and tracking investments in promising ventures advancing sustainable oceans and fisheries.
Already, a group of investors looking for such opportunities is offering $75,000 in cash prizes and the prospect of investments and loans of between $100,000 and $10 million to support small and medium fishing businesses implementing sustainability strategies.
The Fish 2.0 contest, launched this week, is intended to help fishing businesses pitch their plans to impact investors seeking to support sustainability of local communities and ocean resources with financially sound investments. The deadline for initial submissions is March 31.
Read the full story at the Huffington Post