FISHING FOR THE TRUTH
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Following a recent Netflix documentary that brought the environmental travesties of overfishing to the surface, Cosmetics Business finds out if there’s anything fishy about marine collagen
he world’s oceans cover more than 70% of the planet and hold 96% of the Earth’s water. They are the lifeline to one of the population’s major food sources – but humans have not treated our watery depths with the respect they deserve. According to the United Nations 2020 State of
World Fisheries and Aquaculture report, 34.2% of global fisheries have been farmed beyond sustainable limits and this has put maritime populations into desperate decline. WWF’s 2015 Living Blue Planet Report found the number of aquatic species had almost halved between 1970 and 2012. A new Netflix documentary brought to light the issues within the fishing industry and the extreme pressures that fisheries are putting our oceans under. But there is a beauty product that benefits from this industry – collagen.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and one that depletes over time, giving way to fine lines, wrinkles and sagging skin. So, in true beauty style, the industry set about reversing these effects, by harnessing collagen found in marine animals as an ingredient for its ‘turn back time’ creams and supplements. The global collagen market, which includes cosmetics, health care and food, according to Grand View Research, will be worth US$7.5bn by 2027. But, while the collagen market cannot be blamed for the loss of aquatic life from overfishing per se, the wider issue has brought its environmental implications to the fore.
28 June 2021 NOT PLAIN SAILING
“All fish, especially wild caught fish, is environmentally problematic for numerous reasons. By-catch, the sea life that is unintentionally caught, is not only fish scooped out of the waters, but also seals, dolphins, turtles and more that die consequently,” ethical advocate and founder of the HEALabel website, Adriane Marie, tells Cosmetics Business.
“Simply put, marine collagen is unsustainable and unnecessary, especially when more sustainable plant-based alternatives exist for hair, skin and nail support supplements, like coconut biotin,” she adds.
But, to tackle these issues head on, Rousselet, one of the supplements industry’s biggest suppliers of collagen, has worked with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to ensure that its sources are from sustainable fisheries. “Our collagen is MSC certified, which is very important because a common misunderstanding is that marine collagen might cause overfishing of ocean fish and there are some environmental impacts on fishes,” says Pauline Huang, Marketing Manager at Rousselot. “So that’s why we have this MSC certification, because MSC is an organisation that focuses on maintaining sustainable fish stocks, reducing environmental impact and maintaining management of the fisheries. And that’s crucial, because we’re the leading collagen solution supplier, so we need to ensure that we are committed to the highest environmental and
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