KnipBio, Inc. has announced its support for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14). Adopted in 2015, SDG 14 is part of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which seeks to create ‘a comprehensive and people-centered set of transformative initiatives focused on eradicating poverty and increasing sustainability across a broad range of human activities.’
SDG 14 deals with sustainability of the ocean and is designed to ‘conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.’ The UN invited governments, organizations, and business stakeholders to submit voluntary commitments in support of SDG Goal 14. KnipBio’s commitment is a significant offer of tangible support for the UN program and has been recorded on the UN Ocean Conference’s website in its Registry of Voluntary Commitments.
In making his company’s pledge Larry Feinberg, KnipBio’s CEO, noted, “Fish are humankind's most resource-efficient source of animal protein, with barely a tenth the carbon footprint of beef. But the world is rapidly approaching the limits of wild-caught fish. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s authoritative report, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2016, only 10% of the ocean’s marine populations are able to support more intense fishing. It is clear that if we want to meet the protein needs of humankind’s growing population while avoiding serious and perhaps permanent damage to marine resources, we require a new paradigm for how we responsibly manage the sea. Aquaculture offers the best solution to preserve wild fish populations while simultaneously meeting humankind’s nutritional needs, but there is a problem: aquaculture itself is threatened by a shortage of the high-quality protein needed to feed species such as salmon, trout, and shrimp.”
Feinberg added, “Today the aquaculture industry relies on fishmeal made from anchovies and other wild forage fish. These species are themselves facing pressure from overharvesting so we need innovative alternatives. KnipBio is committing to improve marine sustainability through the rapid commercialization of KnipBio Meal, our premium fishmeal replacement."
"KnipBio is committing to produce at least 40 thousand metric tons of KnipBio Meal annually by 2020 in support of the UN’s SDG 14 action plan. This is just the start, and ultimately we anticipate production will be an order of magnitude greater," concluded Feinberg.
