Marine fisheries provide protein for more than 3 billion people worldwide, provide employment opportunities for more than 200 million people, and make significant contributions to people’s livelihoods, food security and well-being. However, due to climate change, overfishing, habitat destruction, marine environmental pollution and eutrophication, global fishery resources — including Chinese fisheries — are facing a serious decline. Read More
By EDF, the secretariat for SSF Hub partners
Small-scale fisheries are worth talking about now more than ever. Millions of people around the world depend on small-scale fisheries for their health, livelihoods and culture. There are many resources, tools and people working to support sustainable small-scale fisheries, or SSF, but it can be hard to find these tools or to make connections between the people working toward this goal. That’s why a new digital tool — called the Small-Scale Fisheries Resource and Collaboration Hub, or SSF Hub — is being created. Read More
In many fisheries, many species are caught at the same time. These are called multispecies fisheries, and the fact that they catch many species together, with the same gears, means that the different species are caught at the same rate. The trouble is, some species are productive enough to withstand high catches while others are not. So as a result, the low-productivity species get fished out, reducing overall yield, markets for diverse species and economic and ecological resilience — resulting in serial depletion. While many single-species fisheries are becoming more sustainable thanks to science-based management strategies, multispecies fisheries often face greater sustainability challenges, and these challenges will grow in the face of climate change. Read More
By Sergio Palma and Dovilė Meliauskaitė
The COVID-19 crisis highlights the urgency of transforming global and local seafood supply chains. These supply chains need to be not only sustainable, but also transparent, hygienic and valuable for local coastal communities. In Chile, EDF is working with partners to design an innovative solution to this issue, one where fisher organizations will be more empowered and will receive fairer prices for their fish — while the government will be better equipped to manage the fisheries. Read More
China is the largest fishing nation in the world. It is responsible for one-fifth of the world’s total marine fish catch. It is the world’s largest fish processor and trader, with huge influence on global seafood markets and the ecosystems they depend on. Actions China takes to manage its fisheries and economy can spill over to other countries and their marine ecosystems — something we need to understand better. Read More
By Daniel Willard and Shems Jud
This August, a group of Indonesian, Chinese and Japanese scientists and policy professionals joined EDF to visit some of our long-time partners — fishermen, scientists and resource managers — in Oregon and Washington.
Our intent was to enhance the exchange of fisheries management experiences between the U.S. and important fishing nations in the Asia-Pacific region and contribute to a growing learning network among governments, scientists, NGOs and fishing communities. Read More