EDFish

Climate change is causing fishery problems, but we can solve them

By EDF Oceans / Published: April 21, 2022

By Eric Schwaab, Rod Fujita and Jacqui Vogel

Climate change is already transforming the distribution and abundance of fish stocks around the world. Warming temperatures, lower pH levels and many other factors are causing many fish species to shift to better habitats and others to shrink in abundance. This is problematic for the communities that rely on these stocks, especially when the shifts cross jurisdictional boundaries, such as those between fishery management zones or national exclusive economic zones, known as EEZs.

Climate-induced stock shifts are causing more overfishing, illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing, discarding, higher fuel use, injustice and even armed conflict. Unless fishery management and fisheries become more adaptive and resilient to climate change, these problems will only worsen, but it’s not too late for solutions like flexible allocation systems, dynamic spatial management, ocean observing systems and international collaboration. Read More »

Also posted in Policy / Tagged Climate change, climate-resilient fisheries, dynamic spatial management, EEZs, exclusive economic zones, Fisheries, Fishery Management, Food Security, injustice, international collaboration, IUU Fishing, Marine Protected Areas, ocean health, Overfishing, SAPO, stock shifts, sustainability | Comments are closed

Women fishers are vital to the livelihoods, food security, health and culture of billions worldwide

By EDF Oceans / Published: March 8, 2022

By Karly Kelso, Director of Climate Resilient Food Systems at EDF, and Michelle Tigchelaar, Research Scientist at Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions

Three billion people depend on our oceans, rivers and lakes for nutritious blue foods. By 2050, our global population is expected to reach 10 billion and global demand for blue foods is expected to roughly double. Blue foods, including fish, shellfish and seaweeds, provide vital nutrients like protein, zinc, vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids — nutrients important for all sexes and ages but especially for young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women. We must ensure that blue food systems are environmentally sustainable in a changing climate, that they can continue to nourish our global population, and that they contribute to thriving coastal communities and gender equality. Read More »

Also posted in Global Fisheries, Policy / Tagged Aquaculture, Aquatic Foods, blue economy, Blue Food Assessment, Blue Foods, Climate change, Fisheries, Food Systems, gender equity, International Women's Day, International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, IYAFA, U.N. Food Systems Summit, women in fisheries | Comments are closed

Indonesia-Philippines learning exchange: International collaboration for fisheries management

By Edwina Garchitorena / Published: December 17, 2021

Effective fisheries management is critical to food security, livelihoods for millions of people and vibrant marine life and biodiversity. By empowering communities to sustainably manage marine resources, we can build resilience to climate change, secure healthy oceans and better protect communities that are vulnerable to extreme weather events. This is especially true in the Philippines, where science-based and participatory fisheries management is still in its infancy. Read More »

Also posted in Policy / Tagged blue swimming crab, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Climate change, Dinagat Sound, EDF Indonesia, EDF Philippines, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Defense Fund Oceans, extreme weather, Fisheries, Fisheries Management, Fisheries Management Area, FMA 8, Food Security, Indonesia, Lampung, Leyte Gulf, multispecies fishery management, Oceans, Philippines, storm surge, Surigao Strait, typhoons, West Java, women in fisheries | Comments are closed

Natural climate solutions cut a steady course through a sea of proposals for ocean carbon dioxide reduction

By Jamie Collins / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: December 8, 2021

When it comes to slowing the warming of our planet, there is no substitute for immediate, dramatic reductions in anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. But emissions reductions alone won’t be enough to limit warming to the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal at the heart of the 2015 Paris Agreement, or even to the Agreement’s upper limit of 2 degrees Celsius. In fact, we’ll almost certainly need to complement emissions reductions with big investments in carbon dioxide removal, or CDR, to capture and lock away some of the carbon dioxide we’ve already emitted.

Also posted in Science/Research / Tagged Blue Carbon, carbon, carbon credits, carbon dioxide removal, carbon sequestration, Climate change, coastal ecosystems, coasts, Engineering and Medicine, geoengineering, greenhouse gases, mangroves, mesopelagic fish, National Academy of Sciences, Natural Climate Solutions, Oceans, salt marshes, twilight zone, whales seaweed | Comments are closed

Celebrating IYAFA 2022 with EDFers from around the globe

By EDF Oceans / Published: November 19, 2021

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2022 the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, or IYAFA — a year to recognize and celebrate the contributions of small-scale fishers, fish workers and aquaculturists to communities and nations, and to advance their development. To celebrate the launch of IYAFA, we asked our staff who work closely with small-scale fishing communities around the world why this year is important to them and what they hope to see happen in a year dedicated to small-scale fisheries. Read More »

Also posted in Belize, Cuba, Mexico / Tagged Aquaculture, Aquatic Foods, Belize, Chile, Cuba, Fisheries, Fisheries Management, Food Security, Indonesia, International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, IYAFA, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, small-scale fisheries | Comments are closed

In Indonesia, financial literacy is key to sustainable fishery livelihoods for communities

By EDF Oceans / Published: November 9, 2021

By Onesya Damayanti and Ria Fitriana

EDF strives for sustainable solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges that come from empowering the people and communities we work with. And in Lampung, Indonesia, on the southern tip of Sumatra Island where one of our projects is based, improving financial literacy is essential for the transition to sustainable fisheries management. Read More »

Posted in International / Tagged blue swimming crab, Climate change, climate resilience, Coastal Communities, financial literacy, financial planning, Fisheries, Indonesia, Lampung, sustainable fisheries management, women, women in fisheries, YAPEKA | Comments are closed