EDFish

Investing in life below water is an investment in all sustainable development goals

By Eric Schwaab / Bio / Published: September 18, 2023

This piece is now available on Mongabay.

During New York Climate Week, climate leaders will gather together to make essential decisions to mitigate the effects of climate change. It is critical that our oceans are a priority.

The ocean is profoundly underfunded, and yet it is absolutely vital to billions of lives around the world and climate resilience. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, “Life Below Water,” is the least funded of the SDGs — despite the fact that it can support all of the other Sustainable Development Goals. Without serious investment in our oceans, we risk missing the mark overall.

Read about the critical need to achieve this goal to ensure the health of our oceans on Mongabay now.

Also posted in International / Tagged Blue Carbon, blue food, Blue Foods, Climate change, climate solution, global oceans, Ocean, ocean health, sustainable development, Sustainable development goals, sustainable fisheries | Comments are closed

Science to Action: a ten-year review of California’s MPA Network

By Jacob Eurich / Published: September 12, 2023

Marine protected areas (MPA) are a conservation tool that sets aside part of the ocean to protect it for long-term conservation, similar to the way a state or national park functions on land. These MPAs are an effective way to preserve biodiversity by protecting ecosystems. But how are they utilized by people, and do they support human engagement? And, while conservation alone is important, will MPAs build climate resilience?

Also posted in Science/Research, Seafood / Tagged California, Climate change, Marine Protected Areas, MPAs | Comments are closed

UN Food Systems Summit: Why we need more ambition and more action

By EDF Oceans / Published: August 3, 2023

By Jose Luis Chicoma and Karly Kelso

Last week, global leaders gathered in Rome for the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) +2 Stocktaking Moment, a follow-up event to evaluate commitments to transforming their food systems and progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) made in 2021. In short, it was a time to gather and take stock of where we are – and where we should go next.

How did it shape up?

In this interview, Jose Luis Chicoma, former Peru Minister of Production, Yale World Fellow and Senior Advisor to EDF Climate-Resilient Food Systems, who was present in Rome, shares personal reflections and his insights, concerns and hopes for the future. Food systems and ocean health go hand in hand, and reflections on aquatic blue food in concert with terrestrial food systems are key.

Also posted in Climate and Fisheries Series, International, Science/Research, Seafood / Tagged Aquaculture, Climate change, climate-resilient fisheries, Fisheries, Fisheries Management, food, Food Security, Food Systems, Seafood, sustainability, Sustainable Seafood, UN Food Systems Summit | Comments are closed

The ocean as a climate champion: Capitol Hill Ocean Week paints the town blue

By EDF Oceans / Published: July 18, 2023

At Capitol Hill Ocean Week, EDF discussed the intersections between ocean and climate – and the potential for change.

By Lucy Vogt, EDF Seafood Policy Intern

Last month, Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW) welcomed environmental businesses, leaders, and shakers — and one brand-new intern.

CHOW investigated the intersection between the ocean and the climate by facilitating conversations about ocean opportunities. Even though the ocean covers more than 70% of the earth, produces 50% of the oxygen we need and absorbs 25% of the carbon emissions we produce, it is often perceived solely as a victim of climate change. But this massive ecosystem holds a wealth of potential climate solutions, and CHOW conversations ranged from offshore wind to maritime shipping to partnerships with coastal communities.

Also posted in Seafood / Tagged Aquaculture, Blue Carbon, blue food, Capitol Hill Ocean Week, CHOW, climate solution, Fisheries, Marine Policy, Natural Climate Solutions | Comments are closed

SmartPass and Smartphones: An Innovative Approach to Small-Scale Fisheries Monitoring in Lampung Province, Indonesia

By EDF Oceans / Published: April 13, 2023

Photo credit: Wahyu Mulyono/EDF

By Harlisa and Dustin Colson Leaning

In Lampung province, Indonesia, a few smartphones and three well-placed cameras are revolutionizing the way that small-scale fisheries are monitored. In a previous blog post, we introduced how smartphone-based catch reporting and the SmartPass camera system could have the potential to play a fundamental role in sustaining small-scale fisheries. A few years later, these two technologies have been implemented to generate reliable estimates of total effort and total catch in Lampung’s blue swimming crab fishery – metrics often hard to come by in a small-scale fishery characterized by limited resources and many fishers. Read More »

Also posted in International, Science/Research, Seafood / Tagged blue swimming crab, climate resilience, Indonesia, Lampung, small-scale fishery, SmartPass | Comments are closed

Prioritizing Climate Resilience in United States Fisheries

By Reggie Paros / Published: February 23, 2023

The impacts of climate change are already apparent in U. S. offshore waters, creating challenges for fisheries, fishing communities and fisheries management. Examples of climate impacts are prevalent across all regions of the coastal U.S. As ocean temperatures warm, species distributions are shifting. For instance, market squid moving up the West Coast from Baja California to Oregon spurred a harvest boom in the Pacific Northwest. Species, including blue crabs and black sea bass, are shifting northward on the Atlantic coast. Read More »

Also posted in Gulf of Mexico, Mid-Atlantic, New England, Seafood / Tagged Climate change, climate-resilient fisheries, fishery solutions center, Harvest Control Rules, US fisheries | Comments are closed