EDFish

The oceans’ twilight zone? More important than you can imagine!

By EDF Oceans / Published: May 31, 2022

By Douglas Rader, Jamie Collins and Edith Widder, CEO & Senior Scientist, Ocean Research & Conservation Association

People of a certain age will recall being mesmerized—perhaps terrified!—by a television series called “The Twilight Zone,” which ran 156 episodes from 1959 to 1964. The show, which focused on people’s experiences at the edge of reality, is among the best loved and highest rated television productions of all time. Today, the edge of the unknown exists closer than you many think—in the sea, at the wonderful and strange, just-dark middle depths, where light fades and strange creatures lurk. Read More »

Also posted in International, Science/Research / Tagged Antarctic, Blue Carbon, Climate change, Fisheries, krill, mesopelagic fish, Oceans, Seafood, squid, swordfish, tuna, twilight zone | Comments are closed

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 International / 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 / 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 International / 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

Something ‘fishy’ is happening in Congress

By Adena Leibman / Published: November 19, 2021

If you follow the goings-on of the U.S. Congress, you know that the final months of the year have become a sprint to the finish line marked by bursts of legislative energy and must-pass bills. This year is even more energetic than most. Read More »

Also posted in Mid-Atlantic, New England, Pacific / Tagged Alaska fisheries, Alaskan Crab, Bering Sea, Bering Sea crab fisheries, Build Back Better, Climate change, Coastal Communities, Congress, Conservation, Domestic, House Committee on Natural Resources, Magnuson Stevens Act, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Oceans, oceans technology, Rep. Don Young, Rep. Ed Case, Rep. Jared Huffman, snow crab, sustainability, sustainable fisheries, United States fisheries | Comments are closed

Collaborative research sheds light on creating climate-resilient multispecies fisheries

By Kendra Karr / Bio / Published: October 19, 2021

Worldwide, there is considerable interest in developing fishery management options that balance social, economic and ecological goals for multispecies fisheries. Ideally, fisheries management should strive not only to produce good yields from single stocks, but also to avoid serial depletion and prevent adverse impacts of fishing on marine ecosystems — a difficult, but achievable task. Read More »

Also posted in Cuba, International, Mexico, Science/Research / Tagged bycatch, Chile, Climate change, climate-resilient fisheries, Coastal Communities, Cuba, fish baskets, Fisheries, Grouper, Mexico, multispecies fishery, ocean ecosystems, Oceans, Octopus, Overfishing, sharks, sustainability | Comments are closed