EDFish

Aquatic/Blue Foods: The Missing Ingredient for a Sustainable Future

By EDF Oceans / Published: September 7, 2021

By Jim Leape, Kristian Teleki, Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted and Thomas V. Grasso, Co-chairs, Blue Food Cluster for the U.N. Food Systems Summit 2021

This op-ed was first published in ECO Magazine’s Autumn 2021 edition. View it here.

Our food systems are fragile and worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Conventional food systems, already stretched, have been undermined by outdated supply chains and exposed as vulnerable to climate change. Add to this:

Global malnutrition is on the rise and hunger continues to plague far too many people.
Global population is projected to be 10 billion by 2050.
With just under a decade left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, no country is currently on track to do so.

Posted in Global Fisheries, International, Policy / Tagged Aquatic Foods, Blue Foods, Food Security, nutrition, sustainable development, United Nations | Comments are closed

Maximizing benefits: considerations for oceans technology applications

By EDF Oceans / Published: September 2, 2021

By Trudie Grattan and Melissa Mahoney

When you hear the phrase “oceans technology,” what comes to mind? Do you picture a futuristic device that’s cleaning up the Pacific Garbage Patch? Smart cameras to see a fishing vessel’s activity, fishing location and more? Read More »

Posted in Policy, Science/Research / Tagged Coastal Communities, digital revolution, Diversity, e-waste, Fisheries, Fisheries Management, fisheries technology, human-centered design, oceans technology, recycling, sustainability, upcycling | Comments are closed

Blue Carbon: a diamond in the rough

By Doug Rader / Bio / Published: August 17, 2021

As the biosphere continues to warm and the ocean acidifies, solving the global carbon problem becomes more critical each day. Keeping temperatures to survivable levels requires reducing emissions while at the same time working aggressively to absorb as much carbon dioxide as possible, using approaches that can nurture natural ecosystems and help vulnerable human communities flourish. Read More »

Posted in Science/Research / Tagged Blue Carbon, carbon sequestration, kelp, mangroves, Natural Climate Solutions, resilience, seaweed, Whales | Comments are closed

Fish: the missing ingredient in addressing global malnutrition

By Kristin Kleisner / Bio / Published: August 5, 2021

One of the things I focus on in my role as a climate scientist is understanding the impact of climate change on ocean fish populations as well as better fishery management practices to help ensure the continued delivery of seafood and livelihoods for millions of people around the world. Critically, the world is confronted with the challenge of increasing access to healthy food for a population that is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050. This summer, as people around the world take to the beaches and coastlines for some relaxation and enjoyment, it’s valuable to remember the major role oceans have in supporting human sustenance. Read More »

Posted in Global Fisheries, International, Science/Research, Seafood / Tagged Aquatic Foods, Coastal Communities, Fisheries, Food Security, nutrition, Seafood, small-scale fisheries, Sustainable development goals, UN Food Systems Summit | Comments are closed

Can ecotourism increase climate resilience in tropical small-scale fishing communities?

By EDF Oceans / Published: August 2, 2021

By Christopher Cusack, Edwina Garchitorena and Rod Fujita

Globally, fisheries are of great importance. Yet small-scale fishers and their communities in the tropics are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Rebuilding and managing the fish stocks that these communities rely on is critical to ensuring the food security and climate resilience of hundreds of millions of small-scale fishers globally. Generally, we know how to achieve this: reduce fishing pressure to allow stocks to grow to healthy levels and protect and improve fragile ocean ecosystems. Read More »

Posted in Global Fisheries, Science/Research / Tagged ecotourism, fisheries tech, Philippines, sea turtles, sustainable fisheries, technology | Comments are closed

Deepening scientific understanding and international collaboration to enhance climate resilience

By Shems Jud / Bio / Published: July 28, 2021

With a record drought depleting rivers and reservoirs, wildfires burning across the Western U.S., historic floods in Germany and China, landslides in Japan, and my own notoriously wet and dreary hometown of Portland, Oregon hitting 115 degrees recently, it’s hard to avoid thinking about climate change. But while the terrestrial impacts are wide-ranging and obvious, impacts to our oceans — no less disruptive — are generally less visible. Yet, healthy oceans are critical for sustainable fisheries and other vital ecosystem services. Fisheries provide jobs for hundreds of millions of people globally, and billions rely on seafood as an important source of protein and micronutrients.

Posted in International, Science/Research / Tagged Catch Limits, Climate change, Fisheries, Fisheries Management, international collaboration, Japan, sustainability, U.S. | Comments are closed