The main focus of the United Nations COP25 in Madrid was squarely on whether and how the nations of the world could agree on the measures necessary to reduce climate change emissions in a comprehensive and forceful fashion. In that regard, COP25 did not live up to expectations nor planetary needs if we are to avert the worst impacts of climate change.
EDFish
After the Blue COP: Why 2020 could be the ‘super year’ for the oceans
Across the Pacific: collaboration to improve conservation
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
Building fisheries for the future
Editor’s note: This is the last in a multi-part blog series, Fisheries for the Future, examining the impacts from climate change on global fisheries and the opportunities to address these emerging challenges. Throughout the series, we have investigated how climate change will impact the world’s supply and distribution of fish and what we can do to ensure the most sustainable future for ourselves and our planet. Learn more about this work: Resilient Seas
Climate change is here and can only get worse. This promises to scramble the oceans in ways we do not yet fully understand, and it poses nothing short of an existential risk to marine ecosystems and the people that rely upon them for livelihoods and food security. Yet, the future is not without hope. If we can stem emissions, there is reason to believe that the sea can continue to host abundant and diverse life and support the economic, social and food needs of society. But we must get started now. Read More
The Blue Economy: from principles to practice
In recent years, investment circles have been abuzz with a bright new shiny object — the “Blue Economy.” Pick an impact investor, development bank or conservation fund out of a hat, and chances are there is a mention of the Blue Economy somewhere on their website. (Although technically, the Blue Economy has existed ever since humans began engaging in maritime commerce, but that’s another story.) Read More
Climate-resilient fisheries require fairness and equity
By Willow Battista and Alexis Rife
Editor’s note: This is the eighth in a multi-part blog series, Fisheries for the Future, examining the impacts from climate change on global fisheries and the opportunities to address these emerging challenges. Throughout the series, we’ll be investigating how climate change will impact the world’s supply and distribution of fish and what we can do to ensure the most sustainable future for ourselves and our planet. Learn more about this work: Resilient Seas
Issues of social equity and fairness are central to functioning societies across the globe. When there is the perception of systematic unfairness — or an imbalance of equity within a society or group — unrest is sure to follow. You can see this playing out in real-time just by turning on the news. Read More
The return of the blob: How can we help fisheries adapt to warming waters?
Editor’s note: This is the seventh in a multi-part blog series, Fisheries for the Future, examining the impacts from climate change on global fisheries and the opportunities to address these emerging challenges. Throughout the series, we’ll be investigating how climate change will impact the world’s supply and distribution of fish and what we can do to ensure the most sustainable future for ourselves and our planet. Learn more about this work: Resilient Seas
There’s a lot we don’t know about how climate change will unfold. Unexpected events will occur, and when they do we will need to adapt and learn from those experiences. Here’s a story about one of these climate surprises: the “warm blob” in the Pacific Ocean. Read More