EDFish

Selected tag(s): Aquaculture

Seaweed to Slow Down Climate Change: Ready? Or Not?

By Rod Fujita / Bio / Published: August 15, 2023

Seaweed is a hot solution for mitigating climate change. Can this carbon-absorbing powerhouse really help?

Seaweed is having a moment. I’ve been working on seaweed for 40 years, and I’ve never seen so many headlines about how seaweed can save the planet.

I can understand why. The need to save the planet is more pressing than ever. We must now dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, at the same time, increase the planet’s capacity to remove carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere to prevent even more catastrophic impacts of global warming.

Posted in Science/Research, Seafood / Also tagged Blue Carbon, carbon, climate, Climate change, research, science, seaweed, seaweed farming, sustainability | Comments are closed

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

By EDF Oceans / Published: August 3, 2023

Jose Luis Chicoma reflects on what needs to happen to create a sustainable food system.

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.

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

EDF’s Tour of GreenWave Highlights Aquaculture’s Potential

By EDF Oceans / Published: August 1, 2023

Nonprofit GreenWave supports training and innovation in ocean farming.

By Ruth Driscoll-Lovejoy and Amy Folkerts

Ocean farmers are making a splash in the sustainable seafood market — and they don’t need state-of-the-art facilities to do it.

Thimble Island Ocean Farm in Connecticut is a commercial seaweed and shellfish farm and serves as an innovation hub for GreenWave, a nonprofit replicating and scaling regenerative aquaculture. On a recent EDF visit, our team saw first-hand how GreenWave is expanding marine aquaculture while training and supporting ocean farmers. According to GreenWave, for aquaculture to be sustainable and profitable, farmers need access to the right tools and community support.

Posted in Seafood / Also tagged Climate change, collaboration, Food Security, learning network, Oceans, seaweed, seaweed farming, seaweed farms, Sustainable Seafood, teaching | 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.

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

Expert Q&A: What we need to know to ensure aquaculture in offshore US waters is done right

By EDF Oceans / Published: February 16, 2023

As global populations grow and fish populations shift or even shrink, one thing is clear: offshore aquaculture in the United States is a matter of when not if. But it’s also a matter of how. Because as demand for safe, delicious, low-carbon seafood grows, we must also ensure that offshore seafood farming in United States waters does not negatively impact marine ecosystems or wild capture fisheries. And according to a new report, Toward an environmentally responsible offshore aquaculture industry in the United States: Ecological risks, remedies, and knowledge gaps, building a robust regulatory framework to ensure that requires more studies and more data.

We talked to some of the report’s authors to better understand what we know, what we need to know, and where we go from here:

Posted in Seafood / Also tagged Blue Foods, Fisheries, gap analysis, Offshore Aquaculture, Seafood, sustainable fisheries, Sustainable Seafood, United States | Comments are closed

To solve our food problems, we must look to the oceans

By EDF Oceans / Published: July 12, 2022

By Christopher Free and Willow Battista

Earlier this spring, 1.5 million livestock died in the Horn of Africa. The immediate culprit was a severe, prolonged drought spurred by the growing effects of climate change. It’s a sign of weakening food systems in a warming world. But while land-based food systems are carbon-intensive and increasingly unstable, research shows aquatic food presents real, tangible opportunities to feed more people with fewer climate impacts and a clear message: to solve our food problems, we must look to the oceans. Read More »

Posted in International, Science/Research / Also tagged Blue Foods, Climate change, Environmental Defense Fund, Fisheries, Food Systems, Lobster, mariculture, Oceans, Seafood, sustainable fisheries, tropical fisheries, UC Santa Barbara Bren School | Comments are closed