EDFish

Selected tag(s): Blue Foods

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 Aquaculture, 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 Aquaculture, Climate change, Environmental Defense Fund, Fisheries, Food Systems, Lobster, mariculture, Oceans, Seafood, sustainable fisheries, tropical fisheries, UC Santa Barbara Bren School | 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 »

Posted in Global Fisheries, Policy / Also tagged Aquaculture, Aquatic Foods, blue economy, Blue Food Assessment, 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

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 / Also tagged Aquatic Foods, Food Security, nutrition, sustainable development, United Nations | Comments are closed

Engaging Small-Scale Fishers in the U.N. Food Systems Summit

By Willow Battista / Published: July 7, 2021

For nearly a decade, I’ve worked on sustainable fisheries management, traveling to small-scale fishing communities around the world to learn how best to build the capacity of local fishers, scientists and managers to ensure the sustainability of their fisheries. From Mexico to Myanmar, I’ve worked with communities to help them reach their goals so they are not catching too many fish and helping them select gears and fishing areas to ensure their fisheries aren’t damaging key habitats. Read More »

Posted in Global Fisheries, International, Seafood / Also tagged Aquatic Foods, Food Security, Food Systems, Seafood, sustainability, Sustainable Seafood, U.N. Food Systems Summit | Comments are closed