By Onesya Damayanti and Ria Fitriana
EDF strives for sustainable solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges that come from empowering the people and communities we work with. And in Lampung, Indonesia, on the southern tip of Sumatra Island where one of our projects is based, improving financial literacy is essential for the transition to sustainable fisheries management. Read More
Environmental Defense Fund recently invited Julie Kuchepatov, founder of Seafood and Gender Equality, to have a conversation with three EDF team members on the role of women in small-scale fisheries in their respective countries. Julie spoke with Onesya Damayanti, Community Outreach Specialist, Indonesia; Layla Osman, Small-Scale Fisheries Manager, Humboldt Current; and Ana Suarez, Senior Specialist for Capacity Development, Partnerships and Global Inclusion, Mexico. In this conversation, Julie and our team explore the important roles of women in coastal communities around the world — and how women’s work in fisheries adds value in countless ways. Read More
By Onesya Damayanti and Karly Kelso
COVID-19 impacts are far-reaching, and one important factor to keep in mind is the effect this pandemic has had on food and nutrition security — and the growing need for solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic has crashed supply chains around the world, and in turn, has severely impacted livelihoods and access to nutritious foods for communities. For Environmental Defense Fund, we have seen this impact on our Indonesian fisher partners and communities. When international seafood markets dried up, this threw their main source of income and livelihoods into jeopardy. Read More
By Christopher Cusack and Harlisa
Small-scale fisheries are much bigger than you may have thought. They are fundamental to the food security, nutrition and economic well-being of hundreds of millions of people worldwide (the FAO estimates that 200 million people worldwide rely on small-scale fisheries for some part of their livelihood). Small-scale does not equal small catch. Read More
Much of EDF’s work in the Asia-Pacific region has focused on the small-scale fisheries, or SSF, sector — home to some of the most marginalized fishers in the world. These are people who are highly dependent on marine resources for their livelihood, often living in remote, coastal areas with few alternatives for employment. Small-scale fishers are also facing extremely dire threats — in their ability to sustain themselves and continue their way of life — from challenges like species depletion, coastal development, pollution and the growing impacts of climate change. Read More
If you’ve enjoyed a delicious crab cake at a restaurant in the U.S. recently, you might be surprised to learn that the crab you were eating had a pretty long trip to your plate. That’s because there’s a high chance it was made with blue swimming crab imported from tropical countries such as Thailand, Vietnam or Indonesia. But while crab in the U.S. is well regulated and is mostly sustainable, little is known about whether current fishing practices are sustainable over the long term for crabs in Asia. Read More