Behind every single seafood dish you have ever eaten is a chain of hands that helped bring that gift from the sea to our plates, often starting with men and women in small-scale fisheries. At Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), we believe that protecting our world’s oceans and coastal livelihoods can only be achieved when we protect people and nature together. In other words, protecting the lives behind all those hands that work in the fisheries and seafood sectors is central to ensuring long-term healthy oceans. Read More
EDFish
Selected tag(s): small-scale fisheries
Putting people at the center of solutions is crucial to ensure healthy fisheries
Posted in International, Mexico Also tagged EDF Oceans, Mexico, small scale fisheries Comments are closed
Five takeaways from the World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress
Photo Credit: Alexis Rife
The hustle and bustle of a local fish market – usually seen in the pre-dawn dark, with bare-bulb lights illuminating what’s for sale and the shouts from sellers (usually in a language I don’t understand but with meaning clear enough to get out of the way of carts brimming with ice and fish) – is my favorite place to learn about small-scale fisheries. This is where it all comes together, with fishermen landing their catch, buyers (usually women) negotiating prices and customers buying products for that day’s meal or business. Here is where I am a learner and observer – hearing details about challenges these individuals face in maintaining their livelihoods, seeing the pride people have in their work and chatting about what we all can do to sustain the jobs, food, communities and ecosystems that are part of this system. Read More
Posted in Global Fisheries, International Also tagged climate, small scale fisheries, women in fishing, World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress Comments are closed
What is needed to sustain healthy ocean ecosystems and local livelihoods in Myanmar?
Workers help grow and maintain soft crabs that are purchased by surrounding mangrove islands within the Myeik archipelago.
Myanmar is a nation with a diverse array of ecosystems, each contributing significantly to local livelihoods, food security and culture. There is tremendous potential for Myanmar’s fisheries, if sustainably managed, to support the ecological, economic and social welfare of its people. The transition to sustainability will require an overarching plan that includes the use of new data collection and fisheries management tools to overcome the challenges these fisheries face and help them reach their full potential.
New science and collaborations among EDF, WCS and Cornell build on efforts of the Thriving Marine Fisheries in Myanmar initiative, offering solutions to support Myanmar’s efforts to steward sustainable and productive fisheries.
Posted in International, Science/Research Also tagged Food Security, Myanmar, Myeik Archipelago, SSF Comments are closed
Laying foundations for the future of fishing
Credit: John Rae
Cast your mind forward – 10, 15, 50 years. What do you see? The world around us is changing: resource needs are transforming alongside a booming global population. Technology is evolving exponentially, informing how we respond to daily life. Our planet’s climate and the delicate balance of our oceans are under threat.
With over 3 billion people in this changing world relying on oceans for sustenance, where do fish, and fishing, fit into this future?
The world’s oceans have never been higher up the political agenda. Three major international events on ocean governance took place in the last month: the second UN Preparatory Committee on a legally binding instrument for the high seas; the IUCN global congress; and the star-spangled Our Ocean Conference, addressed by President Obama, COP21 President Ségolène Royal, and Leonardo DiCaprio (to name a few). Meanwhile, in London, HRH The Prince of Wales recently convened a meeting – through his International Sustainability Unit (ISU) – to ‘take stock’ of the global transition to sustainable fisheries, and scan the horizon for emerging challenges and opportunities. (Read the full meeting report here).
Fisheries and the future
A keynote speaker at the ISU event projected a global population of 18 billion, and a human life expectancy of 300 years (just around the corner – think your grandchildren, or their children). Another speaker forecast a 60 million ton shortage in seafood products in comparison to demand, within a generation. In a world where billions (often in the most food-insecure nations) rely on protein from fish and other seafood, this vastly increased pressure on resources paints a bleak picture for global fisheries and food security. But we see a brighter future where we can rebuild global fisheries for more fish, more food and more prosperous fishing communities. Read More
Posted in Europe, International Also tagged community engagement, fishermen innovation, Food Security Comments are closed
Crowdsourcing better data on small-scale fisheries
Photo credit: Jason Houston
Many of the world’s fish are caught in small-scale fisheries that lack data about the health of fish populations, giving managers very limited information to base management decisions on. In turn, most of these fisheries appear to be under-performing with respect to conservation, the amount of food they can produce, the amount of money they can generate, and the quality of the livelihoods they can support. There is a perception that these fisheries cannot be assessed without large amounts of data. Because of this perception, many fisheries remain unassessed, ineffectively managed or not managed at all leading to under performance or even collapse.
Fortunately, there are alternatives: fishermen and women, community members, managers and scientists are collaborating to bridge the data gap for these important fishing communities; increasing knowledge and resources for effective fishery assessment and management. While these collaborations have started to fill in the gaps, we still need input from fishery managers and practitioners for a complete picture of the data.
In collaboration with small-scale fisheries around the world, we are beginning to collect information on the pathway and tools employed in actions of science-based fishery co-management in small-scale, data-limited contexts. Read More
Posted in International, Science/Research Also tagged collaboration, Data limited fisheries, IMCC, SSF, tools Comments are closed
Managing Spain’s small-scale fisheries with limited data? ¡Sí se puede!
Credit: Pam Ruiter
For the last three years, Environmental Defense Fund Europe has been working in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Spain through a nation-wide project focusing on the sustainability of small-scale coastal fisheries. Small-scale fishing is the lifeblood of many coastal Spanish communities. In order to preserve this way of life it is critical to understand how these fisheries are doing biologically. As in small-scale fisheries worldwide, many Spanish coastal fisheries have limited information available to work with, and a stronger link between science and management could be made. Read More