For more information about the event, check out this article in The Telegraph. Details about the ISU are available on the ISU website.

In his speech at the event, the Prince will warn of “dire” long-term consequences unless action is taken to manage fish stocks more effectively. Dr. Sumaila will present his economic perspective on the issue of global overfishing and the harmful impacts of subsidies to the Prince and approximately 200 invited guests.

Char species, so critical to first nations communities, now face similar threats. Globally, fisheries are at risk because of overfishing exacerbated by climate change. Human apathy may be the biggest threat to declining fish species, though, as too many governments and individuals remain in denial about the urgency of the problem.

The warning signs of a growing crisis are clear: the Atlantic bluefin tuna spawning population, estimated at just 40 per cent of its peak in 1974, is now a “species of concern,” along with its cousin, the Pacific bluefin. In British Columbia, ling cod have nearly disappeared.

Read the full article in The Vancouver Sun.

His proposal, published in the January 2012 issue of Nature, could solve the problem faced by World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiators, whose efforts to broker an all-inclusive deal that encompasses domestic and international, small- and large-scale fisheries, have stalled. Efforts, he says, that have been hindered by national interests.

Read the article in Nature.

The study, published in the December 2011 issue of Fish and Fisheries, shows there are approximately 260 million marine fisheries jobs worldwide, a figure 1.75 times greater than previous estimates from the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Of those jobs, 50 million are directly related to fishing, including commercial, small-scale or artisanal operations. Twenty-two million fishers are considered small-scale fishers, a figure 40 per cent higher than previously estimated. Secondary employment, which provides support such as trade, canning and processing of fish products, and equipment repair, supports another 210 million workers.

“This shows that there is a considerable ‘invisible workforce’ in the fisheries sector – made up of unlicensed fishers who catch fish for subsistence or to be sold locally – whose impact on the global fisheries hasn’t been counted,” says Dr. Sumaila.

Around the world, nearly one billion people – or approximately 15 per cent of the global population – rely on fish as primary source of animal protein.


For more information and a graphic representation of the study’s key findings, visit The Pew Environment Group website.

Read the article: Contribution of marine fisheries to worldwide employment.



*Images courtesy of the Pew Charitable Trusts

Marine fisheries contribute to the global economy, from the catching of fish through to the provision of support services for the fishing industry. General lack of data and uncertainty about the level of employment in marine fisheries can lead to underestimation of fishing effort and hence over-exploited fisheries, or result in inaccurate projections of economic and societal costs and benefits. To address this gap, a database of marine fisheries employment for 144 coastal nations was compiled. Gaps in employment data that emerged were filled using a Monte Carlo approach to estimate the number of direct and indirect fisheries jobs. We focused on estimating jobs in the small-scale fishing sector. We characterized small-scale fishing as (i) primarily geared towards household consumption or sale at the local level; (ii) conducted at a low level of economic activity; (iii) minimally mechanized; (iv) conducted within inshore areas; (v) minimally managed; and/or (vi) undertaken for cultural or ceremonial purposes. In total, we estimated that 260 ± 6 million people are involved in global marine fisheries, encompassing full-time and part-time jobs in the direct and indirect sectors, with 22 ± 0.45 million of those being small-scale fishers. This is equivalent to 203 ± 34 million full-time equivalent jobs. Study results can be used to improve management decision making and highlight the need to improve monitoring and reporting of the number of people employed in marine fisheries globally.

Reference:

Teh, L.C. & Sumaila, U.R. (2011) Contribution of marine fisheries to worldwide employment. Fish and Fisheries. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-2979.2011.00450.x

“It was a great opportunity for different stakeholders to talk to each other,” Dr. Sumaila said of the event.

The third Oceans Day was organized as part of the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17).

See: Climate change impacts on the biophysics and economics of world fisheries

Abstract: Global marine fisheries are underperforming economically because of overfishing, pollution and habitat degradation. Added to these threats is the looming challenge of climate change. Observations, experiments and simulation models show that climate change would result in changes in primary productivity, shifts in distribution and changes in the potential yield of exploited marine species, resulting in impacts on the economics of fisheries worldwide. Despite the gaps in understanding climate change effects on fisheries, there is sufficient scientific information that highlights the need to implement climate change mitigation and adaptation policies to minimize impacts on fisheries.

Full report available: Climate change impacts on the biophysics and economics of world fisheries.

Reference: U. Rashid Sumaila, William W. L. Cheung, Vicky W. Y. Lam, Daniel Pauly & Samuel Herrick. (2011). Climate change impacts on the biophysics and economics of world fisheries. Nature Climate Change 1:449–456.

Visit the Nereus Program website.

Watch a video about the Nereus Program to learn more.

Listen to the interview: Rashid Sumaila on the economic impacts of climate change on global oceans and fisheries.

Reference: Sumaila, U.R., Cheung, W.W.L., Lam, V.W.Y., Pauly, D. and Herrick, S. (2011). Climate change impacts on the biophysics and economics of world fisheries. Nature 1(8).