Global Over-Fishing: Challenges for New Ocean Technologies

Trawling over-fishing techniques in action: Greenpeace US Image

The World has forgotten how to fish. Re-learning how do it in modern times is not only an essential human development and business opportunity but could actually save our Oceans and ourselves. New Global Fisheries Programs are a win-win but putting the theory into practice is extremely difficult. Technology and new software is proving to be the solution.

World Fishing skills of the past and its current global system is obsolete when confronted with today´s changing situation. Increased population and increased demand for protein, decline and depletion of fishing stocks, ecological reckless behaviour, poor management, contamination, climate change and even piracy afflict fisheries today.

Maria Damanaki recently served for four years as European Union Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and is today the Global Managing Director for Oceans at The Nature Conservancy TNC.

In the April TNC Nature Magazine Damanaki addressed the Global Challenges which humanity faces.

“The collapse of fisheries represents one of the greatest challenges that humanity has ever faced,” Damanaki assured.

Maria Damanaki adds that Half of the World's Population -3 Billion people depend on fish as a source of protein.

“Yet around 85% of commercially harvested fishery stocks are at their breaking point (close to depletion),” Damanaki adds.

Complete lack of management and a outdated structure impacting humans and economy . A total of 50 billion USD are lost every year because global fisheries are not managed. This loss equals enough protein to provide nourishment to over 300 million people every day for a year.

“In the World’s 10 thousand fisheries, scientists are keeping tabs on fewer than 440. Meanwhile, fishermen end up working harder, burning more fuel and catching fewer fish,” Maria adds.

Maria admits that "Fisheries around the World are in Trouble,” but after working years in successful fisheries program she has faith. “We can bring them back. We can fix the crisis in our fisheries, ” she assures.

What will it take? “It will take all parties working together to fish smarter."

One of clearest and most evident and strange sign of global fisheries in crisis is the rise of piracy linked to depleted fish stocks. Voa News reported on March 15 that in Africa, Somalis are considering piracy and blaming illegal fishing trade.

“In recent years, local officials have warned that rampant fishing by foreign trawlers was destroying the livelihoods of coastal communities, stoking fears of a return of piracy as a way to make money. They have blamed Yemeni, Chinese, Indian, Iranian and Djibouti-flagged fishing boats and trawlers,” Voa News reported.

“Illegal fishing is a very serious problem. Fishing has declined, equipment was confiscated and they destroyed our livelihoods and properties,” Aisha Ahmed, a fish dealer told the press.

This type of violence linked to Global Fisheries has brought the issue to the highest level. United Nations Members are hands on the issue increasing actions.

For Maria Global Managing Director for Oceans at The Nature Conservancy fishing and fish have always been part of her life.

 

“I grew up in Greece, surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. Our family ate snapper, grouper and bluefin tuna. We wrapped sardines in grape leaves and baked them with herbs and tomatoes. Eating fresh, local fish felt as natural as breathing. I never thought deeply about the fish themselves until 2009, when I was asked to lead Maritime Affairs and Fisheries for the European Commission. Working for the executive body of the European Union, I began to investigate management of Europe’s fish stocks for the first time. For six months, I studied day and night, reaching out to industry associations, university professors and conservation organizations. What I found horrified me,” Maria wrote at the latest TNC Nature Magazine.

“In the European Union, we were inflating our fishing fleet through subsidies, which meant we had too many boats fighting for too few fish. Of Europe’s approximately 50 major fisheries, only a handful were being managed well. When I ordered snapper or grouper from a restaurant in Greece, the fish were likely coming from the coast of Africa or some other far distant location because local ones had disappeared. Even our sardines were becoming scarce,” Maria explained her experience.

Where does she see hope today? In the combination of good science with responsible management. “That may sound impossible, but I have seen it done -in Europe,” Maria explained.

Under her management when working for the European Commission Maria managed to bring back the Atlantic bluefin tuna practically from extinction. First she pushed to enlist the specie under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Once listed the specie was banned from fishing and commercial trade. Later come recovery and strict quotas -the basis of fisheries science.

“Slowly, bluefin tuna has begun to rebound in the Mediterranean,” Maria assures.

A total of 28 countries joined into Maria´s European-wide reforms that required ecosystem-based management for all commercially harvested fish species, from Mediterranean sardines to Atlantic cod.

Controls were strict. “We also set up a blacklist to prevent vessels that had been caught illegally fishing from dumping their fish on European markets. At times, we banned imports from entire countries if they failed to keep illegal fishing in check,” the expert set the limits.

Now she is after Global programs. “The only way humanity can effectively manage this resource is through an international alliance of citizens, scientists, industry and nongovernmental organizations,” Maria proudly explains that she joined the Nature Conservancy in 2014 to global manage the oceans.

“Our goal at TNC is to use the best technology, science and policy ideas to create the right balance between the oceans and the people who depend on them,” Maria kicks it.

World Fish is fascinated and works hard in “re-learning fishing programs”. Aquafeed reported on March 30 that ASEAN fish production is poised to rise and new policies and technology are needed to ensure sustainability.

A new report from WorldFish projects that fish production in ASEAN countries will reach 24% of Global output by 2030. Policies that promote sustainable aquaculture expansion and law enforcement in fisheries management are critical to ensuring sustainable growth in both sectors, Worldfish new report concludes.

For ASEAN countries fish is a hugely important source of nutrition, also providing income, opening up employment opportunities and alleviating poverty. By volume, fish production is four times that of poultry and 20 times that of cattle in the ASEAN region. Fish trade represents an important source of foreign currency earnings for many developing countries.

“Fish to 2050 in the ASEAN Region ,” produced in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute IFPRI shows that aquaculture is expected to supply more than half of the fish for consumption in the region.

“The rise of Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN countries’ fish production can be attributed to the rapid growth of aquaculture in Southeast Asia and its large offshore fishing fleet. Fisheries and aquaculture are increasingly becoming a primary source of animal protein, micronutrients, foreign exchange, livelihoods and wellbeing for the population in the region,” the new Worldfish report says.  

TNC works on new programs which include innovative approaches to fisheries, FishPath and FishFace are part of these programs.

“A tool we are developing is called FishFace, a technology that uses facial recognition software to record the species and numbers of fish as they are brought aboard. Once completed, this tool will be mounted on fishing vessels and could make data collection fast and cheap. Its potential is so impressive that the project recently won $750,000 in the Google Impact Challenge,” Maria explains.

“Fishing smarter also means that we need better governance of the oceans, including the high seas. Allowing illegal catches to be sold at cut-rate prices hurts fisheries and harms honest fishing businesses. TNC is working with regional fisheries management organizations to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. There is progress on this front: In June the United Nations’ Port State Measures Agreement went into effect after being formally approved by more than 25 nations -making it the world’s first binding international accord specifically targeting illegal fishing. Although much more work still needs to be done to implement the agreement, it is an important milestone, and it will make  it much harder for dishonest fishing operations to operate,” TNC kicks it.