A new Working Paper has been added to our list:
Sumaila, U.R., Zeng, Z., Lam, V.W.Y, and Cheung, W.W.L (2022) A rich analysis of the economic, social and environmental effects of harmful fisheries at the ecosystem. IOF Working Papers 2022 (04), 23pp., Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia.
Abstract
Marine fish stocks and the fisheries they support and play a vital role in meeting the food and nutritional needs of tens of millions of people worldwide while providing jobs and incomes to many more millions. Even though marine fish stocks are renewable they are seriously threatened by many stressors, including overfishing due to ineffective management and the perverse effects of government policies such as the provision of harmful subsidies; climate change and marine pollution, e.g., ocean plastic pollution and oil spills. Here, we explore the effects of harmful fisheries subsidies in three marine ecosystems chosen for their importance in terms of food security, size and diversity (Mauritanian EEZ, South China Sea and East China Sea); and three different management scenarios, i.e., optimizing (i) economic rent; (ii) jobs; and (ii) ecological fitness. This rich modelling exercise allows us to address pertinent questions such as how much resource depletion is due to subsidies; how much rent depletion occurs due to the provision of harmful subsidies; and to what extent do differences in management regimes matter?
Tags: Climate change, Faculty, fisheries economics, fisheries management, food security, food webs, IOF Research Associates, nutrition, pollution, Publications, Rashid Sumaila, Research, Vicky Lam, William Cheung, Zeyu Zeng