Ibrahim Issifu

Research Associate

Research Unit

Fisheries Economics Research Unit

Degrees

PhD in Economics

Contact Information

Email: i.issifu@oceans.ubc.ca

LinkedIn: Ibrahim Issifu

Google Scholar: Ibrahim Issifu

Biography

Ibrahim Issifu is a Senior Research Fellow in interdisciplinary oceans and fisheries economics at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Canada. His research explores the intersections of climate change, sustainable blue food systems, AI in aquaculture, marine plastic pollution, fisheries conservation, and the blue economy. In addition to his academic work, he actively collaborates with policymakers and practitioners through high-level workshops, policy briefs, and international conferences that inform both national and global policy agendas. Dr. Issifu earned his PhD and master’s degrees from Nagoya University, Japan. He also holds a Master of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Ghana.

Research Interests

Regenerative Blue Economy, Marine Plastic Pollution, Natural Resoure Economics, Mangrove Ecology and Ecosystem Services, Blue Carbon and Nature-Based Solutions, CLimiate Change Adaptation and Coastal Resilience, Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, Marine Spatial Planning and Ocean Governance, Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis, Food Security andd Sustainable Blue Foods

Selected publications:

  1. 1. Issifu, I., Falayi, M., Sunderland, T., & Sumaila, U.R. (2026). Mangroves as land and ocean buffers: A comparative analysis of mangrove ecosystem services in Ghana and Tanzania. Ocean & Coastal Management, 108301.

    2. Kim, H., Teh, T., Issifu, I., et al. (2026). Ecological and economic impacts of ocean deoxygenation on Pacific halibut fisheries: A multidisciplinary assessment of projected losses. Ecological Economics, 109127.

    3. Ebinghaus, R., Galgani, F., Moffat, C., Issifu, I., Simcock, A., et al. (2026). Pollution. In The Third World Ocean Assessment (WOA III) (Section 4: Changes Since the Second World Ocean Assessment, Chapter 6, Subchapter 6E). New York, NY: United Nations, Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS), Office of Legal Affairs.

    4. Khan, A., Barclay, K., Issifu, I., Wabnitz, C., Issifu, I., et al. (2026). Seafood processing. In The Third World Ocean Assessment (WOA III) (Section 5, Subsection 5A: A Sustainable and Inclusive Ocean Economy, Chapter 1: Food Systems, Subchapter 1E). New York, NY: United Nations, Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs.

    5. Falayi, M., Lukhabi, D.K., Issifu, I., et al (2026). Nested Institutions and Overlapping Mandates: A Policy Analysis of Mangrove Governance in Ghana, Tanzania Mainland, and Zanzibar. Environmental Policy and Governance, 0:1–15.

    6. Issifu, I., & Sumaila, U.R. (2025). Is reusable beverage packaging better than single–use plastic? Journal of Sustainable Futures, 10, 101275.

    7. Issifu, I., Dahmouni, I., & Sumaila, U.R. (2025). Assessing the ecological and economic transformation pathways of plastic production system. Journal of Environmental Management, 374, 124104.

    8. Carvalho, A.R., Villasante, S., Lazzari, N. Issifu, I., et al. (2025). Unequal competition: the fate of domestic fisheries facing distant water fishing in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. npj Ocean Sustain. 4, 37.

    9. Issifu, I., Dahmouni, I., et al. (2025). Rethinking cost–benefit analysis for sustainable marine spatial planning. In a Research Agenda for Sustainable Ocean Governance. Edward Elgar Publishing.

    10. Cisneros-Montemayor, A.M., Breakey, H., Voyer, M., Issifu, I., et al. (2025). Social equity indicators for a Blue Economy: Guidelines for application. Marine Policy, 180, 106815.

    11. Oloko, A., Dahmouni, I., Le Billon, P. Issifu, I., et al. (2025). Gender dynamics, climate change threats and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. Discov Sustain. 6, 494.

    12. Alava, J.J., Issifu, I., et al. (2025). Plastics’ circular economy for the Galápagos Islands? Exploring plastics governance with implications for social and ocean equity in a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Frontiers in Maine Science, 11:1496213.

    13. Sumaila, U.R., Issifu, I., et al. (2024). Utilizing basic income to create a sustainable, poverty-free tomorrow. Cell Reports Sustainability, 1, 100104.

    14. Croft, F., Issifu, I., et al. (2024). Rethinking blue economy governance – A blue economy equity model as an approach to operationalise equity. Environmental Science & Policy, 155, 103710.

    15. Issifu, I., Dahmouni, I., García – Lorenzo, I., & Sumaila, U.R. (2024). Economics in marine spatial planning: A review of issues in British Columbia and similar jurisdictions. Sustainability, 16(3), 1210.

    16. Baztan, J., Issifu I., et al. (2024). Primary plastic polymers: Urgently needed upstream reduction. Cambridge University Press, 2, e7.

    17. Almroth, B.C., Issifu, I., et al. (2023). Obstacles to scientific input in global policy. Science, 6649, 1021–1022.

    18. Issifu, I., Dahmouni, I., Deffor, E.W., & Sumaila, U.R. (2023). Diversity, equity and inclusion in the blue economy: Why they matter and how do we achieve them? Frontiers in Political Science, 4:1067481.

    19. Issifu, I., Alava, J.J., Lam, V.W.Y., & Sumaila, U.R. (2022). Impact of ocean warming, overfishing and mercury on European fisheries: A risk assessment and policy solution framework. Frontiers in Maine Science, 8:770805.

    20. Issifu, I., Deffor, E.W., Deyshappriya, N.P.R., Dahmouni, I., & Sumaila, U.R. (2022). Drivers of seafood consumption at different geographical scales. Journal Sustainability Research, 4: e220012.

    21. Cisneros–Montemayor, A.M., Issifu, I., Voyer, M., et al. (2022). A primer on the Blue Economy: Promises, pitfalls, and pathways. One Earth, 5, 982–986.

    22. Sumaila, U.R., Issifu, I., Pauly, D., et al. (2022). Aquaculture over-optimism? Frontiers in Marine Science, 9:984354.

    23. Naylor, L., Issifu, I., et al. (2021). Blue food demand across geographic and temporal scales. Nature Communications, 12, 5413.

    24. Sumaila, U.R., Issifu, I., et al. (2021). Financing a sustainable ocean economy. Nature Communications, 12, 3259.

    25. Sumaila, U.R., Issifu, I., et al. (2021). WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies. Science, 6567, 374.

    26. Issifu, I., Deffor, E.W., & Sumaila, U.R. (2021). How COVID –19 could change the economics of the plastic recycling sector. Recycling, 6, 64.

    27. Issifu, I., & Sumaila, U.R. (2020). A review of the production, recycling and management of marine plastic pollution. Marine Science and Engineering, 8, 945.

    28. Issifu, I. (2018). Empirical investigation of impediments to returnees’ entrepreneurship in Ghana: an application of structural equation modelling. Mediterranean Journal of Social sciences, 9, 2039 – 2117.

    29. Issifu, I. (2018). The impact of remittances on domestic investment: the role of financial and institutional development in five countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Forum for International Development Studies, 48, 1– 21.

    30. Iddisah, S., & Issifu, I. (2015). An empirical examination of the determinants of trust in Ghana. International Journal of Social Economics, 42, 1005 –1023.

Non-Referred Publications:

  1. Croft, F., Breakey, H., Voyer, M., Moyle, C., Solitei, M., Cisneros-Montemayor, A., Issifu, I., Benzaken, D., Bodwitch, H., Campbell, B., Fusco, L., Ota, Y., Pauwelussen, A., Schutter, M., Pouponnea, A., Barclay, K., Van Leeuwen, J. (2023). Developing an equitable Blue Economy: a guide to embedding equity in governance frameworks. UNEP.
  2. Iqbal, T., Hojo, C., Issifu, I., et al. The role of community finance in Cambodia: focusing on the relationship between community finance and investment. Accessed (2022 Nov.) online from https://www2.gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp/blog/fieldwork/files/2014/10/2013-OFW-Report-Final.pdf
  3. PEW & SYSTEMIQ et al. (2020). Breaking the plastic wave: A comprehensive assessment of pathways towards stopping ocean plastic pollution. PEW & SYSTEMIQ Research Report, 2020: https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2020/07/breakingtheplasticwave_report.pdf

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