Issues in Fisheries Research: Seminars
FISH 500 Credits: 3
IOF members and others interested in the topics are encouraged to attend the weekly seminar (and the coffee break prior to the seminar in the Hakai Node (Rm. 216)). On days when the Seminar is held in-person, there is usually a pizza lunch held in AERL 107/8 after the seminar.
Terms 1 & 2, 2026/7
Image by Markus Spiske from Pixabay
A team of researchers from around the world is urging the United Nations to allow government-funded scientists with no conflicts of interest to be given the ability to participate in and contribute to climate change mitigation through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
In a new Viewpoint published by Science, the researchers argue that UNEP may state that it welcomes independent scientists without any conflicts of interest, however, the programme’s strict eligibility criteria actually limit valuable scientific input from government-funded researchers at independent, self-governing universities. Independent institutions, like universities, are not required to support government policy, whereas certain government-run organizations may have to. However, UNEP criteria does not differentiate between these two scenarios, excluding most scientists in European countries and other nations whose majority of universities are public.
“UNEP should allow scientists with no conflicts of interest to participate and contribute effectively,” said Dr. Ibrahim Issifu, postdoctoral research fellow in the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries.
The programme uses evidence-based data for global policy decisions that help strengthen global environmental standards and practices while also ensuring environmental obligations are carried out on every level.
“UNEP, with the support of member states, should accept universities as independent and self-governed entities that can be directly accredited,” says Issifu. “By improving the accessibility of global negotiating processes, independent scientists can fully participate in policy negotiations, contributing their trusted collective knowledge to secure a sustainable future.”
Image by Şehsuvar Şahin from Pixabay
The researchers are asking UNEP to better highlight the fact that government-funded scientists can get accreditation through multilateral environmental agreements that have more lenient requirements. They also ask that the programme allow government-funded scientists with no conflicts of interest to be given a chance to contribute to global policy.
“Inclusion of more scientists will improve accountability: Scientists without conflicts of interest can provide independent and unbiased perspectives, contributing to more transparent and accountable decision-making processes,” said Issifu. “This helps ensure that policy recommendations are based on objective scientific evidence rather than political or vested interests.”
Dr. Issifu hopes that UNEP will allow scientists to help mitigate climate change by improving accessibility for independent scientists whose input is essential to creating a sustainable future.
Tags: climate change, global policy, Ibrahim Issifu, IOF postdoctoral fellows, policy, UNEP, United Nations (UN)
Sea lice on a juvenile salmon. ©Hakai Institute.
“We found many more types of viruses than are known in sea lice or their distant relatives; the lice are mounting an immune defense response to many of these viruses indicating that they are replicating,” says UBC marine microbiologist Dr. Curtis Suttle, senior author of the paper published this week in PLOS Pathogens.
As part of his PhD research with Dr. Suttle’s group, co-author Dr. Tianyi Chang analyzed RNA from three species of sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis, Caligus clemensi and Caligus rogercresseyi) that have a large ecological and economic impact on fish and fisheries. The data were obtained from sea lice removed from out-migrating juvenile salmon collected in the waters surrounding the Discovery Islands and Broughton Archipelago on the northeastern side of Vancouver Island, as well as from farmed salmon in Chile. Sea lice are a big problem for the fish aquaculture industry worldwide due to their proliferation among dense populations of farmed fish.
Sea lice are a big problem for the fish aquaculture industry worldwide due to their proliferation among dense populations of farmed fish. Chemical treatments have failed to solve the problem.
Viruses tend to kill species that flourish, so populations that might otherwise take over an ecosystem are often controlled by viruses. By infecting and weakening their hosts, viruses maintain balance in nature.
“In a natural system, viruses may prevent explosions in sea-lice populations by rapidly replicating when densities become high, and so might form a natural biological control agent for a parasite of salmon,” says Dr. Suttle.
The viruses encompassed all the major groups of RNA viruses, with many likely representing new families and genera. Surprisingly, the closest relatives of some of the newly discovered viruses are only known to infect plants or fungi. This implies that over evolutionary time, viruses jumped between fungi and arthropods, a group of animals that includes crustaceans such as sea lice and crabs, as well as spiders and insects, the researchers said.
Divergent RNA viruses infecting sea lice, major ectoparasites of fish
Tags: aquaculture, British Columbia, Chile, Curtis Suttle, faculty, Hakai Institute, Research, salmon, salmon lice, science, viruses
June is National Indigenous History Month, and June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day.
At the IOF, we have the Centre for Indigenous Fisheries (CIF) where the priority is “Science for Fish, People, and Place at the University of British Columbia.” This is a video of some of the artwork that the CIF has on their website. Check out the CIF website for more!
Tags: Centre for Indigenous Fisheries, CIF, June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day, science
Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
jennifer.douglas@ubc.ca
Advancing department goals and initiatives, supporting the students, faculty, and staff who shape the university’s vibrant academic community. Human Resources; IT; and General Operations
Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
ariel.yu@ubc.ca
Ariel supports all aspects of the HR cycle for Faculty, Research Associates, PDFs, staff, and students. Initiates key requests & building access, coordinates building space planning, building service requests (something needs fixed? Sink dripping? Light out?).
She also coordinates Departmental meetings and Co-Chairs the AERL Health & Safety Committee.
Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Email: gail.chendonald@ubc.ca.
Manage the Institute’s financial operations, planning, analysis, reporting, and resource allocation. Provide strategic financial guidance to leadership. Support faculty and researchers with grant and contract administration. Collaborate across academic and administrative units to support informed decision making and the efficient use of resources. Lead process improvements and strengthen financial controls.
Gail is a finance professional with over 20 years of experience across both public and private sectors, including global high-tech companies, health authorities and post-secondary institutions with international and cross-cultural experience across different countries. She has supported complex organizations in aligning financial stewardship with strategic and academic priorities.
Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Email: k.came@oceans.ubc.ca
Phone: (604) 827-4325
Office: Rm. 233
Communications; Turning research papers into media releases/stories; IOF website and social media; Organizing and promoting IOF events, webinars and seminars; media relations; internal communications.
Katherine has been a communications professional for more than two decades, having worked in government, the not-for-profit world, professional associations, and now at UBC. She has experience in communications planning; internal communications; social media; publications development and management; project management; media/public relations; partnership building; digital signage; and professional development/education program management.
Since joining UBC, Katherine has also added preparing faculty award nomination packages to her pile of skills.
Want to see something funny: Let an IOF puppy loose and the 2nd floor. They all run to Katherine’s office; they know she has the best treats and gives good belly rubs.