Fisheries
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12348/3
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- Salt marsh ecosystems are vital for coastal protection, biodiversity support, and carbon sequestration, while also serving as nurseries for coastal and marine species and improving water quality. This study assessed the extent and ecological significance of the salt marsh ecosystem along the southeast coastal zone of Bangladesh. In addition, the study explored the biota associated with salt marshes, identified anthropogenic stressors affecting them and proposed conservation options. A citizen science-based monitoring approach, along with the scientific sampling, was conducted between July 2023 and June 2024 to collect the data from the study area. The study identified a 34 km-long salt marsh habitat extending from Sitakunda to Kattoli beach along the Chattogram coast of Bangladesh. This saltmarsh habitat is dominated by species Oryza coarctata. Visually higher densities of salt marsh were observed along the Salimpur and Sitakunda coasts. The salt marsh ecosystem of Chattogram coast supports diverse species, including shorebirds, mudskippers, horseshoe crabs, jellyfish, benthic organisms, crabs, shrimps, and fishes. We identified three spatial biodiversity clusters and Cluster 1 had the highest species diversity. This study found that the salt marsh ecosystem along the Chattogram coast serves as a habitat for over 50 salt marsh-associated fish species, which may depend on it for breeding, feeding, and nursery grounds. However, this area faces significant threats from activities such as burning, oil spills, shipbreaking, and fishing. Therefore, this study recommends an integrated approach to conserve the salt marsh ecosystem and its associated biota. This study serves as a unique example of an integrated monitoring strategy that supports conservation initiatives in developing countries.
- Parseria ho ofisiál peska sira governu nian, organizasaun lokal ida ho naran Business Development Services (BDS) smart Lda, no representante sira husi grupu feto Beacou, WorldFish Timor–Leste oferese ona treinamentu kona-ba prosesamentu ikan no abilidade negósiu ba peskador sira, negosiante ikan sira, metidor/a sira no prosesador ikan sira iha komunidade kosteiru iha Baucau, Lautem no Viqueque iha tinan 2023-2024. Relatóriu badak ne’e sumariza lisaun sira husi atividade sira ne’e. In partnership with government fisheries officers, a local training organization called Business Development Services Smart Lda (BDS Smart) and representatives from a women’s fish processing group from Beacou, WorldFish Timor-Leste provided training on fish processing and business skills to fishers, fish traders, gleaners and fish processors in coastal communities of Baucau, Lautem and Viqueque in 2023-2024. This brief summarizes key lessons from these activities.
- Engaging youth in positive island food system transitions is an emerging regional priority. The Nusatupe Innovation Hub in Solomon Islands, operated by WorldFish, is focusing on fostering a new generation of island leaders through youth-focused training in sustainable livelihoods and marine resource management. Following its inaugural internship programme in 2024, the initiative is being expanded in 2025, strengthening partnerships and capacity building to support resilient island food systems across the country.
- Key elements in the development of a community management plan.
- The plan contains a simple explanation on the SMART principles and their application to transform management goals to SMART management objectives, their application in defining actions and management plan development
- Ita-nia mundu ne’ebé muda lalais nesesita agora, liu fali uluk, atu ita haree ba futuru. Nesesidade atu haree ba oin maka partikularmente integral iha komunidade rurál sira ne’ebé iha relasaun metin no depende ba sira-nia ambiente ba ai-han, rendimentu, saúde no meiu subsisténsia sira. Komunidade sira-ne’e presiza prepara no adapta ba futuru ida iha mudansa klimátika globál nia okos no mós motor lokál sira ba mudansa ekosistema sira. Globalmente, aproximasaun oi-oin dezenvolve ona atu fornese hanoin sira kona-ba saida maka sei akontese iha futuru, maibé dalabarak aproximasaun sira-ne’e estrañu no la prátiku iha kontestu nasaun sira ne’ebé iha hela faze sub-dezenvolvimentu no komunidade rurál sira. Maske jestaun peskas iha Timor-Leste hetan ona apoiu barak iha dékada hirak liubá, lakuna ida sei iha maka oinsa atu komprende estatutu rekursu tasi nian no ekosistema sira, no oinsa sira-ne’e tenke uza no jere iha mundu ne’ebé mudansa ba beibeik. Our rapidly changing world necessitates now, more than ever, that we look into the future. The need for looking forward is particulary integral in rural communities that are closely linked with and depend on their environment for food, income, health and livelihoods. These communities need to prepare and adapt for a future under global climate change as well as local drivers of ecosystem change. Globally, various approaches have been developed to provide insights into what the future might hold, but many times these approaches are alien and impractical in the context of developing nations and rural communities. Even though fisheries management in Timor-Leste has received a lot of support and focus over the past decades, a gap still remains in understanding the status of marine resources and ecosystems and how these should be used and managed in a changing world.
- Our rapidly changing world necessitates now, more than ever, that we look into the future. The need for looking forward is particulary integral in rural communities that are closely linked with and depend on their environment for food, income, health and livelihoods. These communities need to prepare and adapt for a future under global climate change as well as local drivers of ecosystem change. Globally, various approaches have been developed to provide insights into what the future might hold, but many times these approaches are alien and impractical in the context of developing nations and rural communities. Even though fisheries management in Timor-Leste has received a lot of support and focus over the past decades, a gap still remains in understanding the status of marine resources and ecosystems and how these should be used and managed in a changing world.
- Small-scale fisheries (SSF) support the livelihoods and food security of billions worldwide, yet they remain underrepresented in technological innovation efforts, including Artificial Intelligence (AI). Yet these fisheries face severe pressures stemming from compounding climate impacts, governance challenges, and persistent poverty conditions further exacerbated by inadequate data and limited visibility of their informal nature. While rapid advances in AI, including open-access Generative AI and Large Language Models, hold promise for improving management through complex modelling and innovative applications, the adoption of AI in SSF has lagged behind industrial fisheries and terrestrial agriculture. Using a comprehensive bibliometric and content analysis of 227 publications from the past decade, we evaluate the progress and scope of AI solutions in SSF and assess the constraints to broader uptake. Our findings reveal a lack of targeted research, limited resources, and scarce data, particularly in socio-economic aspects and studies utilising AI. This underscores the need for sustainable, context-sensitive AI tools. Building on these insights, we propose a taxonomy that aligns AI applications with Environmental, Social, Economic, and Governance (ESEG) sustainability dimensions, offering a roadmap for future exploration. This study highlights emergent research trends and provides a best practice framework and practical guidance to policymakers and researchers striving to leverage new digital and data advances to enhance fisheries and environmental sustainability.
- This study investigates the financial profitability of small scale, home-based fish powder production in Timor-Leste, by estimating the costs and potential profits of producing one kilogram of product using one particular recipe. It also estimates affordability for schools, based on existing allocated school meal budgets. By providing insights into these aspects, this study seeks to identify research gaps and inform decision making and investment that can achieve both nutrition and livelihood objectives in rural and coastal Timor-Leste.
- Blue Resilience Generates and communicates climate information and advisory services to enable climate-informed decision-making at different scales — from small-scale fish farmers to policy makers — paving the way for climate risk management initiatives for aquatic foods in the SADC region.
- This report presents outcomes, important takeaways, and suggestions from the digital fisheries information system component of PROFISHBLUE project's execution in Zambia and Malawi. The project is officially known as the Programme for Improving Fisheries Governance and Blue Economy Trade Corridors in the SADC region and funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and coordinated by the SADC Secretariat. Despite the blue economy being critical to the livelihoods of artisanal fisherfolks and smallholder aquaculture farmers and overall economic growth, it remains vulnerable to climate change. The project was based on the need to strengthen the resilience of aquatic food systems to climate change. In this context, Digital Climate Information and Advisory Services (DCIAS) for aquaculture and fisheries information systems were seen as essential for informed and data-driven decision making to deal with climate risks for building resilience, enhancing food, nutrition, and livelihood security across aquatic food systems..
- In partnership with government fisheries officers, a local training organization called Business Development Services Smart Lda (BDS Smart) and representatives from a women’s fish processing group from Beacou, WorldFish Timor-Leste provided training on fish processing and business skills to fishers, fish traders, gleaners and fish processors in coastal communities of Baucau, Lautem and Viqueque in 2023-2024. This brief summarizes key lessons from these activities.
- This infographic sheds light into gleaning fisheries, an under-researched fishery often led by women, and their contribution to food and nutrition security in coastal areas. It presents key findings from different data sources, such as gleaning catches and a census survey conducted in coastal hamlets of seven villages, as well as results from a seasonal nutrition survey conducted in four coastal villages and nutrient composition analysis of aquatic foods commonly consumed in Timor-Leste. It concludes that, importantly, incorporating women's practices, knowledge, and voices into coastal management and governance enhances environmental justice and is vital for the sustainability of marine resources.
- This report presents NSFM’s piloting work on fisheries co-management. It highlights co-management as a dynamic process that requires continuous discussion and negotiation, shaped by local socioeconomic inequalities, histories, and conflicts. The report provides an overview of co-management in Timor-Leste, outlines the community engagement steps taken to establish committees, and shares key lessons learned from each site to stress the unique nature of the process. It concludes by reflecting on the challenges, rewards, and the way forward for strengthening co-management in the country.
- This study presents a literature-based review of Malaysia’s fishery and aquaculture sectors, examining their historical development, production trends, contributions, and challenges. Unlike existing studies that focus primarily on production trends or environmental concerns, this paper provides a policy-oriented perspective, linking production challenges to governance, economic constraints, and gaps in small-scale aquaculture and private-sector involvement. The study show that in 2022, Malaysia’s total fishery production reached 1.89 million metric tons, with aquaculture contributing 30%. While capture fisheries have stagnated due to overfishing and environmental pressures, aquaculture has expanded, playing a crucial role in post-Covid-19 recovery. However, sustainability remains a challenge due to climate change, water pollution, rising production costs, and regulatory barriers. To address these issues, the study recommends promoting sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices, enhancing research and development (R&D), streamlining regulatory frameworks, improving disease management, and expanding economic support and market access. These measures are essential to strengthening Malaysia’s aquaculture sector and ensuring long-term food security and economic resilience.
- This Results Framework (RF) is based on the updated WorldFish (WF)’s Theory of Change (ToC) version in May 2023. The RF is built around a conceptual framework that focuses on determining the extent to which there is control over research results and contribution to development impacts. This document covers the details at all the above-mentioned levels as well as identifying roles and responsibilities and the ways of tracking the different outputs and outcomes. The high-level indicators were endorsed in 2023, during the annual retreat, taking reference of CGIAR indicators. This document also helps to identify (a) how the framework is operationalised and, (b) the key MEL activities and timelines to ensure the improvement of the program quality and efficiency of WF. For the full result framework table please refer to Annex 1, which provides more details of how each indicator will be reported, ways of segregation and aggregation, and frequency of data collection.
- This brief highlights the outcomes of a cross-border knowledge exchange between Timor-Leste and Indonesian fishing communities under the Nutrition-Sensitive Fisheries Management (NSFM) project, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The exchange was a collaboration among WorldFish Timor-Leste, the Timor-Leste Directorate General of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Resources Management (DG-PAGRA), Nusa Cendana University (UNDANA), and the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The aim of the exchange was to use practical training and collaborative engagement to strengthen small-scale actors along the aquatic food value chain. Over 4 days (March 11–14, 2025), fishers, gleaners, fish processors and traders from Binagua in Baucau Municipality, Timor-Leste, visited three villages in Belu District in East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. The participants from Timor-Leste engaged with their Indonesian counterparts, exploring novel fishing techniques, gear maintenance, and fish processing and marketing while reviving historical cross-border relationships.
- In 2024, significant strides were made in advancing aquatic food systems that are climate-resilient, inclusive, and nutrition-sensitive. Through targeted innovation, scientific research, and strategic policy engagement, efforts supported communities in building resilience to climate-related shocks. The application of digital technologies, sustainable aquaculture practices, and co-management approaches contributed to improved livelihoods, while inclusive value chains and emerging technologies enhanced opportunities for women and youth. Nutrition-focused interventions further demonstrated the critical role of small fish and fish-derived products in addressing micronutrient deficiencies. Collectively, these developments highlight the growing importance of aquatic foods in global strategies for food security, public health, and climate adaptation.
- The 2024 annual FASA workshop was held in Lusaka, Zambia, on November 11–15, 2024. During the workshop, key achievements, challenges and solutions were highlighted and discussed. This event brought together FASA partners from Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Sweden and Malaysia, providing an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in Year 2 and strengthen collaboration for the project’s next phase in Year 3. In its second year, the FASA project continued to make progress toward achieving deliverables for the year despite facing challenges, such as delays in some activities. Building on the foundation established in its first year, the project successfully completed a scoping study to identify and select alternative raw ingredients for fish feed. It also continued its research on the nutrient requirements of fish, strengthened capacity building efforts and fostered engagement with stakeholders to achieve the project’s milestones. In addition, FASA’s partners remained dedicated to delivering project activities despite challenges that arose.
- The fisheries sector has great potential to contribute to the development of the domestic economy. Business activity linked to fisheries and fish processing can enhance and strengthen local industries at the community level, as well as contribute to the development of the rural economy in Timor-Leste. Fisheries and its products important to the economy of coastal communities, when we know how to use and manage it well. This training program is designed to help coastal community individuals and groups understand better on how to conduct business activities to achieve success.