Fisheries
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12348/3
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- This study comprehensively assesses purse seine fisheries in Abu Qir Bay, a key fishing ground on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. The study utilized semi-structured interviews, field observations, and gear analysis to document vessel specifications, fishing operations, and catch composition for night-light and daylight purse seine fisheries. Of the nine vessels examined in the present study, five were consistent with their official designation as purse seiners, while the remaining four were recorded under alternative classifications, including longliners and trawlers. These inconsistencies suggest that economic considerations can influence fishers’ decisions regarding gear selection and operational strategies. Night-light nets measured 275–330 m in length and 91–110 m in depth, whereas daylight nets were larger (366–403 m in length) but shallower (54–70 m in depth). The main body of both net types had an 8.5 mm mesh length, which is far below sustainable recommendations. Small pelagic fishes, particularly Engraulis encrasicolus and Sardinella aurita, dominated the catch across all seasons, with night-light operations peaking in summer and daylight fishing more active in spring and autumn. While technological advancements have improved vessel efficiency and catch per unit effort, they have also intensified fishing pressure. Overfishing, overcapacity, and the use of small mesh sizes may present challenges to long-term sustainability. The results suggest opportunities to strengthen existing regulatory frameworks and to prioritize the design and enforcement of targeted management interventions. This paper recommends adopting a legal minimum mesh size of 25.7 mm and promoting an ecosystem-based management framework to help address overfishing, enhance stock productivity, and support the long-term sustainability of purse seine fisheries in Abu Qir Bay.
- To effectively manage fisheries, timely data of fishing operations and landings are needed by various stakeholders to make decisions. Although many technologies exist for fisheries' monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS), low- and middle-income countries are often under-resourced and lack the capacity to establish and maintain these systems. To guide the formation of an effective MCS system for Egypt’s Mediterranean fisheries, this study investigates the current challenges in the sector, reviews national, regional, and European Union fisheries legislation, and evaluates the successes and suitability of low-cost and scalable digital systems used elsewhere. Results highlight significant gaps in current practices, such as manual, paper-based logbooks for reporting, and tracking of fishing vessels. We describe the design of a proposed low-cost digital workflow integrating electronic reporting with tiered vessel tracking. Our approach builds on tested technologies and international best practices that enhance data accuracy and strengthen compliance with regional and international regulations. This integrated system offers a promising pathway towards improving data-driven decision-making, enhancing fisheries management, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Egypt's Mediterranean fisheries. This approach not only ensures regulatory compliance and promotes sustainable fisheries management, but also improves traceability, thereby strengthening adherence to standards and expanding market access.
- Dive into the incredible journey of Small Indigenous Fish Species (SIS)—tiny yet mighty contributors to better health, nutrition, and sustainable aquaculture in India. For centuries, these tiny fish have nourished communities, providing essential nutrients like iron, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins. Once a cornerstone of family diets, SIS gradually disappeared due to the rise of large-scale aquaculture, leaving a nutritional void in households. ✨But the tides are changing! Through the groundbreaking “Taking Nutrition-Sensitive Carp-SIS Polyculture Technology to Scale” project, supported by BMZ and GIZ, WorldFish and its partners are revitalizing SIS. With innovative hatchery-based mass seed production techniques, nutrition-sensitive aquaculture is transforming ponds into ecosystems of nourishment and helping farmers and women’s self-help groups boost incomes sustainably.
- Dive into the incredible journey of Small Indigenous Fish Species (SIS)—tiny yet mighty contributors to better health, nutrition, and sustainable aquaculture in India. For centuries, these tiny fish have nourished communities, providing essential nutrients like iron, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins. Once a cornerstone of family diets, SIS gradually disappeared due to the rise of large-scale aquaculture, leaving a nutritional void in households. ? What you’ll discover in this video: ✅ The essential role of SIS during the first 1,000 days of life for child development and maternal health. ✅ The science and success of producing 47 million SIS seeds, including mola, pool barb, tengara catfish, and more. ✅ Heartwarming stories of farmers and communities benefiting from SIS-based aquaculture. ✅ Policy inclusion of successful business model of SIS hatchery. ✅ How India is leading the way with globally scalable, nutrition-sensitive aquaculture models.
- Discover the power of Small Indigenous Fish Species (SIS) like Mola, Pool Barb, and Swamp Barb! Packed with essential nutrients such as iron, calcium, zinc, and vitamins, these tiny fish play a crucial role in combating malnutrition—especially for women and children. Unfortunately, due to overfishing and pollution, SIS populations have been declining, leaving communities in need of sustainable solutions. Through BMZ and GIZ-supported project “Taking Nutrition-Sensitive Carp-SIS Polyculture Technology to Scale”, innovative hatchery-based breeding techniques in Odisha and Assam are helping farmers revive SIS populations, boosting nutrition, enhancing income, and preserving aquatic biodiversity.
- Discover the power of Small Indigenous Fish Species (SIS) like Mola, Pool Barb, and Swamp Barb! Packed with essential nutrients such as iron, calcium, zinc, and vitamins, these tiny fish play a crucial role in combating malnutrition—especially for women and children. Unfortunately, due to overfishing and pollution, SIS populations have been declining, leaving communities in need of sustainable solutions. Through BMZ and GIZ supported project “Taking Nutrition-Sensitive Carp-SIS Polyculture Technology to Scale”, innovative hatchery-based breeding techniques in Odisha and Assam are helping farmers revive SIS populations, boosting nutrition, enhancing income, and preserving aquatic biodiversity.
- This document, "50 Years of WorldFish: From Fisheries Science to Aquatic Food Systems for Sustainable Development," celebrates WorldFish's journey from its origins as ICLARM in 1975 to its current role as a leader in aquatic food systems. This brief highlights the organization's evolution from focusing solely on fisheries science to embracing a holistic approach that includes aquaculture, value chains, socio-economic dimensions, and environmental aspects of aquatic food production. The publication showcases key achievements such as the development of influential tools like ELEFAN and Ecopath, and the creation of FishBase, the world's most comprehensive database of fish species. It also emphasizes WorldFish's commitment to bridging the gap between science and development, empowering small-scale fisheries, integrating gender into research, and addressing global challenges like climate change and food insecurity through sustainable aquatic food systems.
- This brief outlines WorldFish's efforts to support sustainable fisheries and island food systems in collaboration with the Solomon Islands Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR). The plan comprises six research pathways, focusing on sustainable production, safe food distribution, healthy diets, innovation hubs, resilience diagnostics, and program integration. Key achievements from 2024 include establishing a demonstration garden, hosting Indigenous food forums, publishing reports on community-based resource management (CBRM), and integrating island food systems into global programs. The 2025 milestones aim to advance CBRM practices, improve fish handling and distribution, promote indigenous foods, and expand the Nusatupe Innovation Hub's activities. The program is supported by partnerships with local and international organizations, a skilled research team, and monitoring tools to ensure impactful outcomes. Funded by donors like ACIAR and IDRC, the plan emphasizes community engagement, capacity building, and research-driven solutions to enhance food security and resilience in the Solomon Islands.
- Gender plays a crucial role in Mekong fisheries conservation by ensuring equitable resource management, enhancing community resilience, and improving livelihoods. Women contribute significantly to fish processing, marketing, and management but often face barriers to decision-making. Integrating gender-inclusive approaches strengthens conservation efforts by leveraging diverse knowledge, promoting sustainable practices, and ensuring fair benefits for all stakeholders. Recognizing and empowering women in fisheries governance leads to more effective conservation, improved food security, and resilient fishing communities.
- The CGIAR Initiative on Aquatic Foods aimed to build the resilience of aquatic food systems and unlock their full potential by scaling research and innovations. Working closely with research partners in fisheries and aquaculture, civil society, industry, and governments, the Initiative contributed to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the production of aquatic foods, and enhance ecological and social resilience through development and dissemination of improved fish strains, better management practices, integrated fish-rice production systems, and fish-friendly irrigation systems.
- This technical brief provides an overview of the formal policy context of Ghana’s fisheries with a focus on aquaculture, which can be traced back to the 1950s (Abban et al. 2009). Despite the focus on inland fisheries, the policy architecture tends to bring both marine and inland fisheries under the samebroader legislative frameworks. Formal policies entail governance arrangements such as laws, policies, plans and regulations. Informal policies are based on customs accepted by local traditional authorities; such local practices may or may not be accepted by formal authorities or the state (FAO et al. 2023).
- This review report provides an overview of Ghana's fisheries and aquaculture sectors. The report summarizes and highlights the formal policies and governance structures related to aquaculture, inland fisheries, and marine fisheries in Ghana. The report identifies the legal frameworks and strategies governing these sectors and the plans and regulations in place. The aquaculture sector is an expanding subsector that has greater potential to increase and meet the increased demand for fish in Ghana, which is currently being met through imports. The report emphasizes that fisheries resources in Ghana are derived from marine, inland, and aquaculture sources. It notes a decline in marine fish production but a steady increase in inland and aquaculture fisheries production. The National Aquaculture Development Plan aims to further increase the market share of commercially farmed fish.
- This booklet highlights the outcomes and lessons learned from the project enhancing Community Fisheries Management in Cambodia. A significant achievement is the shift to a more women-led management committee, strengthening leadership and improving community engagement. Peer-to-peer learning played a crucial role, fostering knowledge exchange and promoting sustainable fisheries practices. The results and new knowledge generated by this project are not only relevant to Cambodia but also provide a basis for replication globally. These insights offer valuable strategies for scaling up effective community fisheries management, contributing to sustainability and enhancing local and global fisheries resource management efforts.
- Catch monitoring involves collecting data on site location, habitat types, key species, land use, seasonality, and climate change impacts. It assesses livelihoods, governance, co-management, organization, capacity, resources, and logistics. Fishery management examines the primary fishery’s status, actions, and community perceptions. Quarterly monitoring includes setting criteria for sites, gear, fishing frequency, site validation, sampling, and data analysis. Data on fish species, diversity, and habitats is collected to improve management. Trends and changes in fish species, influenced by community actions or environmental factors, are evaluated using traditional and modern methods. Capacity building empowers communities to manage fisheries sustainably with NGO collaboration.
- Community Fisheries (CFi) in the Mekong region face challenges including low capacity, language barriers, insufficient resources, and limited knowledge-sharing opportunities. To address this, a Learning Hub was established, enabling peer-to-peer learning. Skilled CFi members shared expertise in fish ecology and management with 12 CFis, fostering collaboration and demonstrating best practices. For instance, Ksach Leav and Koh Khnier CFis redesigned their conservation zones, reducing them to 35% of the original size to balance conservation and subsistence fishing. Supported by WorldFish and CEPA, the Hub enhanced CFi capacity and promoted sustainable fisheries management, showcasing the effectiveness of collaborative and adaptive approaches.
- Asia–Africa BlueTech Superhighway (AABS) will help Tanzania address its fisheries and aquaculture challenges by leveraging South–South collaboration to improve sustainability, resilience and prosperity in coastal communities. Through evidence-based models and partnerships, AABS will enhance the adaptive capacities of small-scale fish workers and farmers, mitigating the effects of climate change and increasing the sustainability of fish production. By focusing on Tanzania’s vulnerable coastal regions, the initiative will not only support the government’s goals but also ensure that the livelihoods of these communities are more secure and equitable.
- In Mozambique, AABS will help to address fisheries and aquaculture challenges by leveraging South–South collaboration to improve sustainability, resilience and prosperity in coastal communities. Through evidence-based models and partnerships, AABS will enhance the adaptive capacities of small-scale fish workers and farmers, mitigating the effects of climate change and increasing the sustainability of fish production. By focusing on Mozambique’s vulnerable coastal regions, the initiative will not only support the government’s goals but also ensure that the livelihoods of these communities are more secure and equitable.
- Asia–Africa BlueTech Superhighway (AABS) will help Kenya address its fisheries and aquaculture challenges by leveraging South–South collaboration to improve sustainability, resilience and prosperity in coastal communities. Through evidence-based models and partnerships, AABS will enhance the adaptive capacities of small-scale fish workers and farmers, mitigating the effects of climate change and increasing the sustainability of fish production. By focusing on Kenya’s vulnerable coastal regions, the initiative will not only support the government’s goals but also ensure that the livelihoods of these communities are more secure and equitable.
- Asia–Africa BlueTech Superhighway (AABS) will help Bangladesh address its fisheries and aquaculture challenges by leveraging South–South collaboration to improve sustainability, resilience and prosperity in coastal communities. Through evidence-based models and partnerships, AABS will enhance the adaptive capacities of small-scale fish workers and farmers, mitigating the effects of climate change and increasing the sustainability of fish production. By focusing on Bangladesh’s vulnerable coastal regions, the initiative will not only support the government’s goals but also ensure that the livelihoods of these communities are more secure and equitable
- Transition to unhealthy food choices and lifestyles is causing health problems for Solomon Islanders. Due to these circumstances, a tok stori was organized in 2023 to start addressing the following question: “what does a vision for a healthy and safe food system comprise?” (Tutuo et al. 2023). To follow up on these discussions, WorldFish and the Kastom Gaden Association (KGA) organized a second series of forums called Island Food Systems in Transition: Strengthening Indigenous Food Systems in Solomon Islands. The forums were hosted in Gizo, Western Province, on June 13, 2024, and in Buala, Isabel Province, on August 14, 2024 . These forums brought together rural actors and key stakeholders (i) to talk about traditional farming and aquatic foods under a nutrition-sensitive approach and (ii) to listen to ideas about what the future of food systems in Solomon Islands could look like at the provincial level.