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The effects of climate change on marine ecosystems are causing cascading impacts on livelihood, food security, and culture through fisheries. Such impacts interact and exacerbate the effects of overfishing on marine social‐ecological systems, complicating the rebuilding of ecosystems to achieve desirable and sustainable ocean futures. Developing effective pathways for ecosystem rebuilding requires consideration of the co‐benefits and trade‐offs between ecological and social dimensions and between fishing sectors. However, the effects of intensifying climate change on such co‐benefits or trade‐offs are yet to be well understood, particularly in regions where ecosystem rebuilding is urgently needed. We applied a numerical optimization routine to define the scope for improvement toward the Pareto‐frontier for ecological robustness and economic benefits of the northern South China Sea (NSCS) and the East China Sea (ECS) ecosystems. These two ecosystems were used to represent over‐exploited low‐ and mid‐latitude systems, respectively, and the optimization aimed to improve their status through fisheries management. We find that the ECS ecosystem has the possibility of increasing the economic benefits generated by the fisheries it supports under climate change by 2050 while increasing the uncertainty of achieving biodiversity objectives. Nevertheless, climate change is projected to reduce the scope to restore ecosystem structures and the potential economic benefits in the NSCS ecosystem. This study highlights the contrasting impacts of climate change on the co‐benefits/trade‐offs in ecosystem rebuilding and the benefits obtainable by different fishing sectors even in neighboring ecosystems. We conclude that consideration at the nexus of climate–biodiversity‐fisheries is a key to developing effective ecosystem rebuilding plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Global South, small-scale fisheries may be highly influenced by taboos and traditional beliefs that are believed to maintain fishing pressure within sustainable limits, maintain ecosystem balance and mitigate risks associated with work at sea. However, despite their potentially significant role in mediating human-resource interactions, limited attention has been given to taboos in the context of small-scale fisheries. Among the socio-cultural taboos shaping participation in and benefits from fisheries activities, gender-specific taboos are particularly significant. Thus, this paper explores the role of gender taboos in sustainable and equitable small-scale fisheries management in the Global South. It also identifies and assesses the quality and scientific rigor of the key themes from the literature. A systematic literature review was conducted to assess the state of knowledge on taboos and small-scale fisheries and situate the role of gender-specific taboos within small-scale fisheries governance. Over 100 relevant publications were obtained and categorised using scanning and selection methods. The main emerging themes from the literature review included traditional ecological knowledge and taboos, conservation and management taboos, and gender taboos. The findings highlight the significance of taboos in shaping gender dynamics, livelihoods, and food security within small-scale fisheries; however, there remain many gaps in understanding the role of taboos in mediating fishing activities and in maintaining gender inequalities in the fisheries sector. Without this knowledge, gender inequalities could be further exacerbated where taboos are used as a management tool without considering the gender dimensions. This study, therefore, seeks to fill this gap by providing insights for fisheries managers and practitioners for managing fisheries in a way that considers these socio-cultural factors that shape access to, control over and the benefits derived from fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been a rapid increase in the use of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) worldwide, partly due to the continued loss of marine biodiversity and habitat. The sustainability of marine resources is threatened in all regions of the world by major events such as climate change, marine pollution, and overfishing, as well as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing both on the high seas and in country waters. Here, we present a comprehensive review and analysis of how economic information has been applied and used to inform decisions about MSP in British Columbia (BC), Canada, and other similar jurisdictions around the world. This focus for the paper was selected because important gaps remain in the literature in terms of incorporating economic questions into MSP. We first present different definitions of MSP, and then we extract useful lessons from MSP regimes with well-tested decision support tools (DSTs) and use this to guide MSP implementation in BC. Finally, we present and discuss case studies from Australia, South Africa, and Belgium. Our review suggests that applying economic information to support the design and implementation of MSPs would lead to better decisions. This in turn would foster livelihoods, attract finance, increase buy-in, and advance United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, thereby achieving Infinity Fish, i.e., ensuring that ocean benefits flow to humanity forever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molluscan mariculture has become increasingly common in coastal areas of China with production accounting for ∼69% of Chinese total mariculture production. In other international locations, however, a possible underutilization of molluscan mariculture may result from hesitancy based on initial environmental impacts. This study investigated the dynamic relationship between the molluscan mariculture industry (MMI) development and environmental quality (solid waste production, total wastewater emissions, and sulfur dioxide emissions) at the meso level. Their relationship trend followed that described by the environmental Kuznets curve theory in ∼78% of the areas, and ∼89% of the areas were in a coupled coordination state in most periods. This implied that the healthy development of the MMI can reduce environmental stress. These results should help to alleviate the negative perceptions of some researchers and the public regarding mariculture operation. The findings suggest that China, given its substantial contribution to global blue growth, should further support sustainable molluscan production by developing new strategies and policies and reducing potential negative impacts of mariculture on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mariculture development has contributed to improving global food and nutrition security. This commentary reviews the importance of blue growth and the potential for aquaculture to fill the nutritional gap left by wild fisheries. On this basis, Chinese mariculture development was analyzed, focusing on five representative large-scale aquaculture practices over the past 60 years. The Chinese mariculture industry has moved from an extensive and low-efficiency development stage to an intensive and high-efficiency development stage; however, the development of the industry has been characterized by environmental and economic over-farming. From a policy perspective, to circumvent these two types of over-farming, more policies and actions by both the public sector and stakeholders are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen is crucial for the survival of marine species. Yet, the ocean has experienced a loss of approximately 2% of its oxygen inventory since the last century, resulting in adverse impacts on marine life and ecosystems. In particular, changes in the gap between the supply and demand for dissolved oxygen lead to physiological and ecological variations, which cause alterations in habitats and food webs for fish and ecosystem services. These changes vary over time and by region, and the heterogeneous characteristics of marine species bring about non-linear consequences to human society. Despite this, identifying the potential ripple effects of deoxygenation on human society is challenging due to the integrated impacts of other stressors, such as global warming and ocean acidification, and their varying changes depending on environmental conditions and regions, such as upwelling and eutrophication. Therefore, we conducted a literature review on ocean deoxygenation and its effects on fish dynamics and the ecosystem, with a focus on the environmental and societal impact, to present crucial considerations and pathways for future research on ocean deoxygenation. We found that quantitative approaches are necessary to assess the dynamic changes under deoxygenation, and the consequent effects on marine ecosystems should be verified to exploit the natural resources from the ocean. One of the most reliable approaches to quantifying the ripple impacts of deoxygenation is to model spatial and temporal changes with other climate stressors, forming a global network encompassing socio-economic and regional effects of this global change to facilitate and improve capabilities to address the impacts of ocean deoxygenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overfishing is the most significant threat facing sharks and rays. Given the growth in consumption of seafood, combined with the compounding effects of habitat loss, climate change, and pollution, there is a need to identify recovery paths, particularly in poorly managed and poorly monitored fisheries. Here, we document conservation through fisheries management success for 11 coastal sharks in US waters by comparing population trends through a Bayesian state-space model before and after the implementation of the 1993 Fisheries Management Plan for Sharks. We took advantage of the spatial and temporal gradients in fishing exposure and fisheries management in the Western Atlantic to analyze the effect on the Red List status of all 26 wide-ranging coastal sharks and rays. We show that extinction risk was greater where fishing pressure was higher, but this was offset by the strength of management engagement (indicated by strength of National and Regional Plan of Action for sharks and rays). The regional Red List Index (which tracks changes in extinction risk through time) declined in all regions until the 1980s but then improved in the North and Central Atlantic such that the average extinction risk is currently half that in the Southwest. Many sharks and rays are wide ranging, and successful fisheries management in one country can be undone by poorly regulated or unregulated fishing elsewhere. Our study underscores that well-enforced, science-based management of carefully monitored fisheries can achieve conservation success, even for slow-growing species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean warming and deoxygenation are already modifying the habitats of many aerobic organisms. Benthic habitat in the Northeast Pacific is sensitive to deoxygenation, as low oxygen concentrations occur naturally in continental shelf bottom waters. Here, we examine the potential impacts of deoxygenation and ocean warming on the habitat distribution of Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis), one of the most commercially important groundfish in North America. We combine fisheries‐independent Pacific halibut survey data (1998–2020) with oceanographic measurements and a regional ocean circulation model to investigate current and future (end of 21st century) influences of deoxygenation and warming on optimal Pacific halibut habitat. We use the observations and model output to derive a metabolic index of Pacific halibut‐specific suitable habitat. Our results show high Pacific halibut counts in regions where the metabolic index is greatest and demonstrate that interannual variability in Pacific halibut abundance is coherent with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Working with model projections, we examine potential future changes in suitable Pacific halibut habitat by the end of the century under a high carbon dioxide emissions scenario. These projections indicate that suitable Pacific halibut habitat may largely disappear off the coast of Washington state, retreating approximately 5° latitude northward. In bottom waters along coastal British Columbia and Alaska continental shelf, Pacific halibut habitat is projected to decrease by about 50%. Such habitat changes may potentially drive a northward shift in Pacific halibut, with significant implications for commercial fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rebuilding overexploited marine populations is an important step to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 14—Life Below Water. Mitigating major human pressures is required to achieve rebuilding goals. Climate change is one such key pressure, impacting fish and invertebrate populations by changing their biomass and biogeography. Here, combining projection from a dynamic bioclimate envelope model with published estimates of status of exploited populations from a catch‐based analysis, we analyze the effects of different global warming and fishing levels on biomass rebuilding for the exploited species in 226 marine ecoregions of the world. Fifty three percent (121) of the marine ecoregions have significant (at 5% level) relationship between biomass and global warming level. Without climate change and under a target fishing mortality rate relative to the level required for maximum sustainable yield of 0.75, we project biomass rebuilding of 1.7–2.7 times (interquartile range) of current (average 2014–2018) levels across marine ecoregions. When global warming level is at 1.5 and 2.6°C, respectively, such biomass rebuilding drops to 1.4–2.0 and 1.1–1.5 times of current levels, with 10% and 25% of the ecoregions showing no biomass rebuilding, respectively. Marine ecoregions where biomass rebuilding is largely impacted by climate change are in West Africa, the Indo‐Pacific, the central and south Pacific, and the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Coastal communities in these ecoregions are highly dependent on fisheries for livelihoods and nutrition security. Lowering the targeted fishing level and keeping global warming below 1.5°C are projected to enable more climate‐sensitive ecoregions to rebuild biomass. However, our findings also underscore the need to resolve trade‐offs between climate‐resilient biomass rebuilding and the high near‐term demand for seafood to support the well‐being of coastal communities across the tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnitude of subsidies provided to the fishing sector by governments worldwide is immense—an estimated $35.4 billion USD per year. The majority of these subsidies may be impeding efforts to sustainably manage fisheries by incentivizing overfishing and overcapacity. Recognizing the threat these subsidies pose, the World Trade Organization has set a goal of reaching an agreement that would end fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity, overfishing, and illegal fishing. However, negotiations have been hampered by uncertainty around the likely effects of reforming these subsidies. Here we present a novel method for translating a bioeconomic model into an interactive online decision support tool that draws upon real-world data on fisheries subsidies and industrial fishing activity so users can directly compare the relative ambition levels of different subsidy reform options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Fish from marine and inland capture fisheries is an important food that contributes significantly to diets and health, but their contribution is somewhat overlooked in food security and poverty‐related policies. Given the current numbers of malnourished people globally, there is a pressing need to consider how to better realize the potential of fish in food systems that can address malnourishment. To do so, we re‐examine the fisheries literature from the perspective of food systems. Starting with nutritional needs and considering how these may be met through local food systems reveals an ongoing transformation that has implications for small‐scale fisheries, as increasingly become part of globalized food systems. We describe the factors that can change the nature of production, mediate access to fish and the distribution of benefits that can lead to impoverishment. This emphasizes the governance challenges that lie at the heart of complex, contested and increasingly globalized food systems, in which actors interact to shape the systems, determining who benefits and how. We draw attention to critical issues of access, power and the values and norms that underpin efforts to manage and transform fisheries, exposing the unequal struggle to secure access that small‐scale fishers and poor people must endure. We suggest a vital challenge for fisheries management is to engage with this struggle and develop policies and management measures that would enable fisheries to make positive contributions to food systems and nutritional security, while meeting global sustainable development objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arctic sea ice loss has direct consequences for predators. Climate‐driven distribution shifts of native and invasive prey species may exacerbate these consequences. We assessed potential changes by modelling the prey base of a widely distributed Arctic predator (ringed seal; Pusa hispida) in a sentinel area for change (Hudson Bay) under high‐ and low‐greenhouse gas emission scenarios from 1950 to 2100. All changes were relatively negligible under the low‐emission scenario, but under the high‐emission scenario, we projected a 50% decline in the abundance of the well‐distributed, ice‐adapted and energy‐rich Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) and an increase in the abundance of smaller temperate‐associated fish in southern and coastal areas. Furthermore, our model predicted that all fish species declined in mean body size, but a 29% increase in total prey biomass. Declines in energy‐rich prey and restrictions in their spatial range are likely to have cascading effects on Arctic predators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Letter to the Editor [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies adopted in June 2022 is potentially a step forward for ocean sustainability. Yet, its success in removing fisheries subsidies contributing to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and overfishing more generally, will depend on its scope, its effective interpretation, and broad implementation. Here we focus on Article 5.1, which, in its narrowest interpretation prohibits fishing subsidies in areas not covered by Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs) but in its broadest interpretation prohibits subsidies for any unregulated fisheries in the high seas. This study finds that only ∼1.35% of the high seas are not spatially covered by at least one RFMO, and most of that area are frozen parts of the high seas with little to no fishing. This means that if Article 5.1 is interpreted to mean the area of the high seas not managed under RFMOs, then the effect of Article 5.1 will be minimal or non-existent even if the article is fully implemented. Many RFMOs, however, are only mandated to regulate a few species, such as tunas. Much of the potential impact of Article 5.1 thus could rest on the definition of the 'competence of a relevant RFMO,' which we argue should be defined based on both area and species of competence. To make the Article meaningful in terms of removing harmful subsidies that impact the sustainability of high seas fish stocks, additional clarifying provisions to Article 5.1 to reaffirm that it applies to both unregulated areas and species outside of the competence of relevant RFMOs are needed. • Article 5 prohibits subsidies provided to fishing outside national jurisdictions and the competence of RFMOS. • We find that only 1.35% of the area of the high seas are outside the geographical jurisdiction of RFMOs. • A geographical interpretation of Article 5.1 would achieve little for protecting fish against harmful subsidies. • Article 5 must be based on both species and areas not under the competence and relevance of RFMOs to reduce overfishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmful fisheries subsidies have historically contributed to fleet overcapacity and continue to be allocated to the fishing industry to artificially maintain its profitability. However, in this contribution we show that removing harmful subsidies and reducing overfishing will help to recover the resource biomass, subsequently leading to increased levels of sustainable catches, income and well-being of fishers, and reduces inequities in income and consumption when fish stocks are not effectively managed. Maintaining harmful fisheries subsidies is socially and economically inefficient. Taking the example of the EU fishing fleet, one of the largest fishing fleets in the world, we use the total factor productivity to show that small-scale fishing fleet's productivity is almost two-fold in the North Atlantic and 16% higher in the Mediterranean and Black seas compared to large-scale vessels. This result is explained because the harmful fisheries subsidies disproportionately allocated to large-scale vessels introduce distortions in the efficient allocation of inputs. With critical WTO negotiations ongoing regarding the global rules on fisheries subsidies, the EU must take advantage of the opportunity to lead a desirable transformative change while also supporting developing nations to truly achieve global sustainable and equitable fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

November 2021 could see members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) reach an agreement to prohibit harmful fisheries subsidies, culminating over 20 years of negotiation and discussion. This commentary highlights strengths and places where the current draft text can be improved to ensure the agreement truly contributes to sustainable and equitable fisheries. Overall, conditionalities and exemptions are better streamlined and defined, time periods to enter into compliance are allowed yet reasonably short, types of subsidies to be particularly avoided are clearly noted, and appropriate emphasis is placed on reducing impacts from distant-water and transboundary fishing fleets. Key places for improvement relate to unspecific language on supporting fisher incomes, the uniform handling of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fisheries (IUU), and transparency in distant water fisheries, issues partly stemming from historical definitions that are useful for some fisheries but may not capture the complexity of others. Capacity-enhancing subsidies should be avoided, and it is important to avoid further negative impacts on marginalized fisher populations. Given the importance of reaching an agreement without further delay, we urge members to proactively and inclusively formalize their fishing definitions and practices to prevent inequitable outcomes for vulnerable fishers during the implementation stage of a new agreement. A WTO agreement to prohibit harmful fisheries subsidies is an opportunity to catalyze the design and funding of improved and cooperative national and international fisheries policy and management strategies, to the benefit of fishers, global seafood production, and indeed all who hold relationships with our oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In September 2018, a group of 14 Heads of States and Governments from all regions of the world came together to create the High Level Panel (HLP) for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (SOE). The HLP is co-chaired by the Prime Minister of Norway and the President of Palau. Simply put, the HLP seeks to ensure a SOE worldwide. In February 2021, the #VirtualBlueDecade initiative convened a panel of ocean practitioners from both the Global South and Global North to reflect on practical ways to build a SOE. Here, we present a summary of the key issues discussed by the panel, grouped around five topics: (i) words do initiate actions; (ii) goal setting is an important step in achieving a SOE; (iii) unsustainable practices are no longer justifiable as necessary evils for funding or obtaining social license for the transformation to a SOE; (iv) scientists must learn to communicate with policy makers; and (v) support South-South cooperation. We conclude that to achieve a SOE, the concept of "Informed Selfishness" should be considered as a guiding principle for developing policies and implementing sustainability actions. Word cloud summary of North-South Dialog for a Sustainable Ocean, a February 2021 #VirtualBlueDecade event. Generated using WordArt.com. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article calls on the World Trade Organization (WTO) to eliminate harmful fisheries subsidies to curb overfishing, biodiversity degradation and loss, and carbon dioxide emissions. Fisheries subsidies that cause harm include those that lower the cost of fuel and vessel construction, those that provide price support to keep market prices artificially high, and those provided to distant-water fishing fleets.

Accounts of fishing conflicts have been rising globally, particularly between small-scale and industrial vessels. These conflicts involve verbal or physical altercations, and may include destruction of boats, assault, kidnapping, and murder. Current scholarship around industrial/small-scale fishing conflicts theorizes them as a form of resource conflict, where fish scarcity is the dominant contributor to conflict and competition. Alternatively, conflicts may be driven by spatial competition, concentrating where there are increased encounters, unrelated to resource status. Current policies to address these conflicts focus on enforcing the separation of small-scale and industrial vessels; however, this broad spatial separation has yet to be evaluated for deterring conflicts. Here we employ a novel spatial analysis to estimate the locations of industrial/small-scale conflicts at sea in Ghana, West Africa. Using data from narrative reports over the period of 1985 to 2014, we combine qualitative information on depth and shoreline indicators to analyze conflict locations. We find virtually all expected conflict locations (98%) occurred within the zone meant to exclude industrial vessels, and conflicts concentrated primarily around major ports. Our results suggest conflicts are likely more related to spatial patterns of vessel presence than patterns of resource use. These findings suggest a critical need for evidence-based and contextual information on the drivers of fisheries conflicts, rather than continued reliance on assumptions of resource scarcity. They also suggest that nuanced policies that reduce vessel encounter and clarify exclusive spatial rights may be more important in responding to these conflicts than approaches designed to broadly separate fleets or increase fish stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are globally underfunded. We present a five-step framework that can help practitioners prioritize actions that may improve financial sustainability, which was applied to six MPAs in Colombia, Bonaire, and Belize. Limited funds were found to directly undermine effectiveness towards conservation goals for five sites, with these impacts particularly significant for four. Annual budgets required increases from 6 % to 141 % to meet financial needs. Two sites had significant underlying weaknesses in their financial strategies that could lead to direct impacts if not addressed, with an additional three sites having more minor, but still observable, weaknesses in this manner. Staff salaries were the largest expense for all MPAs examined and also most frequently in need of additional funds. Opportunities to potentially eliminate these funding gaps were identified for all six MPAs through reallocating existing resources (n = 2), improving in-place mechanisms (n = 6), or implementing one or more alternative mechanisms (n = 6). Among several findings, some MPAs had the potential to increase tourism-based income by several million dollars per year, which would well exceed local financial requirements and could have substantial financial benefits on a network-wide scale. Some MPAs, including those with lower budgets, effectively leveraged partnerships and inter-institutional coordination to expand management capacity. Among alternative mechanisms that could be implemented, opportunities to leverage private-sector investments were especially common. Other MPAs around the world could likewise improve financial sustainability through analysis, evaluation, and execution of the full suite of options described herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, more than 15,000 scientists from 184 countries signed a second warning letter to humanity to caution against our continued wholesale destruction of global ecosystems (Ripple et al., 2017). Here, we reaffirm their message with a similar warning specifically focused on the ocean: humanity must immediately and significantly alter our harmful trajectory in order to avoid irrevocably damaging our oceans in multiple ways that will further affect ocean health for both us and future generations. The ocean is the world's largest realm, housing an astonishing array of biodiversity that provides critical ecological functions that ultimately support life on Earth. In this paper, we outline some of the significant ongoing and imminent activities that degrade ocean health, including destructive fishing practices, oil and natural gas extraction, seabed mining, coastal development, shipping, pollution, and greenhouse-gas emissions. We end by offering potential avenues to mitigate these impacts, including the cessation of particularly harmful activities, restoration of damaged habitats, strong protection of key and representative ecosystems, reduction in waste and emissions, and global policy shifts that prioritize ecosystem health. • The ocean hosts a vast array of biodiversity that supports all life on Earth. • Ocean health is severely threatened by a large number of anthropogenic stressors. • Humanity must take immediate, transformative action to safeguard our ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]