Fish as food

Charting the systemic and cascading impacts of climate change on marine food systems and human health

“…Equally important is the role that blue justice plays in promoting the sustainable and equitable governance of marine resources, protecting local livelihoods by securing formal access and harvesting rights of indigenous and local resource user groups, and ensuring social-ecological well-being 21. That notwithstanding, the idea that people—and in particular fisherfolk—need to be ‘managed’ to avert ecological crises is recurring theme in natural resource debates 29. Historically, this can be traced back to the introduction of indigenous fishing rights and access in North America.…”

“…Historically, this can be traced back to the introduction of indigenous fishing rights and access in North America. To give an example, policy-making and state-indigenous relations in the state of Alaska in the U.S. have led to the disenfranchisement of indigenous fisher communities and the attenuation of their fishing rights due to limited-entry permit systems, created in the interest of developing the fishing economy 29 30. According to Cohen, the prevailing Westocentric narratives at the time suggested that alternative fisheries management systems, in the absence of state control, were unsustainable despite the ‘sophistication’ of existing traditional systems 29 30…”

“…Fast-forward to present day, persistent and proximal threats to marine ecosystems linked to the blue growth agenda still need to be acknowledged and judiciously addressed to offset the unequal distribution of benefits to coastal communities and small-scale fishers, and to mitigate social harms as a result of exclusionary practices 21. To a large degree, this calls for policy-makers and state legislators to recognise the legitimacy of indigenous knowledge, customs, traditional livelihood practices and diets in order to effectively engage in dialogues around fisheries comanagement and policies incentivising local preservation of small-scale fisheries for whom the protection of common resource pools is vital 29 31. Another point of note with respect to blue justice is the nefarious human rights abuses that seek to exploit vulnerable labourers, so as to lower fishery production costs 32.…”

“… 21 That notwithstanding, the idea that people—and in particular fisherfolk—need to be ‘managed’ to avert ecological crises is recurring theme in natural resource debates. 29 Historically, this can be traced back to the introduction of indigenous fishing rights and access in North America. To give an example, policy-making and state-indigenous relations in the state of Alaska in the U.S. have led to the disenfranchisement of indigenous fisher communities and the attenuation of their fishing rights due to limited-entry permit systems, created in the interest of developing the fishing economy.…”

“… 29 30 According to Cohen, the prevailing Westocentric narratives at the time suggested that alternative fisheries management systems, in the absence of state control, were unsustainable despite the ‘sophistication’ of existing traditional systems. 29 30 …”