Restoration Of Productive Aquatic Ecosystems By Small Scale Fisheries And Aquaculture Communities In Asia

This report showcases examples of actions taken by small-scale fishers and aquaculture farmers in Asia to restore the productivity of aquatic ecosystems. Small-scale fishers and fish farmers include some of the world’s most marginalized and impoverished people groups, yet their harvests account for over half of the world’s aquatic food production. The marine, coastal and freshwater ecosystems their livelihoods depend upon are degraded from human impacts and further at risk from climate change. Ecosystem restoration actions by fisherfolk communities can revitalize the socio-ecological services and sustain progress over time. Both passive and active restoration approaches are being employed across Asia’s marine, coastal and inland waterways. Fishers, fish farmers, and fishworkers’ restorative actions are focused on increasing the sustainability of their operations. Common approaches include eliminating destructive fishing, reducing overfishing through gear changes and effort control, restoring connectivity of floodplains and fish migration pathways, integrated aquaculture and rice-farming practices, re-stocking of native fisheries, and actively rehabilitating and / or re-establishing habitats. Progress is measurable through a diverse array of environmental, socio-economic and governance related metrics. Changes in fisheries catches, ecological connectivity, water quality, habitat diversity and structure, and fish consumption provide important measures of biodiversity gains (or losses). Common enablers of success include economic incentives, co-management and legal recognition of fishing rights, highly engaged fisherfolk cooperatives or community groups, women’s leadership and development, and community partnerships with stakeholders that focus on enabling fisherfolk’s own goals for sustainable livelihoods. Ecosystem restoration activities have not lasted when these enablers are insufficiently attended to and when environmental aspects of project feasibility, such as the choice of rehabilitation locations and / or species, are poorly planned. Successes in ecosystem restoration by fisherfolk can and are being scaled out to neighbouring communities and countries. Key to this is the sharing of stories, lessons learned and tools through south-south partnerships, learning exchanges, and women’s groups. Simple, low-cost tools and actions have enabled long-term engagement by small-scale fishers in sustainable operations. More complex actions, such as the uptake of integrated aquaculture systems, are also enabling stepwise changes in ecosystem restoration. By sharing stories from different ecosystems, fisheries, and geographies, this report seeks to help fisherfolk and their partners glean from one another and achieve faster progress in ecosystem restoration.

Fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants are fundamental, essential and indispensable foods eaten by people around the world as part of healthy diets, cultural heritage and culinary tradition. Small-scale artisanal fisher and fish farmers produce a large portion of this food. The International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) 2022 was an opportunity to highlight the importance of small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture for our food systems, livelihoods, culture and the environment. This report provides a summary overview of the objectives, activities and recommendations of the IYAFA 2022. It aims to motivate relevant stakeholders to ensure that the end of the Year is the beginning of a new era of support for small-scale fisheries and aquaculture.

"Sustainable use of aquatic ecosystems is high on regional, national and international agendas and central to the implementation of international agreements on biological diversity, responsible fisheries and fish stock management. Since 2001, when political commitments were made to implement the ecosystem approach, countries have begun to incorporate ecosystem considerations into their fisheries management and have met with varied success." "The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries covers both theoretical andapplied aspects of sustainable management, with a particular emphasis on reviewing concepts and addressing implementation issues in the form of case studies from around the world. Personal experiences are considered from diverse backgrounds and discuss the constraints encountered, strategies identified and best practices to facilitate further implementation."--BOOK JACKET.

Modern Fisheries Engineering: Realizing a Healthy and Sustainable Marine Ecosystem is a compendium of the latest and most cutting-edge information on the diversity of technical aspects associated with Fisheries Engineering. Expanding on presentations given at the International Conference on Fisheries Engineering (ICFE) held in Nagasaki in 2019, it aims to encourage and inspire future generations of young researchers in the field. Topics include artificial reefs, ocean ranching, fishing gear developments, modern monitoring technologies, and other subjects related to the latest practices for conducting efficient, sustainable fishing. This volume brings together world authorities to address a critically important topic, with a fresh and modern approach that includes the latest development in environmental and fisheries science.

The 2022 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture coincides with the launch of the Decade of Action to deliver the Global Goals, the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. It presents how these and other equally important United Nations events, such as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022), are being integrated and supported through Blue Transformation, a priority area of FAO’s new Strategic Framework 2022–2031 designed to accelerate achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in food and agriculture. The concept of Blue Transformation emerged from the Thirty-fourth Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries in February 2021, and in particular the Declaration for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, which was negotiated and endorsed by all FAO Members. The Declaration calls for support for “an evolving and positive vision for fisheries and aquaculture in the twenty first century, where the sector is fully recognized for its contribution to fighting poverty, hunger and malnutrition.” In this context, Part 1 of this edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture reviews the world status of fisheries and aquaculture, while Parts 2 and 3 are devoted to Blue Transformation and its pillars on intensifying and expanding aquaculture, improving fisheries management and innovating fisheries and aquaculture value chains. Blue Transformation emphasizes the need for forward-looking and bold actions to be launched or accelerated in coming years to achieve the objectives of the Declaration and in support of the 2030 Agenda. Part 4 covers current and high-impact emerging issues – COVID-19, climate change and gender equality – that require thorough consideration for transformative steps and preparedness to secure sustainable, efficient and equitable fisheries and aquaculture, and finally draws some outlook on future trends based on projections. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture aims to provide objective, reliable and up-to-date information to a wide audience – policymakers, managers, scientists, stakeholders and indeed everyone interested in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

This book considers what the transition into the Asian Century means for some of the most urgent issues in the world today, such as sustainable development, human rights, gender equality, and environmental change. The book critiques Anglo-Western centrism in tourism theory and calls on tourism scholars to make radical shifts toward more inclusive epistemology and praxis. From the British Century of the 1800s to the American Century of the 1900s to the contemporary Asian Century, tourism geographies are deeply entangled in broader shifts in geopolitical power. In the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, the significance of shifts in tourism geographies and the themes addressed in this volume are more urgent than ever. That the world faces increasing turmoil is abundantly clear. Yet, amidst the disruption to the everyday, it is hope and compassion, but also political-economic restructuring that is needed to reset the tourism industry in more sustainable, equitable, and ethical directions. In no uncertain terms, the pandemic has forever changed the tourism industry as the world once knew it. This book, therefore, sets out to collectively build on the momentum of the inclusive scholarship that Critical Tourism Studies-Asia Pacific is renowned for, while also asking readers to pause and reflect on the possibilities and challenges of tourism in a post-pandemic Asian Century. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal, Tourism Geographies.

The FAO Expert Workshop on Methods and Indicators for Evaluating the Contribution of Small-scale Aquaculture to Sustainable Rural Development held in Nha Trang, Viet Nam, from 24 to 28 November 2009, attempted to develop an indicator system to measure the contribution of SSA. The workshop used a number of processes and steps in the developing the indicator system, including: (i) understanding the subject of measurements; (ii) identifying an analytical framework and ratting criteria (iii) developing a list of SSA contributions; (iv) categorising the contributions; (v) devising and organising the indicators of contribution; and (vi) measuring the indicators. The major outcome was the development, through an iterative process, of an indicator system which can provide a good measure of the contribution of SSA based on agreed criteria (accuracy, measurability and efficiency) and the sustainable livelihood approach analytical framework which consists of five capital assets (human, financial, physical, social and natural) and can be used for various livelihoods options.