Tag: underreporting

Fisherman Casting Net at Sunset in Mandalay.

World Fisheries Day 2025: Using Sea Around Us data to support a Blu(er) Economy

Fisherman Casting Net at Sunset in Mandalay.

Fisherman casting net at sunset in Mandalay. Photo by Pyae Phyo Aung, Pexels.

Official statistics from most coastal countries only account for a fraction of what their fisheries catch, the Sea Around Us data and analyses have demonstrated.

As we observe World Fisheries Day 2025, which aims to highlight the importance of promoting sustainable fish stocks and the rights of small-scale fishing communities, it is crucial to remember that without comprehensive data, managing sustainable fisheries is akin to flying blind.

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Declining trend in fisheries catches threatens food security in African coastal communities

Declining trend in fisheries catches threatens food security in African coastal communities

Declining trend in fisheries catches threatens food security in African coastal communities

Ghanaian fisherman. Photo from Pikist.

Fish catches in Africa have reached a peak and, in many cases, have moved into a declining trend that threatens the food security and economic development of coastal areas.

A new study by researchers at the University of Western Australia, the University of British Columbia and Ecotrust Canada analyzed fishery yields in the seven Large Marine Ecosystems or LMEs that surround the African continent and found that most fisheries in the region rely on overfished resources.

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Putting the spotlight on Southern Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula fisheries

Putting the spotlight on Southern Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula fisheries

Putting the spotlight on Southern Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula fisheries

Myriam Khalfallah during her PhD defence on March 26, 2020.

In the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, Myriam Khalfallah defended her PhD dissertation titled Data-poor Fisheries: Case studies from the Southern Mediterranean and the Arabian peninsula.

Despite having to present from her living room via a videoconferencing system to comply with the physical distancing measures imposed by the B.C. health authorities, Khalfallah obtained unanimous approval for her thesis.

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Seychelles, a baseline for a Blue Economy

Seychelles, a baseline for a Blue Economy

Seychelles, a baseline for a Blue Economy

Men fishing in Seychelles. Photo by Tiare Scott, Flickr.

Comprehensive fisheries data are needed in the Republic of Seychelles to back the country’s path towards a blue economy, where environmentally sustainable and equitable practices are implemented to make use of various ocean resources for economic growth.

New research by the Sea Around Us – Indian Ocean, in collaboration with Hanna Jabour Christ of the Marine Futures Lab at the University of Western Australia, revealed that there are discrepancies between the actual quantities and species of fish caught in the Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone and what is being reported by regulatory agencies and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

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