Fisheries Issues Research Articles

Deep learning-based fishing ground prediction for albacore and yellowfin tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean

Tuna is a crucial economic fish species in the ocean, and the research on predicting the location of tuna fishing grounds has always been a key issue in deep-sea fisheries. Tuna, being a highly active fish that moves vertically in the ocean, is extremely sensitive to changes in marine environmental factors. This study aimed to investigate the impact of environmental factors and water depth changes on the accuracy of tuna fishing ground prediction. To achieve this, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) were utilized to train datasets using four key environmental factors - concentration of chlorophyll-a (CHLa), seawater temperature (ST), concentration of dissolved molecular oxygen (Oxy), and seawater salinity (SS) - at various depths ranging from 0 to 300 meters. A binary classification fishing ground prediction model for high and low yield areas of albacore and yellowfin tuna in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean was constructed. The goal was to identify the optimal fishing ground prediction model trained under these conditions and to explore the potential impact of environmental factors and water depth on the prediction accuracy of the model. The data used in this study included information from the Western and Central Pacific Ocean albacore and yellowfin tuna fisheries from 2003 to 2016, along with corresponding environmental data, which were used as the training and validation sets. The fishing data and environmental data from 2017 were then utilized as the test set to develop fishing ground prediction models for the two fish species. The results indicate that using convolutional neural networks to construct fishing ground prediction models is indeed feasible, and spatio-temporal information plays a significant role in optimizing predicting models for tuna fishing ground. Among the models developed for the same fish species using the four marine environmental factors at different depths, the model based on CHLa at each depth was found to be the most effective, while the model constructed using Oxy at the same depth performed the worst. Furthermore, the albacore fishing ground prediction model demonstrated significantly higher efficacy compared to the yellowfin tuna fishing ground prediction model when using the same marine environmental factors. It was also observed that the accuracy of fishing ground prediction models for the same species varied depending on water depth, even when based on the same marine environmental factors. These findings highlight the importance of considering both environmental factors and water depth in predicting tuna fishing grounds accurately.

Multifunctional role of dietary copper to regulate stress-responsive gene for mitigation of multiple stresses in Pangasianodon hypophthalmus

It is an urgent needs to address climate change and pollution in aquatic systems using suitable mitigation measures to avoid the aquatic animals' extinction. The vulnerability and extinction of the aquatic animals in the current scenario must be addressed to enhance safe fish food production. Taking into consideration of such issues in fisheries and aquaculture, an experiment was designed to mitigate high temperature (T) and low pH stress, as well as arsenic (As) pollution in fish using copper (Cu) containing diets. In the present investigation, the Cu-containing diets graded with 0, 4, 8, and 12 mg kg-1 were prepared and fed to Pangasianodon hypophthalmus reared under As, low pH, and high-temperature stress. The gene expression was highly affected in terms of the primary, secondary, and tertiary stress response, whereas supplementation of Cu-containing diet mitigates the stress response. Oxidative stress genes such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were significantly upregulated by stressors (As, As + T, and As + pH + T). Whereas, heat shock protein (HSP 70), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), metallothionine (MT), caspase 3a (Cas 3a), and cytochrome P450 (CYP 450) were highly upregulated by stressors, while dietary Cu at 8 mg kg-1 diet significantly downregulated these gene expressions. Indeed, the immunity-related genes viz. TNFα, Ig, TLR, and immune-related attributes viz. albumin, globulin, total protein, A:G ratio, blood glucose, NBT, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were also improved with Cu-containing diets. Cu containing diets substantially improved neurotransmitter enzyme (AChE) and vitamin C (Vit C). DNA damage was also reduced with supplementation of Cu at 8 mg kg-1 diet. The growth index viz. final body weight gain (%), specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, food conversion ratio, relative feed intake, and daily growth index were noticeably enhanced by Cu diets (4 and 8 mg kg-1 diet). The growth-related genes expressions viz. growth hormone (GH), growth hormone regulator 1 (Ghr1), growth hormone regulator β (Ghrβ,) myostatin (MYST), and somatostatin (SMT) supported the growth enhancement with Cu at 8 mg kg-1 diet. The bioaccumulation of As was reduced with Cu-containing diets. The fish were infected with Aeromonas hydrophila at the end of the 105 days experimental trial. Cu at 8 mg kg-1 diet improved immunity, reduced the cumulative mortality, and enhanced the relative percentage survival of the fish. The results revealed that the innovative Cu diets could reduce the extinction of the fish against climate change and pollution era and produce the safest production that is safe to humans for consumption.

Implication of gender mainstreaming on policy-making for sustainable fisheries development in China

Currently, gender mainstreaming is widely recognized by the international community as an essential component of social development. Increasing attention is also being directed toward its significant role in the field of marine and fisheries, especially because gender equality-responsive fisheries development is believed to be a significant impulse for the continued advancement of this field. An analysis of the role of gender mainstreaming in fisheries development reveals that the long-term challenges faced by Chinese women in fisheries are closely tied to the absence of the gender perspective in existing fishery policies. In recent years, international organizations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, along with various regions and countries, have accumulated extensive experience and achieved notable progress in promoting gender mainstreaming in fisheries. Furthermore, they have established successful models for the scientific implementation of gender mainstreaming from the top down and with diverse perspectives, thus providing valuable insights for China to incorporate gender mainstreaming in policymaking. As China endeavors to foster high-quality marine and fisheries development while positioning itself as a responsible fishery power, it is imperative for the country to proactively address gender issues within the fisheries sector. Drawing on international best practices and considering China’s national conditions, this paper proposes the integration of a gender perspective into China’s fisheries policy by raising policymakers’ gender awareness, conducting dynamic monitoring and evaluation of the status of women in the fisheries sector, encouraging the active involvement of women and fisheries organizations in policymaking, and promoting research on gender issues in fisheries, all of which can bridge the gap in gender responsiveness within China’s fisheries policy system.

Pluriversal sovereignty and the state of IR

AbstractIR proceeds on a Eurocentric ontological assumption that sovereignty has universal validity today. How can IR be decolonised, when in spite of countless examples of the enactment of ‘sovereignty otherwise’, the discipline remains unconcerned with the fact that the logic of sovereignty remains uni-versal. The question is as much political as it is intellectual, because as a discipline, we have allowed the inertia of our professional rhythms to marginalise pluri-versal sovereignty, or the organisation of sovereignty along different ontological starting points. I argue IR must abandon its disciplinary love affair with uni-versal sovereignty. The tendency to ‘bring in’ new perspectives by inserting them into an already ontologically constituted set of assumptions works to protect IR’s Eurocentricity, which makes disciplinary decolonisation untenable. I propose that as a starting point, IR needs to be more mature about recognising the decolonisations that are happening under our very feet if we are to stand a chance at disciplinary level decolonisation. As an illustrative example, I explore an ongoing collision of settler-colonial and Mi’kmaw sovereignty through the issue of lobster fisheries in Mi’kma’ki, or Nova Scotia as the territory is known to Canadians.

Every Fish Counts: Challenging Length–Weight Relationship Bias in Discards

Bycatch is a significant issue in global fisheries and understanding the length–weight relationships (LWR) of fish species can provide valuable insights for stock assessment and management efforts. In this study, we estimated the LWR of 74 fish species in trawl fleet discards from the Gulf of Cadiz, including 24 species for which LWR data had not been previously reported in this region. LWR was calculated from the formula W = aLb where parameter a is the intercept of the equation, related to body shape, and parameter b is the slope, which indicates the type of growth of the species. A total of 20,007 individuals from 40 families were measured and weighed. The most abundant species were Engraulis encrasicolus, Trachurus trachurus, Serranus hepatus, Sardina pilchardus, Capros aper, and Diplodus bellottii, and the Sparidae family was the most represented with ten species. The parameter b, which represents the type of growth, ranged from 2.1607 to 3.7040. A positive allometric growth trend was observed in 64% of the species. The inclusion of individuals with a low sample size proved useful, particularly for first reports in a new study area. However, caution should be taken when using these data, as the estimates of the length–weight relationship for these species may be less precise. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm the results and improve the accuracy of the estimates. Overall, our findings contribute to the understanding of the LWR of fish species in the Gulf of Cadiz, informing future research and management efforts in the region.

Long-term shift and recent early onset of chlorophyll-a bloom and coastal upwelling along the southern coast of Java

Long-term change in the timing of coastal upwelling due to climate variations alters the heat budget and biogeochemical balance in the regional ocean and is an important issue in local fisheries. In this study, we investigated decadal changes in the onset of coastal upwelling along the southern coast of Java over the past two decades (2003–2020) based on the timing of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) bloom. We estimated the bloom from satellite Chl-a concentration data. On average, the onset of coastal upwelling observed (the first Chl-a bloom of the year) was around mid-June. In the most recent decade (2011–2020), earlier-onset upwelling (before early June) was observed frequently, and the linear trend for the onset date during 2003–2020 was about 2 weeks earlier/decade. To explore the causes of the change in the timing of the upwelling, we focused on the season (April–June) during which these earlier upwelling onsets occurred, and investigated decadal changes in atmosphere and ocean conditions associated with climate change. While sea surface temperature (SST) trends reflected a basin-wide warming pattern in the Indian Ocean, warming was not significant in the southeastern Indian Ocean. During the onset period of coastal upwelling, significant SST warming trends were also observed west of Sumatra. In association with the SST warming pattern, enhanced convective activity and convergent zonal winds around Sumatra were observed. Atmospheric forcing revealed trends favoring Ekman downwelling in the equatorial eastern Indian Ocean and upwelling in the southeastern Indian Ocean, which was consistent with the trends in thermocline depth. This study provides the first results regarding the recent decadal shift in the onset timing of coastal upwelling. Ongoing monitoring is needed to better understand the long-term change of the upwelling system in the eastern tropical Indian Ocean.

A Sustainable Approach towards Fisheries Management: Incorporating the High-Seas Fisheries Issues into the BBNJ Agreement

The issue of high-seas fisheries is the main threat to biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. The BBNJ Agreement, which focuses on biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, is under vigorous discussion. Subject to the “not undermine” requirement and considerations of practical interests, it is highly possible that the BBNJ Agreement may not address the issue of fisheries on the high seas. The objective of this paper is to analyze the relationship between the high-seas fisheries issue and the BBNJ Agreement for the purposes of the conservation of marine biodiversity, the unity of the marine ecosystem, and the consistency of regulations. It maintains that from the perspective of protecting the oceans, enacting legislation in areas beyond national jurisdiction, and transforming marine management mode, the issue of high-seas fisheries should be included in the BBNJ Agreement. In the future, the BBNJ agreement needs to clarify its scope of application, resolve overlapping issues through general regulations and conflict rules, clarify the methods and contents of international cooperation, and establish international law obligations for integrated ocean management.

Trends in Marine Resources and Fisheries Management in Indonesia: A Review

Climate crisis and unsustainable activities in Indonesia’s marine and fisheries sector have led the ocean into troubled waters. The country must strengthen their commitments to ensure ocean resources are managed sustainably and equitably. This report aggregates the best available data and provide in-depth analysis on marine and fisheries issues to encourage evidence-based approach in decision-making processes.

The North Sea and Svalbard Fisheries Management Regimes in the Context of Brexit: Divergence and Implications

The North Sea fishery has maintained sound and stable cooperative management over the past four decades. European Union (EU) countries exchange quotas with Norway for fish stocks in their respective fisheries jurisdictions within the framework of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (EU CFP) and the Agreement on Fisheries between the European Economic Community and the Kingdom of Norway. After beginning the Brexit process with a concomitant transitional arrangement, the United Kingdom remained in the EU CFP until the end of 2020. From 2021 onward, the United Kingdom became a completely independent coastal state outside the EU CFP framework. In this context, the long-standing and stable fisheries access and quota exchange system between Norway and the EU will face tensions. The differences among the United Kingdom, the EU and Norway in fisheries also involve quotas and access to the Svalbard Protection Zone. Norway even intends to expand the fisheries conflict to the Arctic Council. To prevent the adverse consequences of conflict spillover and to achieve sustainable development of fisheries and win–win cooperation in fisheries management, the United Kingdom, the EU and Norway launched a series of actions on fisheries issues. In tripartite negotiations, each party has its advantages. Ultimately, win–win cooperation in the fisheries game is the three parties’ expected outcome.

How Fishery Managers Can Harness the Power of the Crowd: Using Citizen Science and Nontraditional Data Sources in Fisheries Management

A constant challenge in fisheries stock assessment and management is having sufficient data to inform research and analyses. Nontraditional data sources like citizen science, when collected and applied appropriately, can help fill such data gaps. Use of nontraditional data sources is on the rise, but its use and application in fisheries science and management remains largely untapped. In order to examine the use of such data sources, we held a symposium at the 2020 American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting entitled “How Citizen Science and Nontraditional Data Sources can be Better Incorporated Into Fisheries Stock Assessments and Management” (https://bit.ly/3V13vHe). The session included 12 talks and a panel discussion to examine best practices. This paper reviews seven nontraditional data programs and projects used to support fisheries management featured in this special issue of Fisheries. It concludes with key lessons from the panel discussion for best applying nontraditional data sources in fisheries.

Wild Fish Welfare in UK Commercial Sea Fisheries: Qualitative Analysis of Stakeholder Views.

Simple SummaryEvery year an estimated 1.5–2.7 billion wild fish are caught by UK commercial sea fishing fleets subjecting most to severe stressors. Scientific research shows that fish are sentient beings, but UK animal welfare laws do not protect commercially caught wild fish. For example, stunning fish before slaughter is rare and gutting them alive is a common practice. There are therefore major welfare issues in wild capture sea fisheries, no laws to protect the welfare of wild fish at sea, and great potential to reform practice to improve the lives of billions of sentient fish. The article investigates this through reporting findings from interviews with 18 experts with a stake in wild fish welfare. The article reviews the UK fishing industry, policy context and scientific evidence that fish are sentient, linked to stakeholder views about what fish experience during wild capture. The article then analyses industry practices, resultant welfare harms and stakeholder attitudes towards them. No participant disputed that fish are sentient and all were able to identify key stressors to fish in different stages of the capture process, together with potential mitigations. Interviews revealed that harms can be worsened by their hidden nature along with conservative industry attitudes towards brutal practices which would be unacceptable in other areas of animal food production. The article raises awareness of an under-researched welfare problem in UK wild capture sea fisheries but should have wider significance to many fishing nations.An estimated 1.5–2.7 billion wild fish are caught by UK commercial sea fishing fleets annually. Most are subjected to severe stressors during capture; stunning is rare and gutting alive is common practice. Fish are recognised in UK law as sentient beings, but commercially caught wild fish are excluded from welfare protections. Animal welfare impacts in wild capture sea fisheries are therefore on a massive scale, with major potential for legislative and market-based reforms. Interviews were conducted with 18 experts working within the fishing and seafood industry, fisheries management, scientific research and animal/fish advocacy organisations. The findings reveal a significant welfare gap between societally acceptable ways to treat sentient animals and the reality of capture fisheries. The participants pointed to harms caused to fish throughout different stages of the capture process caused by combinations of variables from fishing gear and methods to biological, environmental and other factors, noting that all require mitigation. Interviews revealed that the nature of harms may be exacerbated by conservative attitudes towards brutal practices in the industry, driven by profit and efficiency and free from legal restraint. To address the welfare gap, stakeholders favour engagement with the industry to improve understanding of harms and to identify mutually beneficial and shared objectives through alleviating stressors to fish in the capture process. This empirical research is focused on UK wild capture sea fisheries. However, given the dearth of welfare legislation globally, it has significance for fishing nations and the many billions of wild sea fish captured each year around the world.

Transnational fishers’ movements: emergence, evolution, and contestation

Global transformations in fisheries have contributed to the expansion of transnational movements, as they continuously seek out new ways to strengthen their global linkages and find spaces and platforms for engagement. As more platforms emerge for addressing international concerns, intergovernmental bodies have become increasingly implicated in navigating the political integration of diverse global actors, such as transnational fishers’ movements. Focusing on the World Forum of Fisher Peoples and the World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers, this article tracks their engagement in the politics of global fisheries. It explores the history of these movements, beginning with the first steps that were taken toward building an international fishers’ network between 1984 and 1997, and follows their evolution into the movements they are today. It also examines their political agendas and strategies, and their representation of small-scale fishers in international spaces over the last two decades. The article argues that three pivotal developments offer important insights into the politics of transnational fishers’ movements. First, they are internalizing overlapping fisheries, food and climate crises, and are aligning their activities and demands accordingly. Second, fishers’ and agrarian movements and platforms are increasingly converging around common struggles. Third, international intergovernmental bodies have broadened their attention to fisheries issues in their analysis and activities. These developments have been crucial in shaping the movements’ political agendas, and for building alliances in order to scale up and strengthen their advocacy work.

Upward mobility in Alaska fisheries: A case study of permit acquisition for crewmembers

Demographic aging is a growing issue in fisheries where the lack of generational turnover has resulted in fewer young people entering, becoming upwardly mobile, and investing in operations, with considerable long-term implications for food security, occupational diversity, and rural communities in particular. Although there is a growing body of qualitative literature dedicated to this issue, little has been done to quantitatively assess upward mobility in fisheries. This study uses a discrete-time duration analysis to examine the factors that contribute to crewmembers acquiring limited entry fisheries permits—a critical investment for an individual's fishing operation—in the highly engaged fishing community of Sitka, Alaska. The analysis was facilitated by the construction of a novel dataset joining crew and permit holders across different datasets that links the same individuals across different modes of engagement in fisheries. The results suggest that individual demographics are strong predictors of mobility, pointing to differentiated time until permit acquisition based on gender and age. While women may be more likely to get permits faster than men, this pattern can in fact belie gendered mobility and access that constrain alternative fishing livelihoods for women or incentivize investing in their own operation. Similarly, different incentives and constraints may manifest themselves with age, while the positive contribution of age to the speed of permit acquisition is also aligned with the greying of the fleet literature and the growing need for capital access. This study also demonstrates the important role of economic factors (cost of capital, employment levels, and fisheries earnings) in mobility patterns, suggesting potential pathways for targeted policies to enhance generational turnover in fisheries. In the face of a potential crisis in generational turnover in fisheries, this analysis demonstrates the necessity of developing multimodal datasets linking individuals and the utility of duration models in examining upward mobility.

Individual Quota System for Anchovy Fishing and the Conservation of Hydrobiological Resources in Chimbote, Peru

The objective of this research was to determine whether the access regime and conditions for granting fishing rights; the allocation and duration of the quota system; fisheries control and control actions; and the monitoring, supervision, and sanction of regulatory breaches are the normative criteria of the system of individual quotas for anchovy fishing in direct human consumption to promote the conservation of hydrobiological resources, Chimbote, Peru, 2018. The research was applied, a non-experimental and descriptive correlational design. The sample was composed of National and Comparative Legislation, Doctrine, Jurisprudence, and Records specialized in fisheries issues; and by 30 fisheries experts: lawyers 25% and representatives of fishermen 25%, from the District of Chimbote. Two questionnaires were used for the variables under study. The results showed that the regulatory criteria of the individual quota system for anchovy fishing are 76.7% efficient in the conservation of hydrobiological resources; being Kendall's Tau-b test statistical contingency coefficient τ= 0.89, with a standard significance level of less than 1% (P < 0.01). It was demonstrated that the regime of access and conditions for granting fishing rights, the allocation and duration of the quota system, the actions of control and fisheries control, and the monitoring, supervision, and sanction of regulatory breaches are in 76.7% of the normative criteria of the individual quota system of anchovy fishing for direct human consumption to promote the conservation of hydrobiological resources being the statistical contingency coefficient of proof Kendall's Tau-b is τ= 0.89, with standard significance level less than 1% (P < 0.01). Likewise, the corresponding proposal was made for the regulation of the normative criteria of the individual quota system of anchovy fishing in direct human consumption to promote the conservation of hydrobiological resources, defining the parameters for their development and viability.

The people’s fishery in perspective: Current analysis of the small pelagic fishery value chain of Ghana

Small pelagic fish (SPF) are among the most traded fishery products in small-scale fishing in coastal areas in low-income countries. Small-scale fisheries play a key role in the supply of fish products and form an integral component of the world’s fish production. However, due to post-harvest losses, distribution, and marketing issues, most SPFs struggle to increase the market value of their fishery products. We examined the current flow of small pelagic fish products, benefit distribution, trade relationships and quality issues in the small-scale fisheries in Ghana. The purpose of the assessment was to provide relevant information for future management strategies aimed at promoting sustainable fisheries while also ensuring fisherfolk received a higher proportion of the market value of their harvest. A mixed-method approach, involving questionnaire administration, direct observation and secondary data from the Fisheries Scientific Survey Division of the Fisheries Commission of Ghana was used to elicit information and data from actors along the SPF value chain. The pattern of the value chain was mapped and differences in profit analysed. From this analysis, fisherfolk made lower profit than fish processors and traders. We found that all actors received lower profit during the peak season relative to the lean season. Provision of post-harvest facilities, credit facilities and improved value-chain governance could increase efficiency and increase the income of fisherfolk.

A new hope for small-scale fisheries through local action groups? Comparing Finnish and Swedish experiences

New forms of institutional support within modern multi-level fisheries governance are urgently needed to address the decline of coastal and inland fisheries. The EU-funded Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) initiative promises new hope to small-scale fishers by channelling support for the development of local fishing communities. This paper analyses the potential of FLAGs to contribute towards revitalizing small-scale fisheries in Nordic settings. Drawing on documents, surveys and interviews, we compare the implementation of FLAGs in Finland and Sweden. These countries were selected for analysis because they exhibit major differences in the implementation of FLAGs, alongside similarities in their coastal fisheries and social contexts. A special structural feature in Sweden is that FLAGs have been entirely integrated into Local Action Groups set up under the LEADER programme, an EU initiative that supports development projects in rural, coastal and urban areas. As a result, fisheries issues that used to be addressed by sectoral fishery groups are now subsumed into broader territorial initiatives. In Finland, the FLAG system still comprises independent fishery groups, which collaborate with LEADER groups. Our comparison of the two cases demonstrates the importance of dedicated institutional support for small-scale fisheries to enable them to access funding opportunities provided by the EU’s FLAG initiative. Our comparative perspective enables conclusions to be drawn regarding the pros and cons of different approaches to the implementation of this hierarchical funding system, and the extent to which they can help restore fishers’ self-reliance and benefit local fishing livelihoods.

Environmental Justice and Impact of Palm Oil Plantation Expansion on Inland Fisheries: Case study on the Wetlands of the Middle Mahakam Area inIndonesia

The recent development of social inclusion issues has enabled the dissemination of environmental justice to improve the livelihood of rural communities. In contrast, as a major stakeholder in wetland areas, the palm oil industry accelerates the distribution of inequality issues in inland fisheries. To balance the interest of multilevel stakeholders through successful environmental justice and natural resource management in the wetland area, this case study identified the aspects of environmental justice associated with the issues of localities and land conversion to palm oil plantations in the Middle Mahakam Area, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Several in-depth interviews were conducted in this study using a semi-structured questionnaire and participant observations. The expansion of palm oil plantations evidently contributed to the environmental impact, primarily deteriorating the water quality of the area. This phenomenon was found to have a negative influence on the income of fishers, which potentially caused conflicts among the stakeholders. Fishers themselves also contributed to destructive fishing because of the misperception of common natural resources and economic reasons. Moreover, the local government considers the palm oil industry as an income generator rather than an actor in environmental degradation. Additionally, environmental justice has generally relied on the grievances and complaints of the fishers for the management of the local environment and fisheries. Therefore, distribution, procedure, and recognition of justice significantly contributed to these interrelated issues in the Middle Mahakam Area.

Canadian and Russian Fisheries Management in the Arctic: Complexities, Commonalities and Contrasts

This article reviews and compares Canadian and Russian approaches to Arctic fisheries management through a three-part format. First, the complex array of laws and policies applicable to Arctic fisheries is described for each country. How Canada and Russia have addressed international fishery issues is also highlighted, including their participation in the 2018 Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement. Second, commonalities in fisheries governance approaches are summarized, including national commitments to implement precautionary and ecosystem approaches. Finally, contrasts in Arctic fisheries management are discussed. Major differences include the greater devolution of management responsibilities by Canada to Indigenous communities through land-claim agreements and co-management arrangements and Russia’s greater success in formalizing bilateral fisheries management arrangements with its neighbours.

Hydrobiological Issues in Ethiopia: In Case of Human and Natural Associated Issues on Fish Production

The goal of this review article was to look into Ethiopia's current fishery issues. Scientific articles, both published and unpublished, were employed as data sources.

Decent work in fisheries: Current trends and key considerations for future research and policy

Labor issues and human rights violations have become the subject of rising concern in fisheries and seafood production. This paper reviews recent research on labor issues in the fishing industry, especially by environmental researchers and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) which are emerging as key players in research and policy arenas. Recent research has focused largely on severe violations such as forced labor, particularly in ‘hotspot’ geographies, often relying on indicators and risk-based approaches given the paucity of data and challenges of monitoring working conditions. This paper proposes that decent work – a concept associated with the institutional history of the International Labor Organization (ILO) but with broad implications – can contribute to overcoming gaps in the research landscape, and assessing and improving a range of labor issues in fisheries. The paper elaborates some key considerations for studying and promoting decent work in the seafood industry. Assessing and achieving decent work in the world’s fisheries requires (1) a holistic human rights approach to decent work, in which labor concerns are understood in the context of interrelated and interdependent sets of human rights, (2) consideration of the complex political-economic regimes and histories in which seafood production is embedded, and perhaps most importantly, (3) that workers play a central role and have a voice in defining and achieving decent work. The paper concludes with future directions for research and a discussion of promising and emerging policy pathways for promoting decent work in fisheries and seafood production.