Designing sustainable fisheries

Designing sustainable fisheriesJack Whalen

Aalto University, Department of Design&

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership

Out

line

• The problem: The state of the ocean’s ecosystems

• The design space – Fishery? Sustainable? – and the key issues

• Fisheries and their stakeholders – and supply chains

• The battle over sustainability – strategy and tactics

• Designing sustainable fisheries

THE STATE OF THE OCEAN’S ECOSYSTEMS

The world’s oceans• The overall state of fishery stocks is worse than previously known• Developed countries are slowly and unevenly stabilizing and

rebuilding fisheries• Middle income countries have more mixed trends, with large

industrial fisheries often better managed than smaller or coastal stocks

• Developing country fisheries appear to be seriously overexploited• Open ocean stocks managed by UN-authorized Regional Fisheries

Management Organisations (RFMOs) are in a precarious situation• The habitat and wildlife effects of fisheries are disastrous across

almost all geographies

(Charting a Course to Sustainable Fisheries, California Environmental Associates, 2012)

• The overall state of fishery stocks is worse than previously known• Developed countries are slowly and unevenly stabilizing and

rebuilding fisheries• Middle income countries have more mixed trends, with large

industrial fisheries often better managed than smaller or coastal stocks

• Developing country fisheries appear to be seriously overexploited• Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), who cover

the open-ocean, are on the knife’s edge• The habitat and wildlife effects of fisheries are disastrous across

almost all geographies

The world’s oceans

Overfishing has impoverished the integrity of the ocean’s ecosystems to a greater degree than previously acknowledged.

• The overall state of fishery stocks is worse than previously known• Developed countries are slowly and unevenly stabilizing and

rebuilding fisheries• Middle income countries have more mixed trends, with large

industrial fisheries often better managed than smaller or coastal stocks

• Developing country fisheries appear to be seriously overexploited• Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), who cover

the open-ocean, are on the knife’s edge• The habitat and wildlife effects of fisheries are disastrous across

almost all geographies

The world’s oceans

But…

• The overall state of fishery stocks is worse than previously known• Developed countries are slowly and unevenly stabilizing and

rebuilding fisheries• Middle income countries have more mixed trends, with large

industrial fisheries often better managed than smaller or coastal stocks

• Developing country fisheries appear to be seriously overexploited• Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), who cover

the open-ocean, are on the knife’s edge• The habitat and wildlife effects of fisheries are disastrous across

almost all geographies

The world’s oceans

What is to be done?Can we design a sustainable system for fisheries?But: What is the ‘system’?And: What would a successful system design require?

THE DESIGN SPACE(AND THE SCIENCE WE NEED

TO UNDERSTAND AND WORK IN IT)

• Fishery– A geographic location and the fish species captured there– Combines industrial and scientific ways of understanding

(a place for fishing + the particular fish stock that lives there)

•–

•

The design space

Note: By ‘fish’ I mean here not only finfish but also crustaceans and molluscs, whether they dwell in the ocean or freshwater (or both)

The design space• Fishery– A geographic location and the fish species captured there– Combines industrial and scientific ways of understanding

(a place for fishing + the particular fish stock that lives there)

• Su–

•

Eastern Baltic cod fishery

Gadus morhua

The design space• Fishery– A geographic location and the fish species captured there– Combines industrial and scientific ways of understanding

(a place for fishing + the particular fish stock that lives there)

•–

•

Peruvian anchoveta fishery

This is the single most important fishery in the world, accounting for 5 to 6 million tonnes of landings annually. The anchovy is also the key piece within the Southeastern Pacific ecosystem.

Engraulis ringens

The design space• Fishery– A geographic location and the fish species captured there– Combines industrial and scientific ways of understanding

(a place for fishing + the particular fish stock that lives there)

•–

•

The scale (artisanal industrial) and method of capture matter a great deal

The design space• Fishery– A geographic location and the fish species captured there– Combines industrial and scientific ways of understanding

(a place for fishing + the particular fish stock that lives there)

•–

•

But what about the ecosystem (not just that particular fish stock)?

The design space• Fishery– A geographic location and the fish species captured there– Combines industrial and scientific ways of understanding (a

place for fishing + the particular fish stock that lives there)

• S–

•

(plants) at level 1, to herbivores (level 2), to predators (level 3), to carnivores or top carnivores (level 4 or 5)

Trophic level 5

Trophic level 4

Trophic level 3

Trophic level 2

Trophic level 1

Trophic levels:The marine biomass pyramidEcosystem: a dynamic

interaction between the living resources and physical parts of a given environment

The design space• Fishery– A geographic location and the fish species captured there– Combines industrial and scientific ways of understanding (a

place for fishing + the particular fish stock that lives there)

• S–

•

(plants) at level 1, to herbivores (level 2), to predators (level 3), to carnivores or top carnivores (level 4 or 5)

physical = soil, water, air• Climate change and ocean acidification• Fishing methods and habitat impact

(especially in the benthic zone – the ecological region at lowest level of a body of water)

Trophic level 5

Trophic level 4

Trophic level 3

Trophic level 2

Trophic level 1

Trophic levels:The marine biomass pyramidEcosystem: a dynamic

interaction between the living resources and physical parts of a given environment

The design space• Fishery– A geographic location and the fish species captured there– Combines industrial and scientific ways of understanding (a

place for fishing + the particular fish stock that lives there)

• Sustainable/responsible fishing– Fishing practices and management that ensure fish stocks

and marine eco-systems are maintained and protected for future generations

•

The design space• Fishery– A geographic location and the fish species captured there– Combines industrial and scientific ways of understanding (a

place for fishing + the particular fish stock that lives there)

• Sustainable/responsible fishing– Fishing practices and management that ensure fish stocks

and marine eco-systems are maintained and protected for future generations

•

Key issues in sustainable fishing• Overfishing - Too many fishing boats

• Overfished stock - Too few fish left to reproduce effectively

• Marine habitat - the ocean ecosystem (sharks, seaweed, turtles, dolphins, seagulls, coral, …)

• Fisheries management - the system that says who is allowed to fish, where they are can fish and the methods they can use, and how much they can catch

• Bycatch/discards - when fishermen throw fish overboard (usually dead)

• Illegal fishing (e.g., fish caught by unlicensed boats)

• Traceability (Where did the fish come from?)

The design space• Fishery– A geographic location and the fish species captured there– Combines industrial and scientific ways of understanding (a

place for fishing + the particular fish stock that lives there)

• Sustainable/responsible fishing– Fishing practices and management that ensure fish stocks

and marine eco-systems are maintained and protected for future generations

• Designing industrial ‘systems’ …

FISHERIES AND THEIR STAKEHOLDERS– AND SUPPLY CHAINS

Fisheries and their stakeholders• Stakeholders– Catchers (and their communities and/or employers) – Processors– Buyers (large retailers, like Wal-Mart in the States or

Kesko in Finland)– Government (or intergovernmental) agencies who

manage the fishery– Consumers/citizens

• The organisation of the supply chain

Fishery supply chains

ConsumersBuyers/retailersSuppliersProcessorsCatchers

‘From bait to plate’

Fishery supply chains

ConsumersBuyers/retailersSuppliersProcessorsCatchers

‘From bait to plate’

Fishery supply chains

ConsumersBuyers/retailersSuppliersProcessorsCatchers

‘From bait to plate’

Fishery supply chains

ConsumersBuyers/retailersSuppliersProcessorsCatchers

‘From bait to plate’

Fishery supply chains

ConsumersBuyers/retailersSuppliersProcessorsCatchers

‘From bait to plate’

Fishery supply chains

ConsumersBuyers/retailersSuppliersProcessorsCatchers

‘From bait to plate’

≈ 400 billion € per year value

Indonesian tuna supply chain

THE BATTLE OVER SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability and its challenges

• Achieving sustainable fishing practices is hardly a straightforward task!

• There are significant challenges that ultimately inhibit their realisation, especially in making the transition to sustainability• Reducing catches and introducing new fishing practices

to allow fish stock to recover are often necessary• But this generally means hardship for some

stakeholders, albeit temporary(higher value placed on short-term benefits; benefits not evenly distributed amongst stakeholders; data gathering for adequate management difficult to achieve)

The battle over sustainability

• Scientists and NGOs vs industry (whether large industrial fleets or small scale and artisanal catchers) and governments

• Strategies and tactics in the battle– Scientific analysing and reporting, advising regulators –

–

–

–

ConsumersBuyers/retailersSuppliersProcessorsCatchers Regulators

Scientists

Scientific analysing and reporting

NGOs

ConsumersBuyers/retailersSuppliersProcessorsCatchers Regulators

Scientists

Scientific analysing and reporting

NGOs

At the end of the day, it’s all about change on the water

The battle over sustainability

• Scientists and NGOs vs industry (whether large industrial fleets or small scale and artisanal catchers) and governments

• Strategies and tactics in the battle– Scientific analysing and reporting, advising regulators – Blame and shame campaigns + political lobbying–

–

–

ConsumersBuyers/retailersSuppliersProcessorsCatchers Regulators

NGOs

Blame and shame campaigns and political lobbying

The battle over sustainability

• Scientists and NGOs vs industry (whether large industrial fleets or small scale and artisanal catchers) and governments

• Strategies and tactics in the battle– Scientific analysing and reporting, advising regulators – Blame and shame campaigns + political lobbying– Consumer education–

–

ConsumersBuyers/retailersSuppliersProcessorsCatchers

NGOs

Consumer education

The battle over sustainability

• Scientists and NGOs vs industry (whether large industrial fleets or small scale and artisanal catchers) and governments

• Strategies and tactics in the battle– Scientific analysing and reporting, advising regulators – Blame and shame campaigns + political lobbying– Consumer education– Community development/assistance–

ConsumersBuyers/retailersSuppliersProcessorsCatchers

NGOs

(Fishing communities)

Community development/assistance

DESIGNING SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

Fishery improvement:Can you design a sustainable fishery?

In order to develop strategies for averting a fisheries collapse and restoring sustainability, it is first necessary to understand the unique set of forces operating in any given fishery.

Fishery improvement:Can you design a sustainable fishery?

• It is better to work together with the industry (from retailers to catchers) to improve a fishery than to stop buying or selling its fish

• There are many ways to improve fisheries–Healthy fish stocks–Protection of habitats and marine life– Effective management of fishing activities– . . .

Fishery improvement:Can you design a sustainable fishery?

• It is better to work together with the industry (from retailers to catchers) to improve a fishery than to stop buying or selling fish

• There are many ways to improve fisheries–Healthy fish stocks–Protection of habitats and marine life– Effective management of fishing activities– . . .

But how can you get stakeholders to take risks and overcome their short-term mentality?

How can you get regulators to follow scientific advice?

Note that in many parts of the world, there are no regulatory bodies to manage fisheries, and no possibility of legal remedies to harmful, unsustainable fishing practices.

Fishery improvement:Can you design a sustainable fishery?

• It is better to work together with the industry (from retailers to catchers) to improve a fishery than to stop buying or selling fish

• There are many ways to improve fisheries–Healthy fish stocks–Protection of habitats and marine life– Effective management of fishing activities– . . .

Design concept: A partnership between scientists, the fishing/seafood industry, and NGOs to co-design improvement plans, use supply chain leverage to put them into action, monitor the results, make adjustments as needed …

A relatively new concept …

• Scientists and NGOs vs industry (whether large industrial fleets or small scale and artisanal catchers) and governments

• Strategies and tactics in the battle– Scientific analysing and reporting, advising regulators – Blame and shame campaigns + political lobbying– Consumer education– Community development/assistance– Market transformation

ConsumersBuyers/retailersSuppliersProcessorsCatchers

NGOs

Market transformation

Regulators

Fishery improvement projects (FIPs)

Fishery improvement:Can you design a sustainable fishery?

• It is better to work together with catchers to improve a fishery than to stop buying or selling fish

• There are many ways to improve fisheries–Healthy fish stocks–Protection of habitats and marine life– Effective management of fishing activities– . . .

Fishery improvement project methodology

Fishery improvement:Can you design a sustainable fishery?

• It is better to work together with fishermen to improve a fishery than to stop buying or selling fish

• There are many ways to improve fisheries–Healthy fish stocks–Protection of habitats and marine life– Effective management of fishing activities– . . .

Science+

Economic incentives+

Fishing regulations

A relatively new concept …

• Scientists and NGOs vs industry (whether large industrial fleets or small scale and artisanal catchers) and governments

• Strategies and tactics in the battle– Scientific analysing and reporting, advising regulators – Blame and shame campaigns + political lobbying– Consumer education– Community development/assistance– Market transformation

It is highly unlikely that the market transformation strategy can succeed on its own. We are dealing with a system that is deeply political – at stake are huge revenues, national economies, and the livelihoods of many people (and their communities). All these strategies and tactics will be needed!

Thank you