Collection 

Understanding the Social-Ecological Impacts of Distant Water Fishing Fleets

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Open
Submission deadline

Distant water fishing fleets (DWFs) engage in fishing activities within the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of other nations or in international waters, enabling big rich fishing nations to access valuable fish stocks, legally or illegally, in distant regions. These fleets often traverse long distances and spend prolonged periods at sea. This Collection aims to comprehensively explore the impacts of DWFs on domestic fisheries and communities, focusing on, but not exclusively on the waters of the Global South. Specifically, this Collection seeks to present the latest research encompassing ecological, social, and economic impacts, which underlines diverse and innovative questions concerning DWFs and their effects on both people and nature in coastal countries of the Global South, in particular.

We welcome contributions that systematically characterize DWF activities and their socioeconomic repercussions. Submissions quantifying interactions among domestic, regional, and DWF fishing activities, while identifying spatial and species-based competition, are highly desired. Additionally, articles evaluating reported and unreported catches, including the funneling of unreported catches through illicit trade into the formal economies of both Global North and South countries, are encouraged. Expected contributions to this Collection should address key questions, including the ratio of reported and unreported catches by DWFs in EEZs compared to domestic and regional catches, as well as spatial overlaps among fishing activities of different fleets. Some contributions should aim to identify jointly targeted (by DWF, regional and domestic fleets) fish stocks, potentially leading to conflicts between DWFs and domestic and/or regional fleets.

Ultimately, this Collection aims to offer critical scientific insights and benchmarks for future research into the ramifications of DWFs on marine biodiversity and the socio-economic wellbeing of communities, primarily in the waters of the Global South. The overarching objective is to leverage this information to formulate policies at local, regional, and global levels, that seek to manage interactions between DWFs and domestic fishing fleets. The hope is that the contributions within this Collection will support the admirable goal of ensuring that valuable fisheries in developing countries benefit their residents while ensuring sustainable conservation of marine biodiversity.   

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Editors

Rashid Sumaila, PhD, The University of British Columbia, Canada
Dr. Rashid Sumaila is a University Killam Professor at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia. His research focuses on bioeconomics, marine ecosystem valuation and the analysis of global issues such as fisheries subsidies, marine protected areas, illegal fishing, climate change, marine plastic pollution, and oil spills. Simply put, the whole world is Sumaila’s work place as he has experience working in 6 continents. Dr. Sumaila received his Ph.D. (Economics) from the University of Bergen, Norway and his B.Sc. (Quantity Surveying) from the Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria. Sumaila has won several awards including the 2021 SSHRC Impact Award in the Partnership Category; the 2017 Volvo Environment Prize and is a Fellow of Royal Society of Canada.

Denis Aheto, PhD, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
Dr. Denis W. Aheto has been working in the field of coastal zone management in Ghana and Africa for over a decade. He is a Professor in coastal ecology and has professional training in project management. He is University of Cape Coast’s (UCC’s) authorized representative of the USAID multi-year support for Fisheries and Coastal Management Capacity Building in Ghana. He also manages the “Research-based management of the Gulf of Guinea Project” financed by the Danish Foreign Ministry (DANDA). Dr. Aheto was instrumental in the establishment of a Centre for Coastal Management at UCC, where he currently serves as the Director. 

Lubna Alam, PhD, The University of British Columbia, Canada
Dr. Lubna Alam’s academic journey commenced with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Fisheries from the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. She earned her Master of Science (MSc) in Marine Science and later her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Ocean Science from the National University of Malaysia (UKM). During the years 2013 to 2023, Dr. Lubna served as a Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI) of the National University of Malaysia. She is an Executive Committee member of OWSD-UNESCO (Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World)-Malaysia Chapter and was appointed as the Adjunct Professor-Research Fellow at Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia. Dr. Lubna is currently employed as a Research Scholar at the Institute for Ocean and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia in Canada. 

Sebastian Villasante, PhD, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Dr. Sebastian Villasante is a Professor of Economics, Distinguished Researcher and Director of the EqualSea Lab at University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), funded by the European Research Council Consolidator Grant, and a Karl-Göran Mäler scholar at The Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics. He is an international leader in developing methods to understand pathways for transformative changes of global fisheries and seafood systems. Dr. Villasante is also actively involved in international and regional initiatives that bridge science and policy, providing advice to governments, the fisheries sector and ONGs. He is currently a Coordinating Lead Author of the IPBES Transformative Changes Global Assessment, Co-Chair of the PECS Program on Ocean Equity for Sustainable Futures, and co-author of the Global Tipping Points Report 2023.