ECCWO5 Topic Session

Topic session 9: 'Transitioning from Vulnerable to Resilient and Viable Fisheries Social-Ecological Systems'. Co-convened with Jacob Eurich (Environmental Defense Fund) and Prateep Nayak (Faculty of Environment, V2V Global Partnership, University of Waterloo, Canada)

Fisheries provide income, jobs, food, and cultural connection to the oceans. Yet these systems are vulnerable to climate change, and are also influenced by broader ecological, socioeconomic, and governance dimensions. Pathways to reduce vulnerability and operationalise climate resilience within fisheries are often context-, scale-, and resource-dependent. Identifying and understanding opportunities, as well as challenges or trade-offs, to meeting these aims is critical for achieving global Sustainable Development Goals. This is particularly important for small scale fisheries, many of which remain economically and politically marginalised, are highly vulnerable to change, and remain invisible in policy debates. This session welcomes contributions that examine the diverse factors and conditions contributing to fisheries vulnerability and/or resilience, characterise ways fisheries are responding to climate change, and reflect on pathways that facilitate transitions from vulnerability to resilient and viable fisheries systems. We encourage case studies reflecting a range of fisheries contexts.

Interested in co-convening another session at an upcoming conference? Let us know!