INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT Coastal Resources Center, University of Rhode Island Food Security and Fisheries Narragansett, Rhode Island USA • #38 • Winter 2001 FOCUS ON: By Lamarr B.Trott runoffs and discharges. Further and biotic attributes became one of consequence have been due to the major challenges by the end of hy is food security an issue hunting and gathering (e.g., fish- this last century. Unfortunately, for fishery resources? FOOD SECURITY W ing) and natural phenomena (e.g., what has often happened is insuffi- Simply put, too many people are El Niño/La Niña). cient coordination between efforts harvesting a rapidly diminishing The population explosion, with to develop the coastal zone and supply of living aquatic resources. FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES FOR COASTAL many nations doubling their popu- efforts by the harvesting sector to This resource is one of our last lation in only a quarter century, manage the fisheries—we are our remaining ‘common’ properties. along with this migration toward own worst enemy. Highlights In half a century, we have over- the coasts, exacerbates an already The complex physical character- harvested what was felt in 1950 to critical scenario. Hence, sustain- istics of coasts (bays, estuaries, and be an unlimited supply of seafood. ability of fishery resources is continental shelf) provide a home 8 The result is that many species that directly related to human popula- to 80 percent of living marine Enforcing once were abundant food sources, tion pressures. Management of species, at some stage of their life Coastal like cod and haddock in the North Management coasts with their special physical cycle. Offshore adult populations Atlantic, are now in short supply. (continued page 2) As common species were depleted, new areas and species were located 12 by ‘in-vogue’ exploratory fishing; Capacity in these species usually suffering the Living Marine same fate. More efficient gear on Food Security in the Coastal Zone: Resources an increasing numbers of fishing Anthropologic Considerations vessels overcapitalized the industry and over-harvested resources By Lisa Colburn level that precedes it.That is, successful national-level food 26 worldwide. hen the term ‘food security’ security may, for example, be Sharks:Their It is interesting that most sea life is mentioned what do you W viewed as dependent on inter- Role in is concentrated near the coasts, just think it means? For many of us it national-level considerations, Human/Marine as most human populations are may depend on the economic level while individual-level food Interactions concentrated near coastal areas or we consider. National food security security may be dependent on on rivers that lead to them.The may be very different from the household-level considerations trend in human migration, now ability of individuals to secure 28 and through history, is toward (Figure 1, page 30). food.This article is intended to According to the United Miskito Lobster coastal areas. One third of the provide a broad contextual frame- Fishery Nations’ Food and Agricultural world’s human population inhabit work for understanding food secu- Organization (FAO), “food coastal areas. Ingress of people, rity.To do this, an anthropological security exists when all people Theme with their multitude of effluents, perspective will be placed in the at all times have physical and Advisor: has had a direct effect on coastal context of coastal communities. economic access to sufficient aquatic life.We have dubbed this For this framework, each level of food to meet their dietary Lamarr B. ‘pollution,’ the cause being indus- consideration may usefully be needs for a productive and trial, agricultural, and urban understood as dependent on the healthy life.” Because average Trott (continued page 30) Trott freshwater habitats which is cur- (continued from page 1) may not be directly affected by rently underway in many parts of human coastal activity; however, the world is not curtailed, the yield INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT these coastal activities can be disas- from natural stocks will continue Editor: Stephen B. Olsen to be reduced, and in some areas Editor: Noëlle F. Lewis trous to the larval and juvenile populations. Coastal degradation even eliminated. In the U.S., Designer: Matt Castigliego rebuilding stocks is now the InterCoast is an internation- reduces larval/juvenile survival charge, with management forced al newsletter of coastal man- and offshore harvesting reduces the agement, published three times breeding adults.The results are toward a precautionary approach, each year by the Coastal obvious. thus limiting harvests to levels Resources Management lower than desired by industry. Project of the University of World Fisheries Fishery products are the world’s Rhode Island's Coastal In 1997, the total world fish har- most important source of animal Resources Center (CRC) and vest was estimated to be 122 mil- protein, particularly important to the U.S. Agency for lion metric tons; in 1998 it had the poorer segments of coastal International Development decreased 4 percent. Capture fish- society. Fish contribute more ani- (USAID). Funding to publish eries (the harvest and utilization of mal protein for human consump- InterCoast is provided by natural stocks) accounted for 85 tion than beef and poultry com- USAID's Global Environment percent of the harvest. At the end bined. For many people in develop- Center and the National of the 20th century, United ing countries, fish provide more Institute for Coastal and Nations’ Food and Agriculture Marine Mangement,The than 40 percent of their basic Organization (FAO) estimated that Netherlands. needs for animal protein, and often InterCoast’s objective is to 70 percent of the world’s fishery is the cheapest or only affordable facilitate information exchange resources were either fully or over- source of this vital nutrient. Of the on coastal management. exploited. over 25,000 species of fish, only a Readers are invited to contact Over 50 percent of the world few species are harvested for direct Noëlle F. Lewis with contribu- harvest comes from waters of human consumption. More than 15 tions, questions and com- developing countries, and over half percent of the world harvest is ments. of that is caught by artisanal fish- used for other purposes (e.g., meal InterCoast ers.These fishers are in competi- and oil). In U.S. waters, the U.S. Noëlle F.Lewis tion for an ever-decreasing supply National Marine Fisheries Service’s Coastal Resources Center of fish. publication Our Living Oceans lists University of Rhode Island Factory trawlers became com- only 904 species involved in the 41 Narragansett, Rhode Island mon in the 1960s and 70s, severely fishery management plans that reg- 02882 USA depleting stocks in the most pro- ulate U.S. marine fisheries.This is Tel:401-874-6870 ductive areas.This led coastal insufficient information for man- Fax: 401-789-4670 nations to establish exclusive eco- agement for over 60 percent of E-mail: [email protected] nomic zones (EEZ), giving jurisdic- these species. Website:www.crc.uri.edu tion over waters 200 miles from InterCoast's policy is to their coasts.The U.S. declared its Role of Aquaculture limit submissions to a short EEZ with the passage of the Aquaculture (the controlled cul- essay or summary on a given Magnuson Fisheries Conservation ture of freshwater and marine topic.The editor routinely and Management Act in 1976. organisms) has been a significant edits submissions heavily and Nevertheless in 1996, 20 years method of producing fish for over a removes references. Such later, the Sustainable Fisheries thousand years. Aquaculture now changes are commonly made Act was passed recognizing that accounts for nearly 20 percent of without further consultation the total world harvest. But, until with the author. our fisheries resources had not been sustained and were rapidly recently, aquaculture has depended declining. largely on trial and error, and the The real issue is what level is basic parameters for production actually sustainable. If the over- are poorly understood. Carp and a exploitation of natural fish stocks, few salmonid species dominate fish environmental degradation and the culture worldwide, and penaeid destruction of oceanic, coastal, and shrimp dominate invertebrate cul- 2 InterCoast • Winter 2001 ture. Only a handful of marine fish brackish conditions necessary for obvious solution is to restrict har- species are successfully cultured, shrimp farming, freshwater is vests (e.g., number of fishing ves- with significant advances in orna- extracted from the water table to sels) and to close areas where mental species. Much of marine dilute seawater in the milkfish reproduction occurs, or that are culture is actually in brackish ponds. In both cases, and in most required for larval survival. water, with shrimp and milkfish other locations where shrimp Reserves and marine protected being good examples. farming has been practiced, the areas (MPAs) have been established Annual world aquaculture pro- immense profits initially gained by to do this.These zones limit fishing duction doubled from 10 to 20 shrimp farming suddenly turn to to specific areas, thus removing the million metric tons in just over a losses due to disease. However, element of time or season from decade (some of this is an artifact today, with increased attention to management decisions. of better reporting from China). disease prevention, shrimp produc- However, use of MPAs as a fish- Due to the rapidly increasing tion is again on the rise. eries management tool is some- human population, worldwide The Food Chain what new.A Presidential Executive demand for fish continues to Marine ecosystems are extreme- Order to coordinate U.S. national exceed demand. Assuming that ly complex. Habitats vary widely MPAs was just signed to coordinate production from natural stocks and are influenced by many factors work on state MPAs. However, for remains static, any increase will (e.g., climate, ocean currents, and some states such as California that have to be from aquaculture.