Overfishing: The Impacts on Livelihoods

Interconnectedness of SDG 3 and SDG 14

Fishing policies, both locally and globally, that encourage overfishing have many negative impacts, especially for people whose livelihoods rely on the fishing industry. These policies make it hard to find fish near the coast, pushing these individuals to go further into the ocean searching for fish. Although this is risky, individuals do this with the intention to secure livelihoods and maintain a source of income. This has led to the loss of life, as documented in Sierra Leone. Coupled with these fishing policies is illegal fishing, which occurs when fishing happens in violation of a state's laws. In addition to lost revenue, this damages communities whose main source of income is through catching, processing, and trading fish. Income is an important social determinant of health (SDOH) and the loss of income leads to deteriorating health outcomes. The main reason for this is a decreasing income limits what individuals access to necessities which will help them secure positive outcomes.

A study by Jönsson (2019) examined overfishing, social problems, and ecosocial sustainability in Senegalese fishing communities. Some of the findings indicate that overfishing leads to hunger, social problems, and forced migration. Interviewees detail how fishing has been generational, but now due to overfishing by foreign vessels, an individual must work very hard and go far off the coast and the chances of finding fish are very low. This fear that the fishing industry will disappear, is one push factor contributing to many individuals fleeing to Europe or they are moving more into urban areas. This migration is done to seek better employment opportunities. The loss of this traditional means of income makes attaining the necessities such as education, health, and food impossible as individuals are living in poverty.

What steps are being taken to ensure the protection of fisheries?

As of January 2016, 8 West African Nations (Cabo Verde, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Liberia) have participated in the West Africa Regional Fisheries Program (WARFP). This program is funded by the World Bank and has these aims:

“(i) strengthen the governance of the use of the marine fish resources so that they recover to much more environmentally sustainable and economically profitable levels, while at the same time

(ii) invest where needed to increase the portion of the value of these resources that are captured locally within the region.”

According to the World Economic Forum, if the African continent’s renewable fish supply is governed wisely, it “could support livelihoods, promote food security, generate export earnings and support vital ecological systems.” There needs to be greater responsibility and a stronger framework for sustainability principles and better regulation within the fishing industry.

While there are many countries on the continent suffering from the negative impacts of unsustainable fishing, Namibia is one country that has improved its policies, leading to sustainable levels of fish. Historically, Namibia has been exploited by foreign fleets and colonialism and after independence, it inherited a fishing sector that was unsustainable. Overfishing from international fleets caused harm to the marine ecosystem and also limited the benefits to the local economy. The Namibia Marine Resources Act of 2000 has helped to lead to a sustainable marine ecosystem. Some of the key features of this Act are the regulation of fishing quantity, methods, size, and location; and the regulation of rights to fish in Namibian waters where there is a rights-based approach setting quotas rather than subsidies. These policies have been very successful and in 2010 it won the Food Security Policy Leadership Award and the World Future Council’s Silver Future Award in 2012. This policy encouraged job creation by ensuring that most of the fish were processed on shore.

Additionally, Stop Illegal Fishing is an African-based non-profit committed to halting the impacts of illegal fishing in African fisheries. Some of their initiatives include information-sharing Fish-I-Africa, an information-sharing initiative in East Africa, and West Africa Task Force, a West African regional initiative for fishery enforcement.

Addressing this issue can minimize food insecurity on the continent and decrease migration as there will be an increase in employment opportunities. This will require the implementation of policies locally and globally that lead to sustainable marine ecosystems. The African Union (AU), AU High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) also encourages the use of digital technologies to improve fish management. Actions need to be urgently taken to ensure the levels of fish do not reach a point of no return.

Further Reading

• Illicit trade in marine fish catch and its effects on ecosystems and people worldwide by Sumaia et al. (2020)

• Overfishing, social problems, and ecosocial sustainability in Senegalese fishing communities by Jönsson (2019)

• Euros vs. Yuan: Comparing European and Chinese Fishing Access in West Africa by Belhabi et al. (2015)