Fisheries and the Aquatic Environment |
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Oceans, seas, rivers and lakes have, over thousands of years, provided a free and seemingly infinite source of food and economic livelihoods to rural communities. The lives of millions of people are based on gathering and processing fish, and massive international industries are founded on fishing. Uncontrolled exploitation of these resources, combined with large-scale environmental degradation, has led to a serious decline in the stocks of fish and crustaceans. It has also led to the destruction of aquatic vegetation and disruption of water resources with far-reaching consequences for many people. Many fishing communities are amongst the poorest economic groups and poverty alleviation must address their needs and opportunities. ULG work in capture and culture fisheries, spanning more than 50 countries over the last 20 years, has given us an exceptional knowledge of the sector. This technical understanding has been enhanced in recent years by our experience in community based natural resource management in wildlife and common property resources. We understand the critical importance of community management through a full knowledge of the need to balance the economic opportunities with long term conservation and protection. We recognise the complex social, economic, institutional andenvironmental structures which determine the sustainability of the livelihoods of fishing communities. Through its many assignments, ULG has developed the technical, social and financial mechanisms for communal fish culture, provided institutional strengthening to a national Department ofFisheries and Marine Resources to assist it in carrying out its evolving role, established a framework for the application of modern technology to the evaluation and planning of marine resources, and determined the competitive market position within the European Union of fish and fish products from Africa. |
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