STATEMENT: New Biodiversity Report Highlights Climate Change Effects on Global Fisheries

New Biodiversity Report Highlights Climate Change Effects on Global Fisheries

Yesterday, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) released a summary of a report on the state of biodiversity in the world, highlighting the threats against life on earth and the many species at risk of extinction. Read full Global Assessment.

Sally Yozell, Senior Fellow and Director of the Environmental Security Program at the Stimson Center put out the following statement.

“Today’s report identifies resource extraction as one of the top five threats to global biodiversity. Massive distant water fishing fleets – especially those that operate illegally – are serious contributors to this problem. In addition, these fleets often traffic in people, drugs, and arms, use forced labor, and put the economic livelihood and food security of millions of people in jeopardy. Well over a billion people around the world rely on fishing as their primary source of food.

Without policymakers forcing transparency throughout the seafood industry and taking action to require the tracking of distant water fishing fleets, we will never be able to fully understand, manage, prevent, and punish illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. IUU fishing by foreign fleets hurts those countries least able to manage and protect their own fishery resources. Through increased transparency in the seafood industry we can increase security and protect biodiversity at the same time.”

The Stimson Center’s Environmental Security program explores the array of environmental threats, both human and natural, that have the potential to undermine national, regional, or global security.

Sally Yozell is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Environmental Security program at the Stimson Center. Yozell’s research examines the links between environmental crime and global security issues — with a focus on combatting Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and wildlife trafficking; identifying innovative technologies to fight IUU fishing in Marine Protected Areas; and tracking transnational organized crime as well as natural resources theft.

Prior to joining Stimson, Yozell was a Senior Advisor to Secretary of State, John Kerry and the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment. Read Full Bio.

The Stimson Center is a nonpartisan policy research center working to solve the world’s greatest threats to security and prosperity.

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