A New Global Model for Coastal Conservation

Small-scale or artisanal fisheries are important for sustaining coastal ecosystems and livelihoods, but they are notoriously challenging to manage due to their decentralized, dynamic, and vulnerable nature. Entangling net fisheries have rapidly expanded in artisanal fisheries and provide vital socioeconomic and nutritional benefits to coastal communities worldwide, especially in developing nations. However, incidental capture (i.e., bycatch) of protected wildlife, such as sea turtles and sharks, in these fisheries can disrupt marine ecosystems and lead to regulations that close fisheries. This can result in important revenue losses in coastal communities with few economic alternatives.

In this New Tools for Science Policy breakfast seminar, Jesse Senko (Assistant Research Professor and Senior Sustainability Scientist, Arizona State University) shared how his team is developing a twenty-first century global model for coastal conservation by innovating with fishers and conservation groups to promote environmentally and socially responsible fisheries.