Eighty-five projects across the globe are receiving vital support to drive sustainable fishing practices, thanks to a US$2.2 million funding round from the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) Ocean Stewardship Fund (OSF).
The wide-ranging initiatives span neuroscience-based technologies to multi-national collaborations focused on preserving highly migratory fish stocks.
“Our vision is of an ocean teeming with life,” said Rupert Howes, MSC chief executive.
“These awards highlight the power of collaboration and innovation in securing a sustainable future for our oceans.”
In Namibia, a hake trawl and longline fishery is piloting targeted acoustic startle technology to reduce harmful interactions with Cape fur seals. The innovation, developed with scientists and engineers, uses low-frequency sounds to deter seals without harming marine life.
“For some top predators, particularly marine mammals, bycatch and gear entanglement is hugely impactful,” said Dr. Thomas Götz, who is leading the project.
“This technology could offer a sustainable solution to long-standing human-wildlife conflicts.”
Elsewhere, five MSC-certified albacore tuna fisheries are partnering with NGOs and international agencies to create a harvest strategy aimed at safeguarding albacore tuna.
“This support from MSC will help us to facilitate expansion of rigorously tested harvest strategies to South Atlantic albacore,” said Shana Miller of The Ocean Foundation.
“Stronger, science-based management will transform fisheries and protect marine biodiversity.”
Additional OSF-supported projects include ecosystem management for Iberian sardines, population studies of California Market Squid and shark bycatch reduction in the Indian Ocean.
Since 2019, the OSF has awarded more than US$8.8 million to over 200 fisheries and research efforts, with nearly half based in developing economies.
