ONGOING LONG-TERM FOCUS ON SMALL-SCALE NEARSHORE FISHERIES AROUND THE WORLD

My focus on fisheries evolved out of my broader work on food, agriculture, and food security and the overwhelming humanitarian crisis the collapse of our oceans represents. Global economic growth and human development are creating unsustainable burdens on marine resources that provide food and livelihoods for billions of people along the coast. Over 1 billion people rely on seafood as their primary source of protein, with another 4.3 billion utilizing seafood for at least 15% of their animal protein consumption. 15-20% of all animal protein consumed is from fish. Of the 30 countries most dependent on fish for protein, 26 are in the developing world, 50 of the world’s 51 million fishers are coastal fishers in developing countries, and so 95% of the people who rely on income from fisheries are in developing countries. 90% of our oceans are considered over or full exploited and the world has effectively lost 19% of its original area of coral reefs, with 15% more seriously threatened with loss in the next 10 to 20 years.Small-scale, artisanal fishermen who depend on their home waters make up 90% of the fishermen in the world and account for half the global catch. The work to slow or reverse the collapse of this vital resource is critical and the need is urgent. Around the world communities are rethinking how they manage their fisheries and I have photographed dozens of fisheries stories in Mexico, Belize, Peru, Mozambique, Seychelles, and up and down both coasts of the United States.