Past Event! Note: this event has already taken place.
GWI “Water Conversations” Series: On the state of freshwater fish and fisheries: Finding a future for the forgotten
January 23, 2018 at 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
| Location: | 3444 Mackenzie |
| Cost: | Free |
| Audience: | Anyone |
| Key Contact: | Christiane Mineau |
| Contact Email: | christianemineau@cunet.carleton.ca |
| Contact Phone: | (613)520-2600 x2516 |
Speaker: Steven Cooke of the Carleton University Biology Department and Institute of Environmental Science.
A black bear hunting salmon on Canada’s west coast. Photo by Pierre Mineau.
Abstract: Freshwater fish provide diverse ecosystem services. Yet, freshwater fish and fisheries are not often a national or regional governance priority and as a result, freshwater fisheries are undervalued and largely overlooked. As such they are threatened in both developing and developed countries. Indeed, due to lack of reliable data, freshwater fisheries have never been part of any high profile global fisheries assessment and are notably absent from the Sustainable Development Goals. The general public and policy makers are largely ignorant of the plight of freshwater ecosystems and the fish they support, as well as the ecosystem services generated by freshwater fisheries. This ignorance is particularly salient given that the current emphasis on the food-water-energy nexus often fails to include the important role that freshwater fish and fisheries play in food security and supporting livelihoods in low-income food deficit countries. The role of freshwater fisheries extends beyond just kilocalories; fish provide important micronutrients and essentially fatty acids. In some regions, inland recreational fisheries are important, generating much wealth and supporting livelihoods. I discuss some of our ongoing research and advocacy activities related to freshwater fish and fisheries in Canada and abroad.
Steven Cooke is a professor of Biology and Environmental Science, Canada Research Chair in Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology, and director of the Institutes of Environmental Science and Integrated Science. Visit the Cooke Lab website for more information.