By Kendra Karr

Small scale fisheries are critically important for the provision of food security, livelihoods, and economic development for billions of people. Most of these fisheries appear to be under-performing with respect to conservation, food production, revenue, and the quality of the livelihoods they can support.

Many factors related to successful small-scale fisheries management have been articulated in previous research and through practical e xperience, including strong leadership, co-management, secure catch or marine tenure privileges, and scientific assessment of fishery status.   Both the pathways and tools employed in fishery reform vary, but there is a growing consensus that the integration of effective fisheries governance and science-based management is crucial for success.

Together with fishermen and women, community members, managers and scientists we have identified some major lessons that arise from case studies in Belize, Cuba, Mexico and the Philippines. In newly published research, my colleagues and I evaluate the stories, challenges and lessons learned from these fisheries, where these groups are developing science-based solutions for sustainable fishing. We found that successful science-based management includes fisher participation and empowerment, partnership across sectors and community buy-in, and sound scientific analysis.

Finding ways to evaluate small-scale fisheries means gaining a deeper insight into the pathways and tools used to transition fisheries to more science based solutions. Small-scale fisheries occur in many different governance and data contexts. By identifying attributes of successful small-scale fishery reform efforts and mainstreaming this dialogue, we can begin to understand what conditions result in fisheries meeting environmental, social and economic goals.

Embedding science-based fisheries management within governance systems that create incentives aligned with management objectives, such as strengthened traditional tenure systems, co-management systems, and well-designed rights-based systems has the potential for dramatically improving the performance of small-scale fisheries, just as it has for large-scale fisheries.

How can the performance of small-scale fisheries be improved across a variety of contexts? Based on these case studies, we found that the solution often includes:

1. Participatory processes empower fishers, increase compliance, and support integration of local and scientific knowledge;
2. Partnership across sectors improves communication and community buy-in;
3. Scientific analysis can lead fishery reform and be directly applicable to co-management structures.

Our research suggests that a fully integrated approach that implements a participatory process to generate a scientific basis for fishery management (e.g., data collection, analysis, design) and to design management measures among stakeholders will increase the probability that small-scale fisheries will implement science-based management and improve their performance.

We are in a fortunate time for small-scale fisheries, resources are increasing that empower partners to address the challenges these fisheries are facing. These tools can be used to develop sustainable solutions that support more fish in the water, more food on the plate and more prosperous communities.

Small scale fisheries are critically important for the provision of food security, livelihoods, and economic development for billions of people. Most of these fisheries appear to be under-performing with respect to conservation, food production, revenue, and the quality of the livelihoods they can support. Many factors related to successful small-scale fisheries management have been articulated […]

The post Research sheds light on how to better manage small-scale fisheries appeared first on EDFish.

Small scale fisheries are critically important for the provision of food security, livelihoods, and economic development for billions of people. Most of these fisheries appear to be under-performing with respect to conservation, food production, revenue, and the quality of the livelihoods they can support. Many factors related to successful small-scale fisheries management have been articulated […]

5 reasons Election Day 2017 was a win for climate action

Exactly 364 days after Donald Trump won the presidency, the electoral backlash arrived. And the results from Election Night 2017 appear to be good news for the environment.

Here are five encouraging takeaways from Boomerang Tuesday:

1. Suburban, pro-environment turnout surges

The night was all about voters motivated to reject Trumpism in its many forms, particularly in suburban and exurban areas.

In swing Loudoun County, Virginia, for instance, Trump-aligned gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie – who as a U.S. Senate candidate in 2014 won the county – lost by more than 20,000 votes. The switch was probably due less to Gillespie losing his voters than to a huge turnout from energized anti-Trumpers.

These voters have a lot of complaints, but polls show the environment is among Trump's three weakest issues.

Swing suburban areas are full of middle-of-the-road voters who worry about their children being exposed to more air pollution, water pollution and toxic waste because of severe environmental program cuts. They came out in force Tuesday.

2. Renewed climate focus in NJ, Washington state

Voters in Washington state and New Jersey made choices that will likely result in tangible climate action in the next few months.

New Jersey, a founding member of the multi-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, dropped out under Gov. Chris Christie. Now Governor-elect Phil Murphy, who campaigned on a platform to push the state toward 100-percent clean energy by 2050, has promised that his state will quickly rejoin.

RGGI has cut millions of tons of pollution and raised billions for state governments, while electricity prices have dropped. Rejoining the climate pact is so popular, in fact, that the Republican candidate for governor vowed to do the same.

In the State of Washington, a pro-environment state senate candidate prevailed after oil interests spent millions trying to defeat her – flipping control of that chamber. This will help Gov. Jay Inslee, one of the country's most passionate advocates for climate action, to accelerate greenhouse gas reductions.

3. Voters respond to climate issues

St. Petersburg, Florida, the heart of the swing "I-4 Corridor" in the biggest swing state, saw an upset victory by a mayoral candidate who made his opponent's denial of climate science  a central issue.

Voters in Miami also passed a climate measure by an unexpectedly large margin.

New Jerseyans, meanwhile, approved a pro-environment ballot measure in a landslide.

4. More millennials cast ballots

Turnout was strong among younger people, too. In Virginia, turnout among 18-29-year-olds rose by nearly one-third over the last gubernatorial election.

If anyone still doubts that millennials will be a huge force in 2018 and 2020, they're ignoring the evidence.

And because millennials are probably the most environmentally conscious citizens in our nation's history, getting their vote means more support for action on climate change and other critical issues.

5. Voters send a strong message to both parties

It wasn't just that President Trump's preferred candidate lost in Virginia, it was a shocking and broad electoral drubbing. The legislative results were called the biggest sweep since 1899.

That massive shift, along with progressive victories from New Hampshire to Georgia, will send a strong message to both parties.

Democrats may be encouraged to support bolder environmental policies. Republicans, fearful that the wave will hit them in 2018, would also be smart to try to win back suburban voters by joining the growing bipartisan call for solutions.

Yes, polluter agenda still rules – but there's hope

Election Day 2017 doesn't mean everything is fine.

Scott Pruitt is still head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, working to undermine its historic mission to protect public health.

And Trump is still pulling the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, making us the only country in the world on the outside now that even Syria has joined. But the voters have made a strong statement.

As former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday night, quoting Winston Churchill, "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

Explore Pruitt's playbook A rundown of the Trump administration's assault against the EPA krives November 9, 2017 - 02:19

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Comments

I totally agree. At least there is still hope. Hope for those of us who still believe a healthier world is possible. It´s necessary that we keep taking action!

Mejores caladoras November 10, 2017 at 1:46 am

Snowflakes didn’t melt: they voted

John Hendershot November 11, 2017 at 10:54 pm

Sadly, the liberals will use these results to jump all over gun control, and not just saving the environment. Overreaction and overreach are going to be the norm, and the pendulum will swing far to the left, before it begins to return to the center...

Matthew J Van Camp November 12, 2017 at 1:34 am Add new comment

The transaction marks a significant milestone in the sage-grouse story, and in America’s conservation history.

The post 10,000-acre deal to protect sage-grouse marks milestone in conservation first appeared on Growing Returns.

The transaction marks a significant milestone in the sage-grouse story, and in America’s conservation history.

RT @dickmunson: FERC: FirstEnergy, Murray keep the heat on for DOE grid reform eenews.net/stories/106006… via @EENewsUpdates

He says he doesn't pick winners and losers. So why is he propping up super polluters?

He says he doesn't pick winners and losers. So why is he propping up super polluters?

Look around the U.S. and you’ll find plenty of examples of smart policy that is driving the adoption of cleaner, more efficient energy resources. In particular, California, New York, and Illinois are all leveraging policy to reduce carbon pollution and transition to a 21st century electric grid. But in addition to those success stories, markets […]

By John Hall

Look around the U.S. and you’ll find plenty of examples of smart policy that is driving the adoption of cleaner, more efficient energy resources. In particular, California, New York, and Illinois are all leveraging policy to reduce carbon pollution and transition to a 21st century electric grid.

But in addition to those success stories, markets also are achieving significant clean energy results – and nowhere is that more evident than here in Texas.

In 2001, the Lone Star State transitioned to a competitive electricity market that (for the most part) puts the cheapest energy resources on the grid first. Since then, wind has grown from supplying less than 1 percent of the state’s electricity to over 20 percent for the first half of 2017. And as cheap natural gas remains plentiful and renewable costs keep falling, expensive coal is getting pushed out of Texas’ market. In fact, wind is expected to overtake coal as soon as next year.

The market

About 90 percent of the state is part of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which is a self-contained electricity market (many other markets are regional and span across multiple states). As an excellent Vox article by David Roberts recently put it, Texas is “probably the closest thing the country has to a ‘free market’ in electricity. Power is procured entirely through competitive bidding.”

This means the market typically gives preference to the lowest-cost resources first. There are exceptions, though, for emergencies and other abnormal scenarios.

How clean energy is set to overtake coal in this competitive electricity market
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Coal on its way out

Coal plant closures are the clearest sign of how Texas’ electricity market is working. Running and maintaining coal plants is expensive (without even considering the hidden costs), and the majority of plants were built decades ago. Cheaper options – which often happen to be cleaner – abound.

Recently the state’s largest power generator, Dallas-based Luminant, made a splash when it announced it will close three major coal plant complexes early next year. These plants have a combined seven units that represent over half of the power generator’s total coal capacity, and the state’s grid operator has officially given the green light to close them. Why close them? According to Luminant, the decision is “a result of challenging plant and market economics.”

And it’s not just Luminant that is struggling. Last year, a report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis looked at seven of Texas’ aging coal plants and “concluded that these plants’ days are numbered simply because they cannot compete.”

The Vox article summarized it well: “The steady decline of coal in Texas has […] everything to do with relentless market discipline.”

Meteoric rise of clean energy

According to Environment Texas, since 2007, Texas has seen a remarkable 21,466 percent increase in the amount of electricity it gets from the sun and a 639 percent increase in wind power production.

As technology is consistently improved and refined, the cost of generating electricity from renewables continues to come down. And global forecasts show economics are on clean energy’s side: The International Energy Agency recently declared, “The era of expensive renewables is over." Moreover, solar and wind basically have zero fuel costs since the sun shines and the wind blows for free.

These favorable economics have helped boost wind and solar in Texas’ market. According to Environment Texas, since 2007, Texas has seen a remarkable 21,466 percent increase in the amount of electricity it gets from the sun and a 639 percent increase in wind power production. There are now more than 10,000 wind turbines in the state.

The transition to a clean energy economy is creating thousands of jobs, slashing pollution, and saving water. It’s also bringing investment to Texas: Big businesses – like Amazon – are investing in Texas wind left and right.

All of these benefits should be enough to move decision-makers, and policy is undeniably crucial to delivering a clean energy future. But if state leaders won’t act, Texas is evidence that a well-designed competitive market can push coal plants to close and clean energy to soar.

Look around the U.S. and you’ll find plenty of examples of smart policy that is driving the adoption of cleaner, more efficient energy resources. In particular, California, New York, and Illinois are all leveraging policy to reduce carbon pollution and transition to a 21st century electric grid. But in addition to those success stories, markets […]

Look around the U.S. and you’ll find plenty of examples of smart policy that is driving the adoption of cleaner, more efficient energy resources. In particular, California, New York, and Illinois are all leveraging policy to reduce carbon pollution and transition to a 21st century electric grid. But in addition to those success stories, markets […]

By Jim Marston

Coal mining is tough and dangerous work. In the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter, country star Loretta Lynn’s husband Doolittle sums it up this way, “There ain't nothin' in Kentucky for me except a chest full of coal dust and being an old man before I'm forty.”

Nearly 40 years later, coal mining is still dangerous, and we know a lot more about its disastrous health effects. On top of these risks, workers have seen decades of job cuts as coal companies automate the mining process and coal-fired electricity is being squeezed by cleaner and cheaper energy sources like natural gas, wind and solar.

Rather than seek genuine solutions that would help current and former coal workers, President Trump campaigned on reviving coal jobs and seems hell-bent on propping up the uneconomic coal industry, no matter the cost. We – and President Trump – owe coal workers more than empty political promises. We owe them an opportunity to succeed in this shifting economy.

America’s declining coal workforce

Coal jobs have been declining for decades. Of the nearly 160 million people in the American labor force, around 51,000 people – roughly .003 percent – work in the coal industry. To put that number into perspective, Arby’s restaurants employ more than 30,000 more employees than the coal industry.

By comparison, solar and wind employ nine times more workers than coal. In fact, clean-energy workers, like solar-panel installers and wind-turbine technicians, are the only occupations expected to double by 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Coal workers deserve opportunity & support, not false promises about reviving their industry
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The low number of American coal workers is partially due to automation. Autonomous haul trucks and loaders can already produce 15-20 percent more coal output per dollar invested and reduces labor costs since fewer workers are required. No president can reverse this trend.

The industry is also declining due to old-fashioned market forces. Cheap natural gas, flattened energy demand, and falling renewable energy costs have all put pressure on coal. According to Michael Webber of the University of Texas Energy Institute, “Coal’s struggles are real and hard to mitigate. It’s difficult to conceive how these market trends could be reversed, no matter how Trump tries to protect coal from competition.”

Of course, explaining this trend is little comfort to coal workers, many of whom consider coal mining a family tradition and never considered working in another field. Now, their jobs are disappearing. In coal-heavy states like Kentucky and West Virginia, entire towns are getting pinched.

Promising programs

In some areas, like Kentucky and Wyoming, entrepreneurs and organizations are stepping up to help ease the pain. Energy industry workers, including miners, have valuable technical skills. These programs – among others – empower workers to explore new, safer careers:

Coal workers have been key to American prosperity, and our country should repay the debt.

• Kentucky start up BitSource is retraining coal miners to become code developers. Rusty Justice, one of the owners of BitSource, stated, “Really coal mines today are very sophisticated, and they use a lot of technology, a lot of robotics.” Justice realized an opportunity to transfer those skills to computers.
• Berkeley Energy Group, a Kentucky coal mining company, has partnered with EDF Renewable Energy (no relation to Environmental Defense Fund) to build a solar farm on an old coal mine. Displaced coal miners will work at the farm.
• Wind turbine manufacturer Goldwind Americas recently announced a free training program for out-of-work coal miners to become wind farm technicians in Wyoming.

The transition to new industries is never easy, and coal miners shouldn’t be left to fend for themselves. Coal workers have been key to American prosperity, and our country should repay the debt. We owe them opportunity, not empty promises no politician can keep. Investing in retraining coal communities will create new opportunities for miners and cleaner air for all Americans. It’s already happening in some coal communities. We say “more, please.”

Photo by lisfx, via iStock.

Coal mining is tough and dangerous work. In the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter, country star Loretta Lynn’s husband Doolittle sums it up this way, “There ain't nothin' in Kentucky for me except a chest full of coal dust and being an old man before I'm forty.” Nearly 40 years later, coal mining is still dangerous, […]

Coal mining is tough and dangerous work. In the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter, country star Loretta Lynn’s husband Doolittle sums it up this way, “There ain't nothin' in Kentucky for me except a chest full of coal dust and being an old man before I'm forty.” Nearly 40 years later, coal mining is still dangerous, […]

Coal mining is tough and dangerous work. In the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter, country star Loretta Lynn’s husband Doolittle sums it up this way, “There ain't nothin' in Kentucky for me except a chest full of coal dust and being an old man before I'm forty.” Nearly 40 years later, coal mining is still dangerous, […]

Coal mining is tough and dangerous work. In the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter, country star Loretta Lynn’s husband Doolittle sums it up this way, “There ain't nothin' in Kentucky for me except a chest full of coal dust and being an old man before I'm forty.” Nearly 40 years later, coal mining is still dangerous, […]