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Proponents of artificial reef (AR) deployment are often motivated by the usefulness of such structures. The usefulness of ARs is related to their capability of providing ecosystem services/additional functions. We present two distinct Portuguese AR case studies: (1) The Nazaré reef off the central coast of Portugal and (2) the Oura reef off the Algarve coast. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with local fishermen in the fishing towns of Nazaré and Quarteira pre-and post-AR deployment. The main focus of the interviews was to understand fishermen’s perception of AR usefulness (or lack thereof) in terms of nine ecosystem services/additional functions potentially provided by the ARs. We tested the null hypothesis that ARs do not provide additional ecosystem services/additional functions. When queried pre-AR deployment, fishermen indicated that ARs are most likely to provide three ecosystem services: “habitat and refuge,” “biodiversity preservation” and “food production.” Fishermen had similar perceptions post-deployment. For the Nazaré reef, fishermen tended to have a positive or neutral perception of ecosystem services/additional functions being provided by ARs. For the Oura reef, fishermen tended to have a mostly neutral perception of AR ecosystem services; however, there were also some positive and other negative perceptions. It was difficult for stakeholders to conceptualize some of the ecosystem services/additional functions provided by ARs prior to actively using them. As a result, some stakeholders changed their perception of the ecosystem services/additional functions after using the structures. These results indicate that stakeholders likely need to perceive ARs as useful in order for them to provide their support for AR installation. Likewise, their support is often needed to justify the use of public funds to install ARs, therefore making it imperative for resource managers to undertake similar interviews with fishermen when considering the use of ARs in other areas.

Protection and sound management of coastal and marine areas are acknowledged as important mechanisms for alleviating poverty in the developing tropics. Tanzania has had considerable practical experience with a diversity of models that rely on private sector partnerships, community co-management regimes, and government-led initiatives for marine protection. Blueprint 2050 outlines a vision of what a protected area system could look like in 50 years. It draws on state-of-the-art ecosystem, socioeconomic, ?nancial, and institutional background studies to paint a picture that emphasizes community-based adaptive co-management within a ?exible system of eight protected area networks, one of which is the Exclusive Economic Zone. “Blueprint 2050 is an impressive piece of professional work which addresses the plight of the many communities whose livelihoods depend on Tanzania’s marine resources. Environmental conservation, sustainability, ef?ciency, good governance, and a pro-poor policy stance come out as key issues in pursuit of Tanzania’s millennium development goals by these communities.”- Hon Raphael OS Mollel, Senior Permanent SecretaryVice President’s Office, United Republic of Tanzania “It is my sincere hope that Blueprint 2050 will serve the intended purpose of promoting the development of marine protected areas based on our current policies and legislation.”- Hon Madam Rahma M Mshangama, Principal Secretary Ministry of AgricultureNatural Resources, Environment and Co-operatives (MANREC), Zanzibar

Sustainable fishing is one of the most pressing challenges for mankind and requires insightful knowledge of the drivers that may foster or hinder predatory exploitation. It has been widely recognized that Indigenous and local knowledge can contribute to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of resources, such as fisheries, worldwide. Nevertheless such knowledge continues to be marginalized and unacknowledged by a range of academic scientists and policy makers. In the present paper, we tackle this issue by discussing laws regarding closed fishing seasons, which are part of the Brazilian environmental policies for protecting marine fauna, from the perspective of artisanal fishers’ knowledge. In Brazil, these laws are typically based on governmental decisions (i.e., by administrative organizations and researchers acting as consultants) without taking fishers’ knowledge into account. Through semi-structured interviews with traditional experts of fishing villages situated along the northeast coast of Brazil, we aimed to investigate their knowledge of fish reproductive periods and analyze how it is related to the closed seasons at work in their region. We found an exact agreement between fishers’ knowledge and closed season regulations on the reproductive period of the mangrove crab (Ucides cordatus), but a conflict regarding the reproductive period of two snook species and four species of shrimps. We highlight the potential of fishers’ knowledge contributions to environmental regulations and we also explore three challenges of incorporating epistemic diversity in environmental policy. We conclude by advocating for a reflexive transdisciplinarity that highlights the potential of Indigenous and local knowledge while critically reflecting on the methodological and political challenges of transdisciplinary practices.

Despite the critical importance of small-scale fisheries for food security and well-being and the role of fishers as stewards of aquatic ecosystems, their future is uncertain. Tackling narratives that portray small-scale fisheries as obsolete, disparate, and inefficient requires collectively imagining and articulating new, creative, and inspiring narratives that reflect their real contributions and enable transformative futures. Drawing on a transdisciplinary country-level case study, we analyze the process and outcomes of co-creating desirable, plural, and meaningful visions of the future for small-scale fisheries in Uruguay. Using an arts-based approach and leveraging the agency of emerging innovative initiatives throughout the country, different food system actors (fish workers, chefs, entrepreneurs) and knowledge systems (local, experience-based, and scientific) were engaged in a creative visioning process. The results of this arts-based co-creation process include (1) a series of desirable visions and narratives, synthesized into an artistic boundary object; and (2) the stepping stones to a transformative space for collective reflection, learning, and action. Although the artistic boundary object has proven instrumental among multiple and diverse participants, the transformative space encouraged academic and non-academic participants to plan collective actions and to feel more confident, motivated, and optimistic about the future of small-scale fisheries in Uruguay. With this paper we provide a tool, a platform, and a roadmap to counter the dominant bleak narrative, while also communicating the elements that constitute desirable futures for small-scale fisheries in Uruguay. On a broader scale, our contribution reinforces the emerging narrative of the key role that small-scale fisheries have, and will play, in local and global food systems.

African freshwater eels (Anguilla spp.) are an overlooked economic resource currently under threat. In South Africa, these populations have been in steady decline for over 60 years, yet we know remarkably little about their role in supporting local communities. Here, we seek to understand and explain the undocumented crisis facing these eels. Using a researcher-administered survey, our study investigated the importance of African freshwater eels linked to inland fisheries in KwaZulu-Natal Province across the uMngeni and uThukela catchments during 2021–2022. Survey results (n = 154) in urban and rural areas showed most users were male (n = 102; 66%), between 45 and 59 years of age (15%), and isiZulu-speaking (76%). Of the respondents, 75 (49%) were subsistence fishers; of these, 42 (56%) had caught freshwater eels, and 17 (41%) specifically targeted eels. African freshwater eels were utilized in fisheries across the study area. Fishers that targeted African freshwater eels depended on them for income because of the relatively high demand and value. The demand and value were from local and specialized markets, where some African freshwater eels were sold to traditional healers who use eels in medicinal products for various purposes, as well as to traders (local people, e.g., of Indian or European descent) and foreigners (e.g., East Asian). Our study documented the cultural and economic reliance of subsistence fishers on African freshwater eels. The social-ecological complexities and the localized decline of African freshwater eels have dire local and global implications for these species and associated fisheries. We establish the need for protecting African freshwater eels against the backdrop of global market demands. Proactive policy intervention is urgently needed to balance local subsistence with burgeoning international pressures.

The complementary nature of diverse knowledge systems is increasingly recognized as essential for addressing climate challenges in fisheries management. However, current theoretical frameworks often oversimplify knowledge production and integration as a linear tool, overlooking its complexity, interpretative nuances, and inherent uncertainties. This study evaluated and integrated scientific data, institutional expert knowledge, and fishermen’s local knowledge to examine the differences and synergies that emerged from employing these diverse knowledge forms to assess social and ecological vulnerability in fisheries under climate change impacts. China is the world’s largest fishing nation, with fisheries increasingly vulnerable to climate change. It also presents a unique context to examine how science and different forms of knowledge inform decision-making, given its distinct governance structure and data environment. Using a case study from China, we conducted desktop research, surveys of experts, and interviews with fishermen to compare assessment outcomes across approaches. Our findings demonstrate that data-driven and knowledge-driven approaches can yield different results in climate vulnerability assessments (CVAs). We identify four key factors that influence these discrepancies, including (1) varying levels of individual familiarity, expertise, and research efforts across species; (2) divergences in the use of assessment indicators and scoring criteria; (3) data and knowledge gaps related to species biological traits and fisheries socioeconomics; and (4) uncertainties stemming from data quality and knowledge confidence. These findings highlight the critical strengths and limitations of different knowledge forms in informing climate vulnerabilities and offer actionable strategies to enhance collaborative efforts and participatory CVAs to build climate-resilient fisheries.

The transformation of coral reefs has profound implications for millions of people. However, the interactive effects of changing reefs and fishing remain poorly resolved. We combine underwater surveys (271 000 fishes), catch data (18 000 fishes), and household surveys (351 households) to evaluate how reef fishes and fishers in Moorea, French Polynesia responded to a landscape-scale loss of coral caused by sequential disturbances (a crown-of-thorns sea star outbreak followed by a category 4 cyclone). Although local communities were aware of the disturbances, less than 20% of households reported altering what fishes they caught or ate. This contrasts with substantial changes in the taxonomic composition in the catch data that mirrored changes in fish communities observed on the reef. Our findings highlight that resource users and scientists may have very different interpretations of what constitutes ‘change’ in these highly dynamic social–ecological systems, with broad implications for successful co-management of coral reef fisheries.

Policies designed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted food systems worldwide. How impacts played out in local food systems, and how these affected the lived experiences of different people is only just coming to light. We conducted a structured analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 containment policies on the food systems of small-scale fishing communities in Kenya, Papua New Guinea, and Saint Lucia, based on interviews with men and women fishers, fish traders, and community leaders. Participants reported that containment policies lead indirectly to reduced volumes of food, lower dietary diversity, increased consumption of traditional foods, and reduced access to fish for food and income. Although the initiating policy and food and nutrition security outcomes often appeared similar, we found that the underlying pathways and feedbacks causing these impacts were different based on local context. Incorporating knowledge of how context-specific factors shape food system outcomes may be key to tailoring strategies to mitigate the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and designing timely, strategic interventions for future systemic shocks.

To create the science we need for the ocean we want in this United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and to support the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) value assessment, we systematically reviewed literature from the past 20 years (N = 375) that used conceptualizations of relational values in coastal and marine ecosystems of the Global South. We found four clusters of research highlighting specific characteristics. Cluster one (participatory and qualitative approaches) was defined by a focus on the relational value of cultural heritage and the production of qualitative social science data, often with a participatory approach. Cluster two (Indigenous and local ecological knowledges held by fishers and gatherers) linked to the explicit inclusion of Indigenous and local knowledges in research and to aspects of biodiversity and marine resources. Cluster three (ecological and environmental change) was determined by relational values of social relations and identity of residents and community members through the use of anthropological and ethnographic methods and linked to ecological and environmental change. Cluster four (recreation and quantitative data) was characterized by a variety of relational values, such as recreation and enjoyment, aesthetics and inspiration, or stewardship, and based on quantitative empirical social research methods mainly elicited from coastal users (such as tourists). We highlight (1) the most prevalent relational values; (2) the necessity to bridge dispersed research approaches; and (3) the possible negative impact of globalization, market pressure, and ecological degradation on relational values. Our lessons learnt are the challenge of conflating relational values with structures, institutions, or emotions; the necessity of accounting for dynamic influences on relational values; and finding ways to comparably quantify relational value categories. Our recommendations for future research are: (1) specificity regarding relational values and their object of value; (2) using transdisciplinary and participatory approaches; and (3) strengthening pro-environmental relational values for sustainability transformation.

Since its introduction in 2018, the term blue justice has gained considerable traction. However, significant gaps and inconsistencies in the emerging literature remain. To address these issues, we have developed a collective framework that aims to contribute to and expand transdisciplinary blue justice research. As part of this framework, a transformative and participatory research design has been co-produced and applied in the Gulf of Arauco in the center-south of Chile. The results of our research suggest that the integration of scientific and artistic methods stimulates social-ecologically engaged transdisciplinary research centered on the identification of (1) root causes of social-ecological injustices that coastal communities face on a daily basis; (2) resistances in the face of these injustices, including forms of collective action and specific vocabulary that gives voice to marginalized coastal peoples; (3) opportunities that help to envision alternative coastal futures and pathways for blue justice, such as memory, emotions, local knowledge, and the strengthening of social-ecological identities. By transcending disciplinary boundaries, we envision blue justice as providing a suitable analytical lens through which to trial, apply, and evolve much-needed transdisciplinary research theory and praxis in coastal areas, emphasizing fairness, inclusivity, and the right of small-scale fishers to progressively exercise sovereignty over their territory through inclusive coastal governance.