Transforming Tomorrow The Murky Waters of West African Fishing
Do you know your Omega 3 fatty acids from your Ultra Processed Foods? Your salmon from your sardinella? Dive in, as we look at the importance of seafood to the diets of millions of people – and how global industries and consumption patterns are taking it away from those who really need it.
Professor Christina Hicks, from Lancaster Environment Centre, is a leading expert on fisheries – particularly in Africa – and the broader food system, and she gives us an introduction to the global trade in nutrients. Her work in West Africa shows how fish provide otherwise unavailable nutrients in places where plants make up the bulk of the diet.
While in the UK seafood is recommended as part of a wider diet, in these countries it is a key source of micronutrients and protein for the population – especially those who are less well-off.
Find out the effects of fish farming and the fishmeal industry on ecosystems; the health, environmental, economic and social impacts of moving from local economies of fishers in canoes to bigger boats and factories owned by companies in countries thousands of miles away catching these fish; and the difficulties in policing fishing regulations designed to protect local waters.
We discover how large corporations build a presence on the Senegal coast – and how it is hard to uncover the ownership of vessels fishing in West African waters; the gender-related effects of machines replacing workers; why Jan is a big fan of haddock; and whether Christina will become a supervillain!
Plus, is there anything you can do as a consumer to help solve the problems?
See here for more details on Christina and her work: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lec/about-us/people/christina-hicks
Find out more about the People and the Ocean Knowledge and Action Hub of the Pentland Centre here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/pentland/activities/knowledge-and-action-hubs/people-and-the-ocean/