The Role of Economics in Mitigating Unsustainability of Fisheries: Dealing with Ecosystems, Governance, And Environmental Fluctuations (Special Section Introduction‪)‬

The Fourth Biennial Conference of the North American Association of Fisheries Economics (NAAFE) was a forum for presenting papers dealing with the role of economics in mitigating unsustainability of fisheries and in contributing to responsible and sustainable development of aquaculture. Professional associations like NAAFE also contribute toward ensuring humanity's freedom from hunger, by advancing and communicating knowledge towards improving the efficiency of the production and distribution of fisheries and aquaculture products in a sustainable manner, and by raising the level of nutrition and standard of living in coastal communities. In the Bangkok, Mauritius, and Cambodia meetings organized by FAO in this decade, unsustainability of fisheries was attributed to seven main factors: (i) lack of solid governance structures; (ii) incomplete knowledge of marine ecosystems; (iii) fishery complexities, and the associated uncertainties; (iv) inadequate incentives and subsidies that stimulate overcapacity; (v) stock fluctuations due to natural causes; (vi) growing demand of limited fish resources; and (vii) poverty and lack of alternatives for coastal development (Swan and Greboval 2006; Caddy and Seijo 2005).