Q&A: To save fish, ban high seas fishing, UBC professor suggests
Credit to Author: Matt Robinson| Date: Mon, 06 Jan 2020 00:00:31 +0000
Rashid Sumaila has some groundbreaking and controversial ideas on how we can prevent overfishing of important fish stocks, shield vulnerable species and protect our oceans.
The tough part may be persuading key countries to change tack on their fishing practises for the common good.
But that’s not the job of Sumaila, a professor and director at the fisheries economics research unit at the University of B.C. His job is ideas, and for those he was recently named as a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, one of the country’s biggest honours.
Sumaila spoke with Postmedia about the winds that sailed him from West Africa to Scandinavia to UBC, and some of the work that led his peers to nominate him for the fellowship.
This interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
Q: You were recognized for your idea of closing the high seas to fishing and establishing them as a “fish bank for the world.” Can you explain the idea?
A: The high seas are beyond national jurisdiction. This is two-thirds of the global ocean area. It’s large. Most of the productivity of the ocean is actually within country waters, and about 90 per cent of our global catch comes within them. For me, as an economist, the first thing is that everything being equal, it’s going to be much more costly to catch fish in the high seas, just looking at the density of the fish alone. You have to travel far, you have to go deep. Our idea is to make the high seas a place where fish can get a break, grow and spill over.
Q: Sounds like a novel idea. Is it?
A: It was really novel. When I first dropped this, even within my group at UBC, people thought I was crazy. I gave a talk one time and one lady came up and said this is crazy. You’re crazy. But I like this kind of crazy.
Q: Who fishes in the high seas?
A: Technically it is owned by all citizens of the world, but the top five or 10 countries take 70 per cent of the landed value. You have countries like China, Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Japan — they fish a lot there and run off with the benefits. If you close the high seas, the fish will come in from them and small countries in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America will also be able to catch them.
Q: You were also recognized for work on intergenerational discount rates. Can you explain the general concept?
A: Imagine there are two generations. You and your grandchildren. You are standing here now and you are asking how should I take the fish? It seems to me that you who is here would like to have your fish now or as soon as possible, and the grandchild that will be born in 50 years time would probably say leave the fish until I come and then I can do it. If you’re doing proper economic accounting, you should take the interests of both generations into account.
Q: You don’t like fisheries subsidies. Why?
A: With subsidies, you have the government passing on taxpayer money to the fishing sector. But a lot of this goes to support overfishing. We’ve estimated $35 billion globally is given to the sector annually, and much of that is fuel subsidies. I’m not even saying take the money away, but don’t use public funds to undermine our ecosystems.
Q: What sparked your passion for the ocean?
A: I picked that up in Norway, where I did my masters and PhD. You know, you can’t get away from the ocean and from fish there.
Q: Norway is kind of the home of fish farming, correct?
A: Oh my God, yes. They’re overdoing it, I think. Oh my God, those guys.
Q: Was it that industry that got you interested?
A: No, I was looking at cod and capelin in the Barents Sea. Norway and Russia are the main countries that share these stocks. Even during the Cold War they decided to join forces and do the scientific work and actually share the sustainable yield. It’s one of the healthiest cod stocks we have, even today.
Q: Where did you do your first degree?
A: I was in Nigeria and studied quantity surveying — it’s essentially building technology. I started getting bored with all the drawings. I decided to move into a more society-focused profession and I chose economics.
Q: Do you have any advice as to what people can do in their own lives to help protect the fish stocks?
A: We make choices every day. You have to choose your fish carefully and know where it comes from and whether it is sustainable. There are mechanisms to help, like Ocean Wise. Another key thing is to go vote. The people we put forward are the people who make the big decisions.
Q: What would you like to see change in 10 years time?
A: If in 10 years most of the high seas are protected and better managed, I’ll be a happy person.