Publications
Ocean Equity Research Publications
Fisheries Governance
The Fisheries Governance Program orients research towards supporting practical management and policy outcomes for fisheries on global, regional and national levels, engaging with coastal communities, government agencies, regional and international organisations, civil society organisations, academia and industry.
Policy pathways to reduce disproportionate burdens in tuna fisheries
In this paper, authors developed an innovative approach that would support members of tuna regional fisheries management organisations (tRMFOs) to reduce placing a disproportionate burden on developing state members.
Untangling Jurisdictional Complexities for Crew Labour Regulations on Fishing Vessels in the Western and Central Pacific
In this paper, authors analysed the conservation and management measures of RFMOs that include exemptions from catch, effort and capacity limits and found that they are used most commonly in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. They argue that the use of exemptions due to the failure of RFMOs to adopt equitable allocation frameworks has the potential to negatively impact marine resources and their development opportunities. Instead, alternatives, such as equitable allocations of science-based catch and effort limits, transferability and phased adjustments, should be developed.
Fishing through the cracks: The unregulated nature of global squid fisheries
The study, led by Katy Seto and published in Science Advances, found that squid fishing vessels fished largely (86%) in unregulated areas, equating to 4.4 million total hours of fishing time between 2017-2020. While unregulated fishing is not necessarily illegal, it presents challenges for fisheries sustainability and resource equity, and has been connected to questionable human rights and labor practices.
Increasing Industry Involvement in International Tuna Fishery Negotiations
Tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) have long suffered from the domination of distant water fishing nations (DWFNs) in decision-making processes. The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) is no exception. In recent years, coastal states of the Indian Ocean (IO) have tried to change this dynamic – led by countries like the Maldives, Kenya, South Africa, and Australia – to deliver greater benefits to the region, including East Africa.
ANCORS Ocean Nexus
The Australian National Center for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) Ocean Nexus program is an interdisciplinary research program that addresses key challenges to achieving equitable outcomes in transboundary ocean conservation, governance and development.
Policy pathways to reduce disproportionate burdens in tuna fisheries
In this paper, authors developed an innovative approach that would support members of tuna regional fisheries management organisations (tRMFOs) to reduce placing a disproportionate burden on developing state members.
Untangling Jurisdictional Complexities for Crew Labour Regulations on Fishing Vessels in the Western and Central Pacific
In this paper, authors analysed the conservation and management measures of RFMOs that include exemptions from catch, effort and capacity limits and found that they are used most commonly in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. They argue that the use of exemptions due to the failure of RFMOs to adopt equitable allocation frameworks has the potential to negatively impact marine resources and their development opportunities. Instead, alternatives, such as equitable allocations of science-based catch and effort limits, transferability and phased adjustments, should be developed.
Fishing through the cracks: The unregulated nature of global squid fisheries
The study, led by Katy Seto and published in Science Advances, found that squid fishing vessels fished largely (86%) in unregulated areas, equating to 4.4 million total hours of fishing time between 2017-2020. While unregulated fishing is not necessarily illegal, it presents challenges for fisheries sustainability and resource equity, and has been connected to questionable human rights and labor practices.
Increasing Industry Involvement in International Tuna Fishery Negotiations
Tuna regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) have long suffered from the domination of distant water fishing nations (DWFNs) in decision-making processes. The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) is no exception. In recent years, coastal states of the Indian Ocean (IO) have tried to change this dynamic – led by countries like the Maldives, Kenya, South Africa, and Australia – to deliver greater benefits to the region, including East Africa.
Seabed Mining
The Seabed Mining Program focuses on the regulatory and governance framework for an emerging ocean industry: mining the deep seabed for minerals, such as copper and manganese. This emerging industry raises several equity questions, including who stands to benefit, who would shoulder the environmental, social, cultural, and economic burdens, and who gets a say in the decision-making around seabed mining.
Deep Seabed Mining Lacks Social Legitimacy
The impacts of deep seabed mining on people have not been sufficiently researched or addressed. Using a legitimacy framework, authors discuss the social-equity dimensions of this emerging industry in the ocean commons.
Public Participation in the Governance of Deep-Seabed Mining in the Area
Deep-seabed mining in the Area is regulated by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) which is mandated to act on behalf of humankind as a whole. Consistent with international environmental law and human rights norms, in its decision making the ISA is expected to engage with its broad constituency. Using ten assessment criteria, this paper analyses the extent to which the ISA has facilitated public participation to date.
Thresholds in Deep-seabed Mining: A Primer for Their Development
The establishment of thresholds is integral to environmental management. This paper introduces the use of thresholds in the context of deep-seabed mining, a nascent industry for which an exploitation regime of regulations, standards and guidelines is still in the process of being developed, and for which the roles and values of thresholds have yet to be finalised.
Equity Dilemmas from Seabed Mining in the Pacific
What is currently hundreds of metres down below the ocean floor could soon be found in our electronics and on construction sites. The desire to explore the deep ocean for minerals, such as copper, cobalt, and manganese is not new, but only now are companies pushing for commercial-scale mining.