Oloko, A., Dahmouni, I., Le Billon, P., Teh, L., Cheung, W., Sánchez-Jiménez, A., Issifu, I., & Sumaila, U. R. (2025). Gender dynamics, climate change threats and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. Discover Sustainability, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01227-4
Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) are essential to global food systems, supporting over 100 million people and providing more than half of all fish consumed—especially in low-income, coastal regions. Yet these communities are increasingly vulnerable to climate change and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which threaten marine ecosystems and the socio-economic resilience of those who rely on them.
In a new paper published in Sustainability Science, led by Solving-FCB’s Dr. Ayodele Oloko and co-authored by Drs. Louise Teh, Astrid Sánchez-Jiménez, Ibrahim Issifu, project co-directors William Cheung and Rashid Sumaila, and Dr. Ilyass Dahmouni of UBC’s Fisheries Economics Research Unit, the authors present a framework for equitable, ocean-based climate solutions. The study underscores the need for strategies that are not only environmentally sound but also socially inclusive—particularly for women, who face disproportionate burdens within SSFs.
Women often occupy informal, undervalued roles such as processing and trade, with little legal protection or access to resources. As climate impacts intensify, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Pacific Islands, these inequalities worsen, leading to displacement, food insecurity, and, in some cases, exploitative survival practices like “fish-for-sex” transactions. Meanwhile, IUU fishing further depletes stocks, forcing communities into desperate choices and exposing both women and men to new risks.
The study calls for gender-responsive governance as a cornerstone of resilience. Key priorities include:
- Empowering women through equitable resource access and leadership roles
- Developing regional, gender-sensitive climate adaptation strategies
- Expanding data collection to capture gendered impacts
- Promoting community-led, inclusive decision-making
- Leveraging traditional knowledge and nature-based solutions
- Building partnerships to fund and implement inclusive policy
The authors argue that without addressing gendered vulnerability, climate solutions risk entrenching the very inequities they seek to resolve. By foregrounding women’s roles and rights, the path to sustainable, just ocean governance becomes clearer and stronger.
