Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF)

Strengthening national fishers associations is one of the pillars of the EU-funded Global Toolkit for Participatory Fisheries Governance. These associations, including the Liberia Artisanal Fishermen Association and the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, play a critical role in supporting and protecting the rights of artisanal fishers. Through them, small-scale fishers and coastal communities have more of a say in how fisheries are governed at a national level, facilitating large-scale change. The toolkit works to advise these groups how to engage with national authorities and provides training on management processes, gender equality, sustainable income streams, and democratic governance. Working for more sustainable and just fisheries benefits us all. The crisis in many fisheries is a global problem, but one with local and national solutions. The EU-funded Global Toolkit is showing the way to a healthy future for the global ocean, fisheries, and food security for future generations. Watch the film: https://lnkd.in/ej8qvjcs Discover the toolkit: https://lnkd.in/eiQ2dSfC

We are #NowHiring in Dakar 🇸🇳 If you're an ambitious, talented Communications and Media Officer with fantastic copywriting and organisational skills, an eye for a good story and the confidence to secure media coverage, we want to hear from you! Nous recrutons à Dakar 🇸🇳 Vous êtes un chargé de communication/médias ambitieux et talentueux, doté de fantastiques compétences rédactionnelles, d'un sens de l'organisation et du storytelling pour assurer une bonne couverture médiatique ? On vous écoute : https://lnkd.in/ePkF_mGA

We welcome the European Commission's confirmation of its support of a moratorium on deep-sea mining. Responding to a letter sent by 16 NGOs warning of the Draghi report’s support of the industry, they have reaffirmed their stance that they will “advocate to prohibit deep-sea mining”. The response also noted that the Critical Raw Materials Act does not recognise deep-sea mining projects as strategic. Deep-sea mining is not needed for the green transition – we must invest in circular economy solutions and battery technologies instead. Many leaders are recognising the importance of defending the deep – 32 countries, including 11 EU Member States, are calling for a moratorium, precautionary pause, or ban on deep-sea mining. Read the full press comment: https://lnkd.in/eqYSbnKm

We welcome the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Liberia’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) and eight Collaborative Management Associations (CMAs). This is a major commitment to the CMAs, which were established by EJF through the European Union-funded Communities for Fisheries project. CMAs are community-based groups that contribute to the management of Liberia’s fisheries, providing a vital point of contact between fishing communities and decision-makers. Under this new agreement, 30% of revenue from artisanal fishers' registration fees will be allocated to funding eight CMAs. This will help ensure local communities have the tools they need to manage their fisheries. This agreement shows how governments & communities can collaborate to achieve sustainable goals. By giving communities a direct role in managing their resources, NaFAA and the European Union-funded Communities for Fisheries project are promoting more equitable fisheries governance, which will help build the sustainability of Liberia’s fisheries.

🐙 Happy World Octopus Day! 🐙 Many of these special animals live in the deep sea, where they have adapted to extreme and often harsh conditions. An example is the Dumbo octopus, which can live at depths of up to 7,000 metres. These species are extremely sensitive to changes in their habitat – changes that could be caused by deep-sea mining if we don’t act to stop it. The deep sea is still largely unexplored, and while there is much we don't know, scientists warn that the damage could be irreversible. We cannot afford to jeopardise this massive biome, or risk causing unknown species to go extinct before we have the chance to discover them. Some companies claim that deep-sea mining is necessary for the energy transition – this argument has long been refuted. Not only is demand for minerals from the deep highly uncertain, but investing in circular economy solutions and already evolving battery technology are far more sustainable options. The price of this dangerous industry is too high, and could be the loss of unique and intelligent creatures that we don't even fully understand yet. We must ensure that deep-sea mining never begins. Read our report, "Critical minerals and the green transition: Do we need to mine the deep seas": https://lnkd.in/gJhzgjNF

The development of fisheries co-management associations is one of the three pillars of our EU-funded Global Toolkit for Participatory Fisheries Governance. As part of the toolkit project, we are rolling out co-management associations (CMAs), which are community groups that manage fisheries in partnership with national governments. CMA activities involve the detection and prevention of IUU fishing, conflict resolution and management of protected areas. It can give fishing communities a voice by connecting local actors with those at the local, regional, national and international level to raise concerns about the various pressures placed on coastal livelihoods. So far, CMAs set up in Liberia have been able to reconcile conflicts between different communities fishing in similar areas – in one case, members have now committed to work together to manage their shared fishing grounds. John Adam, secretary of the Robertsport CMA, said, “My greatest achievement has been uniting communities that were in conflict for a long period of time. With the help of the CMA, we now have these two communities working as a single unit.” Over the next two years EJF will roll out the EU-funded Global Toolkit in 15 coastal nations in the Global South. Through the toolkit, together we can unlock equitable fisheries management that supports local communities, builds evidence against IUU fishing and encourages more sustainable practices that protect fish populations for generations to come. Watch our film: https://lnkd.in/e2kEhThk Discover the toolkit: https://lnkd.in/eJ75BsHg

Le manque de transparence dans l'industrie de la pêche a favorisé la pêche illégale, ce qui nuit gravement aux communautés côtières. Pour remédier à ces problèmes, le Sénégal et le Cameroun ont récemment fait des progrès vers une pêche plus durable en adoptant d'importantes mesures de transparence, telles que la publication des listes de licences des navires. Dans cette tribune publiée dans Jeune Afrique, Steve Trent encourage les deux pays à poursuivre ces progrès et à garantir une transparence globale et systémique dans le secteur de la pêche en inscrivant dans leur législation et en mettant en œuvre les principes de la Charte mondiale de la transparence 📰. https://lnkd.in/eRDeQNqt

Today is #WorldAnimalDay! We want to put a spotlight on some of the incredible animals of the Pantanal wetland – an area of incredible and unique biodiversity. The wetland supports 580 birds, 271 fish, 174 mammals and 57 amphibians. Many of these animals are rare and threatened species. Human activity has left the unique assembly of animals in the Pantanal at risk of extinction. The expansion of agriculture and cattle ranching has turned many of their once biodiverse habitats to monoculture, and the climate crisis has also greatly impacted the land, exacerbating drought and heat. Fires are another huge threat to the Pantanal’s animal residents. In 2020, catastrophic fires burned one-third of the biome, killing 17 million vertebrates in the process. During this year’s fires, another devastating situation is unfolding. As of September 15th, the Brazilian Ministry for the Environment reported that 619 animals have been rescued from the flames, but it is expected that a much higher number of animals will have perished. Each animal plays a role in the functioning of the vibrant tropical wetland ecosystem, and losing them threatens its stability. This impact extends to the people of the region, as this imbalance affects access to food, water and income. We need to end our constant consumption and quest for profit, because it is coming at the expense of important ecosystems and their guiltless animal inhabitants. Now is the time to mobilise global action, funding, and policy to protect wetlands. Learn more about some of the incredible animals pictured: ➡️ Capybaras are known to be the largest rodents on the planet. They are greatly distributed across the Pantanal and other biomes in Brazil. ➡️ Jaguars in the Pantanal exhibit behaviours unique to science, including more social behaviour and a fish-based diet. The Pantanal is also home to the world’s highest density of jaguars. ➡️ The giant otter is the largest otter species in the world, and is globally threatened. The Pantanal is one of its last places of refuge. ➡️ The toco toucan is the largest species of toucan. Besides being one of the most iconic birds for visitors, spotted flying or hopping around the treetops, they play a role in dispersing seeds. ➡️ Caimans were once hunted by humans to use their skin for leather, but since a ban on its trade, their population has increased, and around 10 million now live in the Pantanal. They are now mostly hunted by jaguars and anacondas. ➡️ Hyacinth macaws have lost much of their feeding and nesting areas to cattle ranching and other agricultural use. This risks pushing the species back onto the endangered animals list. #Animals #Conservation #Pantanal #Capybara #Jaguar #BlueMacaw #Toucan #Caiman #GiantOtter

🇸🇳 Parce qu’elle nuit directement aux communautés côtières dont elle compromet la sécurité alimentaire et les revenus, la pêche illégale s’apparente à un fléau que Dakar et Yaoundé tentent de combattre, chacun à sa manière. Une tribune de Steve Trent, PDG et fondateur de l’Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eMGMTYZx

Fires across the globe have been turning natural carbon sinks into sources of carbon emissions. Land clearance for agriculture and the impacts of the climate crisis are also weakening ecosystems’ ability to sequester carbon. Recent fires in the Pantanal wetland have turned this carbon-rich haven for wildlife into an emitter. Drought and high temperatures exacerbated the fires here and also in the Amazon. As a result, so far this year Brazil's emissions have been far above average. Over 2 million hectares have burned so far in the Pantanal, harming Indigenous and traditional communities and the health of the wetland. This isn’t the first year fires have made a catastrophic impact – the Pantanal’s 2020 fires released as much carbon as Belgium did in total that year. Wetlands like the Pantanal are crucial allies in the fight against the #ClimateCrisis, yet we are not doing enough to protect them. In the lead up to #COP30 in Brazil, we are calling for leaders from the EU to develop global partnerships to push for policy and mobilise funding for wetland restoration and protection. Read more about our vision for wetland funding: https://lnkd.in/ee2AQGBU 📷 Wildfires in Kadiweu territory, Brazil, September 2024. As of September 4, it was estimated that the Kadiwéu Indigenous Territory, the largest in the Pantanal has had 71.2% of their area swept by fire.