A new article in Nature, coauthored by the Nicholas Institute’s John Virdin, reveals how small-scale fisheries make large contributions to communities, economies and diets around the world. The work builds on research started through Illuminating Hidden Harvests, a global initiative of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Duke University and WorldFish.

Nicole Franz (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and John Virdin (Nicholas Institute) joined the Duke World Food Policy Center's Leading Voices in Food podcast to discuss the significant role small-scale fisheries play in food security, economic development and community livelihoods. The episode also highlights collaborative efforts between academia and international organizations like FAO, painting a comprehensive picture of the state and future of small-scale fisheries.

Billions of dollars have been earmarked for ocean conservation and climate action, according to a 2022 paper from the Asian Development Bank Institute. While firm estimates of global aid and public financing for ocean-related projects are scant, the amount of money may be “an order of magnitude” below what is needed to achieve ocean conservation targets, John Virdin, director of the Ocean Policy Program at the Nicholas Institute, told Dialogue Earth.

A coalition of experts has launched a free online training course to shed light on the impact of small-scale fisheries and help governments and nonprofit organizations collect crucial data, writes the Oak Foundation. The course is part of a wider effort to create guidelines for decision-makers on governing small-scale fisheries by a coalition, including Duke University.

A new e-learning course is supporting countries’ efforts to collect data on the impact of small-scale fisheries using an approach developed by experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Duke University and WorldFish.

Small-scale fisheries are “widely recognized as one of the most vulnerable food-production sectors in the face of climate change,” Tarub Bahri, fishery resources officer at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, told the Economist Impact blog. The Illuminating Hidden Harvests study estimates that 492 million people around the world depend at least partially on engagement with small-scale fisheries for their jobs and livelihoods.

An annual report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) highlights the organization's work with Duke University and WorldFish on the global Illuminating Hidden Harvests initiative. “Part of Duke’s mission is to provide knowledge in the service of society, and this partnership with FAO allows us to conduct actionable research that can help support the millions of livelihoods worldwide that are dependent upon small-scale fisheries," said John Virdin, director of the Ocean Policy Program at the Nicholas Institute.

Building on a global study released earlier this year, a new paper led by Duke University researchers provides global estimates of the number of livelihoods supported by small-scale fisheries, distinguishing between subsistence and commercial fishing. The paper, published in the journal Nature Food, uses measures of subsistence fishing to highlight the importance of small-scale fisheries as a safety net for local communities.

An article in National Fisherman highlighted top findings from Illuminating Hidden Harvests: The Contributions of Small-Scale Fisheries to Sustainable Development, a collaborative research effort led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Duke University and WorldFish.

Duke University scholars and students were among more than 800 experts who contributed to the global Illuminating Hidden Harvests study detailing the contributions of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development. The collaborative research effort was led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Duke, and WorldFish.