Distant water fleets (DWFs) operate thousands of miles from their home nations, frequently within other countries' territorial waters. These heavily-subsidized industrial vessels have emerged as a significant challenge to sustainable fisheries management, potentially decreasing fish availability for domestic fleets, reducing revenue to local economies, and diminishing opportunities for domestic fisheries to address local food security needs. With the world off track to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on food security and improved nutrition, and climate change threatening to exacerbate these challenges, understanding DWF impacts has become increasingly crucial.

Working in partnership with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), our research spans four key regions: Peru, Madagascar, Philippines, and the Federated States of Micronesia. Through collaboration with local experts, we're examining how DWF activities affect domestic food security and local fishing communities in these nations, with the ultimate goal of providing evidence-based policy recommendations to maximize local nutrition and economic benefits from fisheries resources.

Project Objectives:

• Assess the ecological and socioeconomic costs of DWF fishing activities in focal regions

• Analyze the relationship between DWF operations and domestic food security

• Evaluate the impact of DWFs on local fishing communities and economies

• Develop policy recommendations for balancing international fishing access with domestic food security needs

• Create frameworks for sustainably managing fish stocks targeted by both domestic and distant water fleets

Our research (manuscript currently under review) reveals that distant water fleets affect local food security through multiple interconnected pathways. These fleets can reduce fish availability for domestic markets through both direct competition and impacts on stock sustainability. The export of nutrient-rich seafood particularly impacts areas with high rates of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, while benefits from foreign fishing fees and employment opportunities often fail to reach the most food-insecure populations. We also find that access and distribution networks are frequently inadequate to get seafood to those most in need, and cultural preferences and food traditions significantly influence whether seafood enters local diets.

These findings point to several critical policy needs in the management of distant water fishing activities. Successful interventions will require more transparent negotiations around foreign fishing access agreements and development of robust local supply chains and cold storage infrastructure. Our research highlights the importance of including nutrition experts in fisheries management decisions and tracking nutrient flows alongside traditional catch volume metrics. Perhaps most importantly, we find that community input and engagement are essential for effective policy development and implementation.

This research contributes to broader conversations about sustainable fisheries and the importance of access to high-quality, nutritious food for coastal communities worldwide. As the world strives to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on food security and improved nutrition, understanding and addressing DWF impacts becomes increasingly crucial.