Population growth

• Average fish catches by traditional fishing communities along the west African coast have declined significantly over the past three decades.
• They have done this for generations, but since the 1990s, a decline in the catch has put their livelihoods at risk.
• In Ghana, total landings of small pelagic fish fell by 59% between 1993 and 2019, despite increased fishing efforts.
• The continuing decline in fish catches has serious implications for some of the poorest families in the region.

Climate

• Among the multiple threats from climate change, ocean warming is probably the least appreciated.
• This helps contain warming on land in the short run, but in the long run it brings a cascade of larger climate threats.
• The models are widely used to forecast range shifts of organisms due to climate change and predict the eventual ranges of invasive species, among others.
• It projected that climate change alone would reduce maximum catch potential in the Guinea Current System by 30% or more by 2050, even if the fisheries were well managed.

Chinese trawlers

• However, Chinese trawlers get around this barrier by using local companies as legal “fronts”.
• Chinese companies, thinly disguised as Ghanaian companies, currently own over 90% of Ghana’s licensed bottom trawlers.
• Chinese trawlers are occasionally fined for illegal practices in Ghana, but some fail to pay the fines and still do not lose their licence.

Too many canoes

• In west Africa there are now seven times as many canoes engaged in ocean fishing as there were in 1950.
• Today’s canoes have larger nets and bigger crews, and many have powerful outboard engines.
• Despite the recent fish catch decline, canoe numbers have continued to increase; in Ghana there were 8,000 canoes in 1990, but by 2017 there were 13,650.

New livelihoods

• This won’t be easy since roughly 40% of coastal fishermen in Ghana and Nigeria have no formal education.
• One policy measure to keep them in school would be to provide monthly cash transfers conditioned on school enrolment and attendance.
• For fishing communities threatened by falling fish stocks, this might be a path to future livelihood protection.

Robert Paarlberg receives research funding from the Salata Institute at Harvard University.

• The situation is becoming more urgent because of accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss.
• Now, the Canadian government has an opportunity to demonstrate how to successfully re-open a previously collapsed fishery and provide benefits now and for generations to come.
• The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans faces many fisheries management decisions in the coming months which could help set Canada’s fisheries on a path to recovery and abundance.
• By restoring Canada’s oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits, and protect our future.

• With the exception of handmade toys that are locally manufactured, the industry is dominated by imported plastic products, mainly from China.
• Declining disposable income is putting pressure on retail sales, although toy and game revenue continues to increase steadily.
• Although overall toy sales have declined, digital gaming growth remains strong.
• Changing consumer preferences and the rapid growth of digital gaming devices can limit demand for traditional toys.

• North American Oriented Strand Board (OSB) market report reveals an expected increase in market value to US$19.92 billion by 2029, fueled by a strong forecasted CAGR of approximately 6% from 2024 through 2029.
• Grade: Among various grades, OSB/3 is singled out for its rapid growth, arising from its enhanced strength for structural applications.
• The North American OSB market shows a high concentration with a handful of key players dominating nearly 80% of the market share.
• As the industry moves forward, this report serves as an essential resource for understanding the complex interplay of factors that shape the OSB market landscape.