The Department of Aquatic Resources (SLU Aqua) collaborates with several organizations active in low- and middle income countries where there is a decrease of resources and where food security is threatened. The overall purpose is to increase capacity to strengthen an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management in seas, lakes and rivers and thereby contributing to our overall vision: Viable fish stocks in healthy waters.
The world's marine and freshwater fish resources and the exploitation of these resources (e.g. fisheries) face major challenges. Overfishing, habitat degradation, climate change and environmental impacts contribute to the depletion of resources and threaten food security in many countries, especially countries that rely on inland and marine fisheries for a large part of their animal protein and micronutrient intake. Many of these countries are low- and middle-income countries.
International development cooperation in support of Agenda 2030
The Department of Aquatic Resources (SLU Aqua) works in accordance with
- the SLU strategy Science for Global Development (SDGs) - SLU's contribution to poverty reduction (2010)
- the Policy for SLU's Contribution to the Global Implementation of Agenda 2030 (2019).
The policy specifically identifies the areas of aquatic resources and management systems and food security and it highlights that SLU's environmental analysis expertise is relevant for capacity development in the implementation of the policy.
Collaboration in low- and middle-income countries
The Department of Aquatic Resources (SLU Aqua) contributes to the SLU strategy and policy by collaborating with a variety of organizations active in low- and middle-income countries, i.e. FAO, UNDP, WorldFish, IOTC, WCPFC, SWIOFC, ICCAT and national universities. Through these collaborations SLU Aqua contributes mainly to the achievement of SDGs 14 and 15 but also SDGs: 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 12, and 13. The overall purpose of all collaborations is to increase capacity to strengthen an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management in seas, lakes and rivers in low-income countries and thereby contributing to our overall vision: Viable fish stocks in healthy waters.