2019 Annual Report

Aquatic Foods for Healthy People and Planet

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Welcome Message

WorldFish had a remarkable year in 2019 developing and scaling scientific innovations that support the sustainable transformation of food systems with fish and other aquatic foods for the benefit of people and the planet.

In 2019, we reviewed our organizational strategy and began working on a refreshed 10-year version that aligns with the One CGIAR reforms and maturing of the 2030 SDGs. With support of the Board, we made a critical shift towards food systems research and innovative aquatic food solutions for healthier and sustainable diets.

Gareth Johnstone, Director General

Gareth Johnstone

We are dedicated to building a more holistic agricultural research agenda that pays greater attention to linkages between land and water food production systems. Aquatic foods must occupy a central place in our food futures and in the global agricultural research agenda alongside land-based crops and livestock.

Yvonne Pinto, Outgoing Board Chair

Yvonne Pinto

We are fortunate to have the support not only of our funders, but also of the many organizations we partner with. We cannot advance the agenda for aquatic foods on our own, because the holistic approach we call for requires a wide range of interests and expertise to work alongside one another.

Baba Yusuf Abubakar, Incoming Board Chair

Baba Yusuf Abubakar


2019 Highlights

For 45 years, WorldFish has been working to improve the livelihoods of some of the poorest and most marginalized people through fisheries and aquaculture. Increasingly, we have come to realize that fish alone is not enough. We need to think holistically about all aquatic foods and how they contribute to healthy, sustainable diets.
read more

Advancing food systems thinking
with aquatic foods

Aquatic foods are uniquely placed to meet the need for better nutrition sustainably while at the same time responding to and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

read more

Influencing the blue economy agenda

When it comes to global and regional discussions around the blue economy, the voices of those fishers, who provide a billion people a day with nutrition, are seldom heard. WorldFish believes that we have a moral obligation to raise the profile of small-scale fisheries.

read more

Growing recognition of fish for nutrition

Small fish could make a big contribution to vanquishing malnutrition around the world. Fish are rich in micronutrients essential to health and boost the nutritional value of foods they’re eaten with.

read more

Exploring partnerships and investments for future fish products

Our portfolio of partners has continued to grow, with 98 new partners added in 2019. The 248 partners we worked with in the year include private sector actors, national agricultural research systems, governments and non-governmental organizations and many others. And, of course, we work closely with all other CGIAR Research Centers.

Big splashes in 2019

194

publications
6 publications with Altmetric score > 100

63

peer reviewed articles
87% of articles are open access

50

of countries
with Illuminating Hidden Harvest studies

248

Active partnerships
98 new partnerships

61

active projects
as of end of 2019

34

new projects
in 2019

20.96

million US$ invested by
top 5 donors in 2019

26

policies
influenced and/or changed

45

research innovations
at various stages from research to scaling

30

studentships, of which
24 were PhD and masters and 6 internships

From Research to Impact

Fish and aquatic foods as the basis of better livelihoods

WorldFish has long seen fish and aquatic foods as offering people a route out of poverty. With around 800 million people dependent on fisheries and aquaculture primary sector and value chains for their livelihoods, improving the production and use of aquatic foods remains an important goal. Fish farming stands to make large gains from sustainable intensification and we are beginning to scale innovations that improve production and reduce waste. Capture fisheries too can be better managed for greater benefits. A key focus is to ensure that women and youth are empowered to improve their lives through the more effective use of aquatic resources

Sustainable expansion and management of aquaculture and fisheries in Egypt

Aquaculture in Egypt and the value of the fish produced have seen significant gains thanks to two projects funded by Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC).

Egypt

Better care of carp raises profits for Indian farmers

WorldFish is working with the Department of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development of the government of Odisha State in northeast India to improve aquaculture and production of carp.

India

Tackling hunger and malnutrition with aquatic foods

Fish and other aquatic foods are a valuable source of important nutrients. And yet, too often the people closest to those resources are the least likely to be able to make use of them. We want to turn this around, globally and locally, by providing the evidence on which to base nutrition-sensitive governance and policies. Around the world, fish caught offshore would vastly improve local nutrition if only a small fraction were diverted away from export. On a community scale, in Cambodia, our research shows how community management of nutritious aquatic foods disproportionately benefits the poorest people.

Aquatic foods in the nutrition and health debate

New research reveals that many of the world’s poorest people would see huge improvements to their health if only a small part of the fish caught in local waters were made available for local consumption.

Nigeria Ghana Malawi

More fish for nutrition in Cambodia

In 2019 WorldFish published a manual that documents good practices to provide evidence-based, step-by-step guidance for boosting rice field fisheries (RFF).

Cambodia

Policy approaches to enhance sustainability

The role of aquatic foods in providing better nutrition and opportunities for income generation is indisputable. However, there is a need to ensure that people have equitable access to aquatic resources and that these resources remain available in the long-term. National governments establish the policy framework for fish and agri-food systems. Through our work with local communities and high-level stakeholders, we aim to provide policymakers with evidence to inform their decisions. The goal is to offer a solid foundation for policies that are inclusive, equitable and sustainable—and to then help people make good use of those policies.

Governing Myanmar’s inland fisheries: Looking for the right balance

Myanmar is one of the top ten fish producers globally but has reached a fork in the road to greater development. At stake is the balance between private enterprises and local communities.

Myanmar

Timor-Leste round table influencing policy

About 40% of the people of Timor-Leste live below the poverty line and malnutrition is widespread. The government’s strategy calls to more than double the consumption of fish by 2030.

Timor-Leste

Informing action on climate change

Climate-smart agriculture works to adapt food production to climate change while at the same time making agriculture more resilient and mitigating its impact on climate. Aquaculture provides more than half of all fish consumed, and because catches from the wild have peaked, it will need to more than double by 2050 to meet the world’s needs. Fortunately, aquaculture currently contributes less than 5 percent of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and is also less susceptible to climate change. Our research helps to bring about sustainable, resilient increases in the food supply through climate-smart aquaculture.

New approaches for climate-smart aquaculture in Bangladesh

In an innovative approach in Bangladesh, WorldFish are working with women as co-researchers to craft more climate-smart approaches to aquaculture.

Bangladesh Indonesia

Overshooting our natural capital again in 2019

Food production is one of the biggest threats, and our focus on transforming the global food system is the most effective way to enhance human and planetary health in tandem.

Solomon Islands Timor-Leste

Essential transformations for gender equity

Looking at official reports and statistics, you might imagine that fisheries are an entirely masculine operation. And yet, we know that women play an absolutely vital role in the entire value chain. While we focus on better economic opportunities for women and youth, we also recognize that we must do more. Business as usual with minor changes to accommodate more women will not help. In fact, as our research shows, it may make matters worse. We need transformative approaches to gender, which is not an issue for women alone.

Gender transformative approaches: Strategies and emerging evidence

The biggest obstacle facing women is that too many efforts simply accommodate women without challenging or changing the societal norms that put them at a disadvantage in the first place.

Global

Planting the seeds of change to close the gender gap

Global conferences and discussion forums give us the chance to spread the word and influence different actors within the overall fisheries sector, an effort we continued to pursue in 2019.

Australia India

Giving sight to gender-blind training in the Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands

Building local capacity in line with national and regional development priorities

Building capacity is a key stage in the pathway from research to development and is important at all levels. WorldFish trains the women and men on the ground who are responsible for the productive small-scale fisheries on which many communities depend. We have worked with the organizations that represent small-scale fishers and fish workers and their communities to strengthen their voice in national, regional and global discussions. And our own strength in scientific research drives training for the next generation of leaders in agricultural research for development

MuSIC enhances communication

For too long, thinking about small-scale fisheries has been dominated by the idea that these communities are poor. We believe that the emphasis should shift, from their poverty to the vital contribution they make.

Malaysia Botswana

Global growth of tilapia best management practices

On the ground, WorldFish continues to train aquaculture entrepreneurs to make more of their businesses.

Benin Cameroon Nigeria Egypt Timor-Leste Zambia

Building vibrant sustainable aquaculture and fish value chains in Africa

Fish and other aquatic foods make a large contribution to Africa’s food and nutrition security. They contribute 19% of the animal protein, supply important micronutrients that are scarce in other foods, and support the livelihoods of the most marginalized sectors of society.

Modelling a better future for aquaculture and fish in Africa

The study, published in the journal Global Food Security, examines alternative scenarios using the IMPACT economic model developed by IFPRI.

Africa

Living Our Values

WorldFish is founded on the values of integrity and trust, fairness and equity, excellence and innovation, and teamwork and partnership. We aspire to be an organization that is built to learn and respond rapidly to change by optimizing the flow of information, encouraging experimentation and organizing as a network of staff and stakeholders motivated by a shared purpose. In 2019, we launched several initiatives that support our commitment to living our values across the organization.
integrity and Trust

Integrity and Trust

We are honest, open and accountable with the resources invested in us, and we deliver on our commitments.
Fairness and Equity

Fairness and Equity

We respect and celebrate diversity and actively challenge social and gender inequities that impede progress toward our goals.
Excellence and Innovation

Excellence and Innovation

We pursue high standards of scientific and professional rigor and embrace impartial evaluation, critical reflection, learning and adoption.
Teamwork and Partnership

Teamwork and Partnership

We seek to leverage our complementary strengths within teams and across institutional boundaries to achieve the greatest impacts.
Strengthening research quality

Showing leadership on ethics in the workplace

Enhancing gender, diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Improving project management quality

Nurturing a culture of learning, innovation and knowledge sharing

Fish for thought

No single-use plastics

Monitoring and evaluation

In 2019, WorldFish utilized the ‘learning organization’ approach to track and enhance its research quality. Several key moments of critical reflection were held with staff and partners around the world at all levels to assess progress on the four dimensions of quality outlined by CGIAR. We selected ‘scientific credibility’ as the focal area for 2019-20 and established pilot teams to develop and test institutional innovations in three areas: resourcing proposals for science effectively; right people, right roles; and, research protocol processes.
Following the implementation of the AntiHarassment, Bullying and Discrimination Policy in 2018, we initiated a series of training sessions in collaboration with the Internal Audit Function in 2019 on our Code of Conduct, Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption Policy, Fraud and Internal Controls and Whistleblowing Policy, to ensure that behavioral expectations were clearly expressed, with zero tolerance for infringements.
In 2019, we celebrated a historic achievement of an equally gender-balanced Executive Team, highlighting our continued focus on gender, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. There were also significant strides in the diversity of our research leadership composition, including 36 percent representation of women in science, 61 percent representation of women in management and 68 percent of managerial positions held by staff whose country of origin is not Europe, North America or Australia. WorldFish shared co-supervision of the CGIAR System’s Senior Adviser for Gender in the Workplace.
The creation of a Project Management Unit (PMU) in 2019 has led to improvements in capacity across the project life cycle and the use of digital tools and measurements to support active monitoring and engagement. The PMU assisted 16 global projects in 2019 and facilitated successful start-up of three projects. The PMU also assisted in pursuing nine funding opportunities over the course of the past year.
Significant efforts were made in 2019 to foster a culture of learning, sharing and internal communication. Through a series of 48 ‘Town Halls’, ‘Fish Talks’ and ‘Fish Learning Hours’, we facilitated conversations on strategic organizational matters and shared expertise on research disciplines, policies, tools and processes.
We revamped and rebranded our Fish for Thought events with more interactive formats to enable greater sharing of knowledge across scientific disciplines, projects, country offices and external research and development professionals, experts, strategic partners and investors. These varied events were used to enhance the quality, outreach and impact of our research work and position WorldFish as a leader in sustainable aquaculture and fisheries development.
We continue to maintain our commitment to no single-use plastics as part of the global effort to eliminate plastic pollution, particularly in marine environments. Our staff and guests are provided with reusable water bottles and encouraged to use tiffin carriers for takeaway lunches and we choose to work with service providers who share this commitment.
The appointment of a dedicated monitoring and evaluation leader and the adoption of the award-winning Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Platform (MEL) is facilitating our capacity to monitor progress toward outputs, outcomes and impacts, as well as improving our overall research management capacities. The platform became fully operational in 2019, with 453 active users. Across 21 training sessions, 121 people were trained to support organization-wide implementation.

Communicating science knowledge and evidence

A comprehensive communications and marketing strategy driven by a stronger focus on new and digital media is raising the profile of our research evidence.

1.55

billion
people reached through traditional media

434

million
people reached from top blog and op-eds

403

stories
about our work and WorldFish in international new

3.85

million
people reached on social media

259100

views
of our videos

272675

visitors
to the WorldFish website

86

events
being organized and participated

52%

increase in
social media followers

We believe that effective communication of our research and the scientific evidence we produce is critical for making a difference to the people whose livelihoods, in both the developing and developed world, depend on and are shaped by aquatic foods. Those who support our work understand through communication that our research is relevant because it helps shape solutions to many pressing development challenges. At the same time, effective communication enables others to translate our science into actions—from discourse and advocacy to practice and policy.

Read More

Selected Publications

The following is a selection of key publications from 2019. Find all our publications and research outputs online.
Harnessing global fisheries to tackle micronutrient deficiencies

Nature Publishing Group
A lack of understanding of the nutrient composition of most fish and how nutrient yields vary among fisheries has hindered the policy shifts that are needed to effectively harness the potential of fisheries for food and nutrition security. In this journal article, using the concentration of 7 nutrients in more than 350 species of marine fish, the authors estimate how environmental and ecological traits predict nutrient content of marine finfish species.

Hicks, C.C.||Cohen, P.J.||Graham, N.A.J.||Nash, K.L.||Allison, E.H.||D'Lima, C.||Mills, D.J.||Roscher, M.||Thilsted, S.H.||Thorne-Lymans, A.L.||MacNeil, M.A.
 DOI | DSpace
Escaping the perfect storm of simultaneous climate change impacts on agriculture and marine fisheries
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The authors evaluate the vulnerability of societies to the simultaneous impacts of climate change on agriculture and marine fisheries at a global scale. Under a “business-as-usual” emission scenario, ~90% of the world’s population—most of whom live in the most sensitive and least developed countries—are projected to be exposed to losses of food production in both sectors, while less than 3% would live in regions experiencing simultaneous productivity gains by 2100.

Thiault, L.||Mora, C.||Cinner, J.E.||Cheung, W.W.L.||Graham, N.A.J.||Januchowski-Hartley, F.A.||Mouillot, D.||Sumaila, U.R.||Claudet, J.
 DOI | DSpace
Mapping global human dependence on marine ecosystems
Wiley Open Access
Many human populations are dependent on marine ecosystems for a range of benefits, but we understand little about where and to what degree people rely on these ecosystem services. We created a new conceptual model to map the degree of human dependence on marine ecosystems...

Elizabeth R. Selig||David G. Hole||Edward H. Allison|| Katie K. Arkema||Madeleine C. McKinnon||Jingjie Chu|| Alex Sherbinin||Brendan Fisher||Louise Glew||Margaret B. Holland|| Jane Carter Ingram||Nalini S. Rao||Roly B. Russell ||Tanja Srebotnjak||Lydia C.L. The||Sebastian Troëng|| Will R. Turner||Alexander Zvolef
 DOI | DSpace
The black box of power in polycentric environmental governance
Elsevier
Failure to address unsustainable global change is often attributed to failures in conventional environmental governance. The authors draw together diverse social science perspectives and research into a variety of cases to show how different types of power shape rule setting, issue construction, and policy implementation in polycentric governance.

Morrison, T.H.||Adger, W.N.||Brown, K.||Lemos, M.C.||Huitema, D.||Phelps, J.||Evans, L.||Cohen, P.||Song, A.M.||Turner, R.||Quinn, T.||Hughes, T.P.
DOI | DSpace
Sixteen years of social and ecological dynamics reveal challenges and opportunities for adaptive management in sustaining the commons
United States National Academy of Sciences
The authors present a 16-year analysis of ecological outcomes and perceived livelihood impacts from adaptive coral reef management in Papua New Guinea. The adaptive management system studied was a customary rotational fisheries closure system (akin to fallow agriculture), which helped to increase the biomass of reef fish and make fish less wary (more catchable) relative to openly fished areas.

Cinner, J.E.||Lau, J.D.||Bauman, A.G.||Feary, D.A.||Januchowski-Hartley, F.A.||Rojas, C.A.||Barnes, M.L.||Bergseth, B.J.||Shum, E.||Lahari, R.||Ben, J.||Graham, N.A.J. DOI | DSpace
Securing a just space for small-scale fisheries in the blue economy
Frontiers in Marine Science
The vast development opportunities offered by the world’s coasts and oceans have attracted the attention of governments, private enterprises, philanthropic organizations and international conservation organizations

Cohen, P.J|Allison, E.H|Andrew, N.L|Cinner, J|Evan, L.S|Fabinyi, M|Garces, L.R|Hall, S.J|Hicks,C.C|Hughes, T.P|Jentoft, S|Mills, D.J|Masu, R|Mbaru, E.K|Ratner, B.D DOI | DSpace

Our Partners

Our Partners

Our work is rooted in multidisciplinary science and food systems thinking. It is guided by national priorities and the capacity development needed to improve agricultural research and extension systems. It is enhanced by our unique ability to convene and broker novel partnerships with development actors and the private sector as a mechanism to take innovations and have impact at scale.

Our Investors

Our research is designed to address specific challenges within the global 2030 sustainable development agenda and respond to the global call to action for a food systems transformation for healthier people and planet. Our work is funded by an extensive network of research partners, funders and investors committed to tackling these challenges. Thanks to their generous support, we are helping to eradicate poverty, hunger and malnutrition among the millions of people who depend on fish for food, nutrition and income in the developing world

Academic institutions

  • Chiang Mai University
  • Duke University
  • Lilongwe University of Agriculture & Natural Resources
  • Mississippi State University
  • Stockholm Resilience Centre
  • Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
  • The Governing Council of University of Toronto
  • University of Amsterdam
  • University of Exeter
  • University of Malawi
  • University of Stirling
  • University of Wollongong
  • Wageningen University & Research

Advanced research institutions

  • Economic and Social Research Council
  • International Institute for Environment and Development

Financing institutions

  • African Development Bank
  • Asian Development Bank
  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
  • European Commission
  • International Fund for Agricultural Development
  • Koepon Stichting
  • Livelihoods and Food Security Fund
  • Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies
  • National Philanthropic Trust
  • Walton Family Foundation
  • World Bank

Governments

  • Local Government Engineering Department, Bangladesh
  • Department for International Development, United Kingdom
  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH
  • Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department, Government of Odisha
  • Government of Norway
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway
  • Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Republic of South Africa

International agricultural research centers

  • Australian Center for International Agricultural Research
  • World Vegetable Center

International organizations

  • CGIAR Trust Fund
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • Japan International Cooperation Agency
  • New Zealand Aid
  • Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
  • Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
  • Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
  • United States Agency for International Development
  • Winrock International
  • World Food Programme

National agricultural research system

  • Indian Council of Agricultural Research
  • Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture

Non-governmental organizations

  • American Soybean Association
  • Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services Society
  • CARE Bangladesh
  • Global Environment Facility, UNEP
  • Istituto Oikos Onlus
  • Oak Foundation
  • Plan International UK
  • Save the Children
  • Synergos

Private sector

  • 3 Ideas Ltd
  • AquaBioTech Group
  • De Heus Animal Nutrition
  • Pelagic Data Systems
  • Skretting Egypt
  • U.S. Soybean Export Council

Financial Overview

Financial Overview

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION (USD ‘000)
As of 31 Dec 2018 As of 31 Dec 2019
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents 10,555 17,224
Account receivable 6,100 4,602
Other current assets 277 256
Capital assets 516 818
TOTAL ASSETS 17,448 22,900
LIABILITIES
Accounts payable 6,653 12,394
Accruals and provisions 1,480 1,507
Other current liabilities 57 219
Non-current liabilities 430 566
TOTAL LIABILITIES 8,620 14,686
NET ASSETS 8,828 8,214
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS 17,448 22,900
STATEMENT OF OPERATING ACTIVITIES (USD ‘000)
For the years ended December 31 2018 2019
REVENUE
Grants 29,070 32,652
Other income 469 416
TOTAL REVENUE 29,539 33,068
EXPENSES
Research 19,261 21,224
Administration, support and other 11,187 12,458
TOTAL EXPENSES 30,448 33,682
NET DEFICIT (909) (614)

WorldFish expenditure by region, 2019

WorldFish top 10 funders

Our People

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Baba Yusuf Abubakar, Board Chair, University of Abuja, Nigeria (elected June 2019)
Yvonne Pinto, Board Chair, Agricultural Learning and Impact Network (ALINe), United Kingdom (term ended June 2019)

Africa
Ayman Anwar Ammar, ex-officio member, Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research (CLAR), Egypt
Abdou Tenkouano, West and Central Africa Council for Agriculture Research and Development (CORAF), Senegal
Mona Mehrez Aly, Egyptian Poultry Farmers Association (joined November 2019)

Asia-Pacific
Anthony Haymet, Board Vice-Chair and Chair of the Governance Committee, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Australia
Yong Hee Kong, Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, ASEAN Advisory, Malaysia
Dato’ Haji Munir Haji Mohd Nawi, ex-officio member, Department of Fisheries, Malaysia

North America
Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio, Global Commission on Adaptation, United States

Europe
Gareth Johnstone, ex-officio member, WorldFish,United Kingdom
Zarinah Davies, Board Secretary, WorldFish, United Kingdom

EXECUTIVE TEAM

Gareth Johnstone, Director General
Michael Phillips, Director, Aquaculture and Fisheries Sciences
Tana Lala-Pritchard, Director, Communications and Marketing
David Shearer ,Director, International Partnerships and Program Delivery
Zarinah Davies, Director, Human Resources and Administration
Marion Barriskell, Director, Finance & IT

GLOBAL RESEARCH LEADERS

John Benzie, Program Leader, Sustainable Aquaculture
Philippa Cohen, Program Leader, Resilient Small-scale Fisheries
Shakuntala Thilsted, Program Leader, Value Chains and Nutrition
Cynthia McDougall, Gender Research Leader
Cristiano Rossignoli, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and Impact Assessment Research Leader

COUNTRY DIRECTORS

Africa
Harrison Charo Karisa, Country Director, Egypt and Nigeria
Sloans Chimatiro, Country Director, Zambia and Tanzania (term ended August 2019)
Victor Siamudaala, Country Director Zambia and Southern Africa (joined July 2019)
Asia
Malcolm Dickson, Country Director, Bangladesh (term ended June 2019)
Christopher Price, Country Director, Bangladesh (joined July 2019)
Yumiko Kura, Country Director, Cambodia (term ended November 2019)
Michael Akester, Country Director, Myanmar

Pacific
Delvene Boso, Country Director, Solomon Islands

Worldfish And The SDG

WorldFish and the SDG

WorldFish is part of the global effort to eradicate poverty, hunger and malnutrition and reverse environmental degradation, as well as many complex global challenges reflected in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ten of these SDGs are particularly pivotal to our work and mission. Hover over each SDG icon below to find out how we contribute to these goals.

Globally, approximately 800 million people depend on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods. WorldFish works to create opportunities in sustainable and productive fisheries and aquaculture to help lift out of poverty people who rely on fish for their income, livelihoods and well-being.

Fish offers untapped potential to meet increasing demand for safe, nutritious food by a growing population. By developing fisheries and aquaculture in an environmentally and socially responsible way, WorldFish seeks to improve the availability of and access to diverse, nutrient-rich diets incorporating fish.

Fish, particularly small fish, are rich in micronutrients like vitamin A, iron, calcium, zinc and essential fatty acids. WorldFish strives to make quality fish available and affordable to the poor in developing countries, particularly women and children in the first 1000 days. Our research informs strategies for combating under- and malnutrition and for preventing public health issues, such as stunting and other non-communicable diseases related to poor diets and nutritional deficiencies.

Rural women play a vital role in fisheries and aquaculture as fishers, farmers, processors and traders. However, they often have unequal access to the resources and services they need to be successful. WorldFish works to address gender inequalities and their underlying factors in order to improve the fish-based livelihoods of women, who in turn amplify the benefits of these livelihoods for their children, families and communities.

WorldFish research shows that adopting new technologies alone is not enough to improve productivity. Using natural resources efficiently, pursuing innovation and having access to knowledge, networks or credit to invest in business and other entrepreneurial activities, especially for poor women and youth, are also vital and central to our contribution to this SDG, particularly in Small Island Developing States.

WorldFish works closely with national actors to enhance local capacities for scientific research and technological innovation in fisheries and aquaculture. We also support the integration of small-scale fish producers and enterprises into national, regional and global value chains and markets.

In the face of a growing world population and the impacts of climate change, there is an increasing imperative to do more and better with less. WorldFish works to achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources and to reduce waste and loss along fish value chains.

Overfishing, ineffective management practices, industrial development, agricultural pollution and the impacts of climate change have reduced fish stocks. WorldFish conducts cutting-edge genetics research on improved and resilient fish species and promotes a sustainable approach to fisheries and aquaculture to ensure that enough nutritious fish are available for future generations.

Ensuring that all users benefit equitably from marine and aquatic resources requires new thinking, new information and greater collaboration between less traditional partners. Among the 15 members of the CGIAR, WorldFish is uniquely positioned to contribute to this SDG. We focus on generating evidence-based solutions that inform policies and practices relating to sustainable ocean governance and the development of an inclusive and people-centered blue economy, with special attention for the value and contribution of small-scale fisheries.

Many land-based activities, such as pollution, plastics, deforestation and livestock waste, are affecting, altering or destroying oceans, lakes and other inland aquatic ecosystems and habitats. Preserving life below water (SDG 14) also requires the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices on land. WorldFish research is informing interventions to reduce waste and loss in fish handling and processing, to conserve and restore degraded ecosystems in inland and coastal environments and to develop gender-responsive practices and technologies for innovative small-scale aquaculture systems with low environmental impact.

Where we work

Where we work

Scaling Country: Burundi, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Timor Leste, The Democratic Republic of Congo, The Republic of Benin, Uganda, Vietnam
Focal Country: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Egypt, Nigeria, Myanmar, Solomon Island, Tanzania, Zambia
Headquarters: Malaysia

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2018 Annual Report