Browsing by Author "Conte, Alen R."

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    Human Induced Degradation of Coastal Resources in Asia Pacific and Implications on Management and Food Security
    (2011) Macusi, Edison D.; Katikiro, Robert E.; Deepananda, Ashoka K.; Jimenez, Leah A.; Conte, Alen R.; Fadli, Nur
    Currently, 41% of the world's total population and about a third of urban megacities are found within the coastal zone. The coastal watersheds and nearshore marine areas are the most productive and dynamic regions in the world. This strategic location for food, trade, commerce and tourism boasts more than half of the total service value of the global environment production. However, the changing environment also sports this area to be most vulnerable to human impacts such as climate change, pollution, coastal development, urbanization, fragmentation and degradation. The impact of these threats could hamper the millennium development goals of most Asia Pacific countries, producing hunger and poverty. Though fisheries resources were once abundant, the unsustainable practices of unregulated fishing gears, mesh net sizes and increased number of motorized boats have all fished the seas resulting to decreased predators in the food chain. Fishing employs more than 6 million fishers in the Asia Pacific and a primary source of livelihood for a majority of the population living in the coasts. The fisheries sector also plays a critical role in the economic, social and cultural developments of these nations contributing significantly (~12%) to their animal protein intake and 20% to their national GDP through export earnings. The coastal resources of Asia Pacific have an estimated total value of US$ 357 billion dollars but their value are fast declining due to a combination of rapid population growth, urbanization, coastal developments, overfishing and destructive fishing methods. Such declines have increased poverty among coastal fishers who are directly affected by changes in demography and development in the coasts.