Feeding humanity in 2050—when the world’s population is expected to be between 9 and 10 billion—will require a 70 percent increase in global food production, and seafood is a protein source already in high demand.
A complex web of root causes, including economic incentives aligned with overexploitation rather than good stewardship, de facto open-access management frameworks, insufficient data and weak enforcement make optimal management of the world’s fisheries and aquaculture farms challenging. Today, 85 percent of the world’s fish stocks are fully exploited or in decline. Given current trends, most of the world food fisheries could collapse by 2050.
Now more than ever, maintaining the productive capacity and integrity of marine ecosystems requires that we catch and produce seafood without engendering severe ecological impacts. We believe we can safeguard marine ecosystems by working with grantees to reshape market demand and the decision-making systems that drive conservation solutions. Together, we can demonstrate the market value of improved fisheries and farm management, so that companies have the incentive to transition and help drive wide reform.
Please note that we do not accept unsolicited proposals. Because of our tightly-defined grantmaking strategies, many worthwhile projects fall outside the scope of our initiatives. However, if you have thoughts or inquiries related to our work that you would like to share, you may send us a brief, ~100-word email. Please understand that due to the volume of inquiries we receive, we are only able to commit to reviewing those inquiries that adhere to the ~100-word guideline.