Studies Reveal Threats to Fisheries and Food Security in Timor-Leste and Solomon Islands

Two studies conducted by the US CTI Support Program through the Coral Triangle Support Partnership, in collaboration with the WorldFish Center, highlight the need for extensive planning as a critical step toward ensuring long-term food security and sustainable livelihoods for the people of Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands.

The study Mapping Fisheries Dependence and Aquaculture Development in Timor-Leste suggests aquaculture as a potential alternative livelihood for coastal communities in Timor-Leste, for whom climate change now presents significant threats. The report Planning the Use of Fish for Food Security in Solomon Islands explores the long-term impacts of unsustainable fisheries in the Solomon Islands, identifies various threats to food security, and recommends that the government invest in fisheries productivity, aquaculture enterprises, and alternative livelihood generation to address these challenges.

Both studies make a valuable contribution to the Coral Triangle Initiative by shedding light on country-specific sustainability issues which, if unaddressed, could impact biodiversity and communities across the entire Coral Triangle region. The findings will also inform the implementation of the two countries’ commitments to the CTI-CFF Regional Plan of Action and their respective National Plans of Action.

Download the Timor-Leste study from the resources section here and the Solomon Islands study here.

Source: US CTI Support Program Monthly Update, November 2011