Struggling fishing communities Brazil may have found a way to turn their economic troubles around. A university there has set up a fishermen's cooperative to introduce oyster farming in the area and boost economic development. The advantages of oyster farming go beyond economics — the industry can increase biodiversity and water-filtration services.

The International Herald Tribune reports today on a grim occurrence in Jamaica that is becoming more common for the world's rivers. The giant shrimp famous in Jamaica are disappearing as people have started dumping poison in the Rio Grande to catch larger quantities. Once the shrimp contact the poison they quickly float to the top, and the fisherman only needs to catch the shrimp before they are washed downstream. The poisoned shrimp are then brought to market and consumed by the community, causing health problems ranging from diarrhea to severe stomach aches and vomiting. Deeply traditional area residents have started to rise up to protect their river and the cultural importance of the shrimp. Those caught poisoning the river are punished but many fishermen will go on to offend again because the economic return for their effort is so high.

Photo: taminsea (flickr)

This week's New York Times article Europe Takes Africa's Fish and Migrants Follow raises a perplexing problem:

A vast flotilla of industrial trawlers from the European Union, China, Russia and elsewhere, together with an abundance of local boats, have so thoroughly scoured northwest Africa’s ocean floor that major fish populations are collapsing.

That has crippled coastal economies and added to the surge of illegal migrants who brave the high seas in wooden pirogues hoping to reach Europe. While reasons for immigration are as varied as fish species, Europe’s lure has clearly intensified as northwest Africa’s fish population has dwindled.

Last year roughly 31,000 Africans tried to reach the Canary Islands, a prime transit point to Europe, in more than 900 boats. About 6,000 died or disappeared, according to one estimate cited by the United Nations.

The question then arises: who bears the brunt of responsibility for these dwindling fish populations and the subsequent affect on local fishers? The foreign boats which deplete the waters and the foreign consumers which demand them to do so? The local governments, who strapped for cash, make decisions to sell resources needed by their people to fill the government coffers and/or fund state programs?