Border security is not typically recognized as being tied to environmental changes, but in this recent article by The New York Times, the links are clear. It details how declining fish catches in northwest Africa are fueling immigration to Europe.
My team at WRI, together with Dr. Bob Diaz at the Virginia Marine Institute, has identified and mapped 415 eutrophic and hypoxic coastal systems worldwide through an extensive literature review. Of these, 169 are documented hypoxic areas, 233 are areas of concern and 13 are systems in recovery.
Fisheries management often focuses on individual fish stocks. Yet, health of fish stocks depends on the health of the marine ecosystem. One important element in the health of the marine ecosystem is the number and variety of species in a given area.
