Work Package 3 - Trash Fish Ecologies

We consider trash fish ecologies as the bio-physicality of aquatic animal ecologies, combined with species composition of trash fish and the transformation of trash feed into fishmeal. The capture of trash fish is catastrophic for marine ecosystems: catching the juveniles of any aquatic species trapped in fine-mesh nets negatively affects the entire food chain -- the biodiversity, productivity and growth of marine species -- thus exacerbating the degradation of marine resources.

We include an explicit focus on the ecology and biophysical changes found in trash fish supply chains. Trash fish serves as an indicator of ocean health.  By tracing out trash fish supply chains we can begin to understand how trash fish are essential to the sustainability of commodity-based livelihoods (small scale fisheries, for example, but also it may be that for industrial fishing vessels targeting trash fish affords certain vessels the ability to also continue fishing high value species).