Winner of the 2017 Paul Sweezy Marxist Sociology Book Award from the American Sociological Association Although humans have long depended on oceans and aquatic ecosystems for sustenance and trade, only recently has human influence on these resources dramatically increased, transforming and undermining oceanic environments throughout the world. Marine ecosystems are in a crisis that is global in scope, rapid in pace, and colossal in scale. In The Tragedy of the Commodity, sociologists Stefano B. Longo, Rebecca Clausen, and Brett Clark explore the role human influence plays in this crisis, highlighting the social and economic forces that are at the heart of this looming ecological problem. In a critique of the classic theory “the tragedy of the commons� by ecologist Garrett Hardin, the authors move beyond simplistic explanations—such as unrestrained self-interest or population growth—to argue that it is the commodification of aquatic resources that leads to the depletion of fisheries and the development of environmentally suspect means of aquaculture. To illustrate this argument, the book features two fascinating case studies—the thousand-year history of the bluefin tuna fishery in the Mediterranean and the massive Pacific salmon fishery. Longo, Clausen, and Clark describe how new fishing technologies, transformations in ships and storage capacities, and the expansion of seafood markets combined to alter radically and permanently these crucial ecosystems. In doing so, the authors underscore how the particular organization of social production contributes to ecological degradation and an increase in the pressures placed upon the ocean. The authors highlight the historical, political, economic, and cultural forces that shape how we interact with the larger biophysical world. A path-breaking analysis of overfishing, The Tragedy of the Commodity yields insight into issues such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change. 

Climate change is expected to influence several productive sectors, the most significant of which is agriculture. Agriculture comprises an important sector of the global economy that includes crops, livestock, and seafood. Agriculture, aquaculture, and fisheries are closely linked to the climate, with changes in climatic conditions able to drastically affect animal and plant productivity, which in turn has a direct impact on human well-being. Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture and Aquaculture is a critical scholarly publication that provides an integrated assessment of climate change impacts on agriculture, aquaculture, and fisheries and explores a set of strategies to secure sustainable food security. While highlighting the associations between climate change, food security, and socio-economic development, the book establishes an inventory of good agricultural practices for the adaptation to climate change and presents solutions for making agricultural and food systems more sustainable. Featuring a wide range of topics such as carbon sequestration, ecosystem management, and desertification, this book is ideal for agriculturalists, environmentalists, fisheries, marine biologists, ichthyologists, government officials, academicians, policy makers, scientists, professionals, researchers, and students.

Published in Cooperation with THE UNITED STATES AQUACULTURE SOCIETY

The aquaculture industry continues to be one of the fastest growing sectors of animal production in the world. As aquaculture production continues to expand there is a continuous search for new species to culture to meet the demands of new national and international markets. Selecting species for aquaculture development often poses an enormous challenge for decision makers responsible for deciding which culture technologies to support with public resources.

"Species and System Selection for Sustainable Aquaculture" brings together contributions from international experts in socioeconomics who draw on their experiences to make suggestions for meeting the challenges of identifying potential species and production systems for sustainable aquaculture. The emphasis of this book is on the socioeconomic perspective and its contents are divided into three sections: Principles, Practices, and Species-Specific Public Policies for Sustainable Development. This volume is the outgrowth of a workshop held by the Oceanic Institute's Aquaculture Interchange Program with examples from around the globe.

"Species and System Selection for Sustainable Aquaculture" will be an important reference for all researchers, professionals, economists, and policy makers involved in selecting appropriate culture systems and species for the development of a sustainable aquaculture industry.

This book analyzes empirical data from three specific Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) designed to establish rules for the conservation and management of fish stocks in the ocean, in order to assess their effectiveness in converting science into policy for the recovery and maintenance of fishery populations. The three RFMOs discussed are the CCAMLR (Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources), the ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) and the CCSBT (Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna). The book seeks to understand when governments choose to listen to science, and establishes a framework to examine the institutional designs currently in place to accommodate RFMO policy suggestions and the conditions under which they are implemented successfully. The study will be of interest to academics and professionals broadly interested in global environmental governance and international relations, and will specifically appeal to policymakers, conservationists, and environmental researchers interested in fishery management and policy at the global and regional scale. Goncalves provides an accessible and comprehensive analysis of RMFOs. She offers valuable insights into the role of science and politics in shaping sustainable fisheries policies for the open oceans. ---Peter M Haas, Professor Department of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst As envisaged by the UN Decade of Ocean proclamation, this book is an important and sincere effort, hopefully to be accompanied by many others to come during this promising decade, that will help to build a common framework to ensure that ocean science can support countries and the international community in creating improved conditions for the sustainable development of our cherished Ocean. ---Fabio H. Hazin - Professor at Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Brazil