Opportunities to better integrate inland fish and fisheries in multilateral environmental agreements
Inland fish and fisheries are vital to ecosystems and human well‑being, yet they remain largely absent from major multilateral environmental agreements. This perspective highlights how better integration into frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention, CMS, CITES and the World Heritage Convention could strengthen global biodiversity goals. Because inland fish are tightly linked to freshwater ecosystem health, addressing their needs can advance multiple international commitments simultaneously. Greater recognition within MEAs would promote more holistic planning, investment and conservation, ensuring protection of inland fish, the ecosystems they depend on and the essential resources they provide to people.
Subject Tags
- Biodiversity
- Fisheries
Abstract
Inland fish and fisheries are globally important to environmental function and human services, yet their persistent lack of recognition in global agreements, especially multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), may hinder progress towards biodiversity conservation and human well-being. The connection between inland fish, fisheries and their ecosystems means that addressing the needs of fish directly offers opportunities to meet multiple global commitments and provide indicators of progress towards many global goals. In this perspective, we highlight opportunities to better integrate inland fish and fisheries into MEAs, specifically the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Convention on Wetlands (commonly known as the Ramsar Convention), Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and World Heritage Convention (WHC). Greater attention on inland fish and fisheries through MEAs could help ensure more holistic planning, investment and conservation of these important fish and fisheries, their biodiversity, the essential resources they provision and the environments they inhabit.
Citation
Lynch, A. J., Bartley, D., Beard Jr, T. D., Borba, G., Cooke, S. J., Cowx, I. G., ... & VanWynen, C. M. (2025). Opportunities to better integrate inland fish and fisheries in multilateral environmental agreements. Environmental Science & Policy, 171, 104089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104089
TNC Authors
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Sui C. Phang
Freshwater Fisheries Deputy Director
The Nature Conservancy
Email: sui.phang@tnc.org -
Caitlin A. Doughty
Equitable Conservation Advisor
The Nature Conservancy
Email: caitlin.doughty@tnc.org