Sebastian Villasante

• PhD Economics University Santiago de Compostela (USC)
• Professor I Researcher at Xunta de Galicia

Citation: The Ocean Defenders Project (2025). Ocean Defenders: Protectors of our ocean environment and human rights. The Peopled Seas Initiative, Vancouver, Canada|| The rapid expansion of the ocean economy—including industries like oil and gas, renewable energy, fishing, aquaculture, tourism, and shipping—is placing immense pressure on marine env...

Este documento reúne los principales hallazgos de una revisión sistemática de fuentes científicas, literatura gris y material histórico sobre el conocimiento ecológico tradicional (CET) ligado a los sistemas agroecológicos y pesqueros. Responde al objetivo de documentar y caracterizar el CET asociado a estos sistemas, así como sus mecanismos de det...

Economic sectors that drive nature decline are heavily subsidized and produce large environmental externalities, for which calls are increasing to reform or eliminate subsidies and internalize the environmental costs of these sectors. We compile data on subsidies and externalities across six key sectors linked to biodiversity loss— agriculture, fos...

Small-scale fisheries account for 40% of the world's capture fisheries and employ approximately 90% of the people in the fishing sector. The effects of noise exposure on occupational health have been studied extensively. Studies have been conducted in fisheries in various parts of the world showing hazardous noise levels in different fishing vessel...

Inequity is ubiquitous in the ocean, and social equity receives insufficient attention in ocean governance and management efforts. Thus, we assert that proponents of sustainability must center social equity in future ocean governance, to address past social and environmental injustices, to align with international law and conservation policy, and t...

While productivity is an important measure of economic performance by commercial fisheries, the productivity of small-scale fisheries has largely been unexplored. To address this research gap, we quantify the productivity and performance of shellfish production for on-foot shellfishing and shellfish farms in Galicia (NW Spain) – as two similar econ...

In Cabo Verde fishing is a vital sector with significant socioeconomic contributions to food security, poverty reduction, job creation, and balance of the seafood trade. However, anthropogenic drivers such as overfishing, climate change, insufficient infrastructure and poor management systems can undermine the long-term viability of the fisheries s...

Coastal wetlands are vital habitats for human well-being because their ecosystem services are affected by multiple factors. In the quest to reduce the vulnerability of these valuable ecosystems for human beings, education is fundamental to facilitate analysis and answer questions. This paper presents an educational experience of the economic evalua...

This deliverable contains a comprehensive evaluation of selected ecosystem services provided by ocean ecosystems under critical pressures based on research conducted in Task 3.2 Socio-cultural and economic valuation of ecosystem services. CMCC evaluated provisioning and other services linked to fishery, aquaculture, tourism and bio-prospecting acti...

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) aim to preserve marine natural capital and reduce marine biodiversity loss. However, due to the diversity of objectives in marine planning, their management involves the resolution of conflicts on current uses and ecosystem services. Participatory mapping is a useful technique in MPA's management that uses local knowle...

Distant-water fishing (DWF) refers to fishing operations conducted by companies in waters beyond their national exclusive economic zones (EEZs), often targeting the EEZs of other coastal states or international waters. Research on DWF typically emphasizes the flag states of vessels, rather than the nationalities of the corporations that own them, d...

Marine and coastal ecosystems are indispensable for life on Earth, providing vital functions and serving as a significant source of prosperity for humanity. These ecosystems contribute to the generation of Marine Ecosystem Services (MES), encompassing the benefits derived from marine environments, which are pivotal for economic prosperity and socie...

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely promoted as effective tools for conserving biodiversity and safeguarding ecosystem services. However, MPA success can be hindered by a lack of legitimacy and low social support because of perceived negative effects on ecosystem services and human well-being. Despite these social challenges, the social dimens...

Structural funds for fisheries have a long history in the European Union, but the use of public funds for the sustainable development of fisheries‐dependent areas is a relatively recent practice. This approach is based on the concept of sustainable fisheries management and focuses on increasing the importance of the involvement of local communities...

The Working Group on Economics (WGECON) was established to address the challenge of bringing fisheries economics into ICES science and advice, with the growing recognition that this can facilitate the understanding of marine ecosystem uses, their drivers and responses to changes, and assessment and communication of trade-offs that include economic,...

This paper aims to develop an assessment of the COVID-19 impact on key sectors (small-scale and large fisheries) in Spain, one of the most important maritime regions in the world. We synthesize multiple data sources from across the seafood supply chain to show the relative seafood sector responses and variables of recovery during the pre-COVID-19 p...

Los túnidos son un grupo de especies de peces marinos pelágicos cuya explotación pesquera se ha incrementado durante las últimas décadas, llegando en algunos casos incluso a puntos críticos de sobreexplotación. Siete de las especies de este grupo se encuentran entre las más pescadas y con mayor importancia económica en el sector pesquero a nivel mu...

El cultivo de mejillón se considera una actividad sostenible, ya que además de proporcionar nutrientes esenciales y saludables para los humanos, como vitaminas, minerales y proteínas, contribuye positivamente al entorno marino y a las comunidades costeras. Este informe analiza la cadena de producción y transformación del mejillón en España, conside...

The Workshop on Bay of Biscay and Iberian Coast Aquaculture Overview (WKBoBICAO) was established to assemble and synthesize aquaculture related data and information and to inform the aquaculture overview for this ecoregion

This study underscores the crucial role of small-scale fisheries (SSF) in promoting sustainable fishing practices within the Mediterranean context, emphasizing the necessity to align fisheries commerce with local seafood consumption. SSF in the Mediterranean, particularly in the Balearic Islands, are vital for local communities, contributing signif...

Radical and quick transformations towards sustainability will be fundamental to achieving a more sustainable future. However, deliberate interventions to reconfigure systems will result in winners and losers, with the potential for greater or lesser equity and justice outcomes. Positive tipping points (PTPs) have been proposed as interventions in c...

Scallop (Argopecten purpuratus), known as Ostión del Norte (Chile), Concha de Abanico (Peru), Vieira (Spain), and Volandeira (Brazil) is marketed in Europe as Noix de Saint-Jacques (France), Vieira del Pacífico (Spain) and Capessanta del Pacífico (Italy). Scallop production is the third largest aquaculture industry in Chile, with annual landings of...

The Bay of Biscay anchovy fishery system has undergone important transformations following a closure from 2005 to 2010. Through a multidisciplinary and systemic approach, combining analyses of fisheries and market data with interviews with key stakeholders, we analyze adaptive responses of the main system components in France and Spain, considering...

Saltmarshes play a crucial role in carbon sequestration and storage, although they are increasingly threatened by climate change-induced sea level rise (SLR). This study assessed the potential variation in Blue Carbon stocks across regional and local scales, and estimated their economic value and potential habitat loss due to SLR based on the IPCC...

The Blue Economy is raising optimism worldwide but the human expansion into, and the overcrowding of, the oceans threaten the life that sustains it. Here, we provide recommendations on how to sustain ocean life in the face of such Blue Economy growth.

This study presents the current state of play of the mutual recognition of certificates of competency of EU fishers and the functioning of the social security schemes that cover them. Based on the analysis of these topics, the study discusses the impact of the current situation on the mobility of fishers, on the fishing sector's working risks and s...

Ocean sustainability initiatives – in research, policy, management and development – will be more effective in delivering comprehensive benefits when they proactively engage with, invest in and use social knowledge. We synthesize five intervention areas for social engagement and collaboration with marine social scientists, and in doing so we appeal...

Saltmarshes play a central role in addressing climate change by serving as vital carbon sequestration and storage zones. However, they are increasingly threatened by climate-induced sea level rise (SLR). Our study focused on three estuarine saltmarshes in northern Portugal, employing field sampling, remote sensing, and modeling approaches to assess...

The concept of ecosystem services has become increasingly important in understanding the interactions between humans and nature and the associated implications in terms of human well-being. Despite growing interest in ecosystem services research, knowledge of their ecological underpinnings and their integration with socioeconomic and management com...

Recreational spearfishing is a fishing method that occurs globally, yet receives considerably less attention in the scientific literature relative to other recreational fishing methods, such as angling. Lack of scientific information on spearfishing may negatively affect the development and management of marine recreational fisheries. We conducted...

TIDES – Transformative Initiatives Driving Equity and Sustainability – are initiatives that are created by, and further motivated, individuals, communities, or societies to take collective action in favour of our oceans and marine resources and for the people to rely on them – now and in the future. TIDES can be projects, associations, networks, o...

Although the Paris Agreement establishes targets to limit global warming -including carbon market mechanisms-, little research has been done on developing operational tools to achieve them. To cover this gap, we use CO2 permit markets towards a market-based solutions (MBS) scheme to implement blue carbon climate targets for global fisheries. The sc...

One of the most relevant information gaps in worldwide fisheries is related to the origin and consequences of the gender gap. Recreational fisheries show a remarkable gender gap, which has been especially poorly addressed in the scientific literature. In 2021, the Spanish Working Group on Marine Recreational Fishing (MRF) developed a broad diagnosi...

Biophysical tipping points pose existential threats to current and future generations, both human and non-human, with those currently underserved being the most vulnerable. Social tipping points, as deliberate interventions into systems with the expectation of non-linear impacts and widespread change, have the potential to address some of these cha...

Radical and quick transformations towards sustainability have winners and losers, with equity and justice embedded to a greater or a lesser extent. According to research, only the wealthiest 1–4 % of the global population will radically need to change their consumption, behaviours, societal values and beliefs in order to make space for an equitable...

The expansion of neoliberalization of fisheries in developing countries has been largely driven by political economic decisions. Artisanal fisheries and aquaculture have not been exempt from these privatization measures, the implementation of deregulation measures in the fisheries sector, and commoditization strategies oriented mainly to exports. H...

Coastal ecosystem services (ES) can be significantly altered by marine litter, because of its multiple economic and social impacts at different scales. However, current scientific evidence of the perceived impacts of marine litter in the different ES is still scarce in Galicia (Spain). The aim of this study was to evaluate the main perceived effect...

Seagrass meadows deliver key ecosystem services in coastal environments worldwide, by hosting early and adult life stages of many fish stocks, improving water quality, capturing carbon dioxide (mitigating the effects of global warming), protecting against adverse events and providing leisure opportunities. Shellfishing is often carried out in seag...

Machine learning covers a large set of algorithms that can be trained to identify patterns in data. Thanks to increases in the amounts of data and computing power available, it has become pervasive across scientific disciplines. We first highlight why machine learning is needed in marine ecology. Then we provide a quick primer on machine learning t...

The Working Group on Social and Economic Dimensions of Aquaculture (WGSEDA) addresses how to balance the negative and positive social and economic consequences of aquaculture development. A particular focus is placed on developing methods and indicators to assess the social and economic trade-offs of aquaculture. In this report, WGSEDA summarizes t...

The need to better understand the trade-offs between food production, trade and consumption; social and environmental impacts and health requirements remains a critical challenge. Additionally, there is an urgency to transform the food system to reach the dietary patterns required to address the current diet-environment-health trilemma. Transformat...

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are key management tools that contribute to the conservation of worldwide marine ecosystems, increasing nature's contributions to people derived from ecosystem services. These ecosystem services include key processes such as the release of oxygen, but also leisure opportunities, cultural inspiration, and food and medic...

Anthropogenic pressures put at jeopardy ecosystem services (ES) provided by natural habitats. Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) approaches can support policymakers dealing with physical, chemical, and biological stresses caused by high-risk water pollution (HRWP) and sudden-accidental pollution (SAP). The objective of this study is to evaluate how a...

Protected areas (PAs) are the foremost policy tool for biodiversity conservation internationally. In order for PAs to deliver desired conservation outcomes effectively, equitably, and for the long-term, they require a high level of support from local communities. A mosaic of factors have been proposed aiming to explain the level of support for PAs...

Harmful fisheries subsidies contribute to overfishing leading to environmental and societal impacts. If only fisheries and ecosystems within the subsidising nations' jurisdiction were affected, then unilateral actions might be sufficient to help safeguard our ocean and the people reliant upon it. However, just as fish move between jurisdictions, so...

The United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science highlights a need to improve the way in which scientific results effectively inform action and policies regarding the ocean. Our research contributes to achieving this goal by identifying practical actions, barriers, stakeholder contributions and resources required to increase the sustainability of ac...

The COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent public health interventions have depressed demand and disrupted supply chains for many fishing businesses. This paper provides an analysis of the COVID-19 impacts on the profitability of the EU fishing fleets. Nowcasting techniques were used to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economic perform...

Achieving food security and biodiversity conservation presents interconnected challenges. Aquatic food systems are important contributors to global food security to satisfy an intensifying demand for protein-based diets, but global economic growth threatens marine systems. Cephalopod (octopus, squid, cuttlefish) fisheries can contribute to food sec...

While the science supporting fisheries management has generally been dominated by the natural sciences, there has been a growing recognition that managing fisheries essentially means managing economic systems. Indeed, over the past seven decades, economic ideas and insights have increasingly come to play a role in fisheries management and policy. A...

La dieta mediterránea es reconocida internacionalmente por mejorar la salud de la población con productos locales, tradicionales, de temporada y principalmente de origen vegetal, como frutas, verduras, legumbres, cereales y aceite de oliva. Esta dieta se ha asociado a menor riesgo de desarrollar enfermedad cardiovascular y factores de riesgo cardi...

WGCEPH worked on six Terms of Reference. These involved reporting on the status of stocks; reviewing advances in stock identification, assessment for fisheries management and for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), including some exploratory stock assessments; reviewing impacts of human activities on cephalopods; developing identificati...

Biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history, undermining ecosystem functioning and negatively impacting people’s quality of life. The social-ecological vulnerability framework emerged as a promising tool for identifying those highly vulnerable areas where management interventions need to be prioritized to avoid biodiversity a...

Human population (often treated as overpopulation) has long been blamed as the main cause of biodiversity loss. Whilst this simplistic explanation may seem convenient, understanding the accuracy of the statement is crucial to develop effective priorities and targets to manage and reverse ongoing biodiversity loss. If untrue, the assertion may under...

Despite its relevance, the economic contribution of small-scale fisheries to poverty alleviation is still poorly understood. This study investigates why some fishers perform economically better in fisheries than others under similar conditions and whether these variations in performance were due to individual adaptive strategies related to fishing...

Revista Galega de Ecoloxía e Medio Ambiente. Resumeo. Son efectivos os espazos protexidos para a conser-vación da biodiversidade e o benestar humano? desenvolvemento sustentábel Vista das Illas Cíes. Os océanos son unha peza esencial nos sistemas que, desde millóns de anos atrás, fixeron posible a vida na Terra. Regulan o clima, achegan auga potab...

The European Union landing obligation (LO) entered fully into force in 2019, with the aim of reducing discards by inducing fishing gear selectivity improvements and fleets’ behaviour changes. However, to date there has been no synthesis review of the economic and social impacts of the LO. To cover this gap, the objective of this paper is to provide...

The boom-and-bust trajectory of the Argopecten purpuratus industry in Chile shows the progression from resource extraction (fishing) to production (aquaculture). This paper analyses the effects of environmental, economic, and scientific-technological factors. The influence of each factor on scallop production in Chile was reviewed for the period be...

7-page summary of the full study covering key findings

This study for Oceana involved a multi-disciplinary team of researchers to determine the global and regional significance of blue shark fisheries. It estimates the global blue shark catch, maps trade in the species, calculates economic values for blue shark and explores the policies and management measures in place. The report finds that there is...

There have been a number of indications of strong negative impacts of Covid-19 and the preventive measures associated with the pandemic for all food sectors. However, there is increasing evidence that the picture is quite nuanced where the Covid related measures are creating challenges for some and opportunities for others. In this paper we investi...

The ocean economy has the potential to improve human wellbeing. Yet, in practice, its rapid acceleration is often producing few benefits and substantial social harms for rural and resource dependent coastal communities. We urge a global transformation to a socially sustainable and equitable blue economy that benefits coastal populations.

The mapping and assessment of ecosystem services supplied by Atlantic coastal zone biomes provide a highly valuable source of information for understanding their current and potential benefits to society. The main objective of this research is to map and assess the values provided by Provisioning, Regulating & maintenance and Cultural ecosystem ser...

We evaluated the associations between marine recreational fishing, stress, seafood consumption, and sleep quality in a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey of a convenience sample of 244 fishers recruited in 2019 in Spain. Fishers’ stress levels were moderate, with a mean stress index score of 36.4 units on a scale from 14 (very low stress) t...