Fish, Conflict, and the Future of Our Oceans

Fish, Conflict, and the Future of Our Oceans

Author: Environmental Law Institute November 5, 2025 Duration: 44:30

As climate change reshapes our oceans, fish populations are shifting across borders and into new territories, creating ripple effects for food security, livelihoods, and international relations. These changes are intensifying pressure on governments and coastal communities—and, in some cases, fueling tension and conflict at sea. In this episode of People Places Planet, host Sebastian Duque Rios speaks with Johan Bergenas, Senior Vice President for Oceans at the World Wildlife Fund-US, and Sofia O’Connor, Director of the Environmental Law Institute’s Ocean Program, about the complex links between marine conservation, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and international security.

 

Together, they explore how climate-driven migration of fish stocks can trigger disputes between nations, how data and transparency tools like WWF’s Oceans Futures platform can help policymakers anticipate and prevent those conflicts, and how legal frameworks can promote cooperation rather than conflict on the high seas.

See WWF's recent report, The Geopolitics of the Ocean, as well as their Oceans Futures platform for more information.

★ Support this podcast ★

Produced by the Environmental Law Institute, People Places Planet is a conversation grounded in the practical realities of environmental stewardship. This podcast moves beyond abstract theory to explore how laws, policies, and innovative governance models are actively applied. Each episode features discussions with practitioners, scientists, legal experts, and community leaders who are directly engaged in crafting and implementing solutions. You’ll hear nuanced analysis on the intersection of business, regulation, and education, focusing on tangible outcomes rather than just identifying problems. The dialogue consistently centers on how complex frameworks operate in the real world, affecting specific communities, ecosystems, and industries. Listening provides a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that drive environmental progress and the challenges that arise at the intersection of human activity and planetary health. It’s an essential resource for anyone curious about the foundational rules and creative strategies shaping our relationship with the environment, offering clarity on the legal and policy threads woven through every environmental issue. Tune in for thoughtful, expert-driven perspectives that connect the dots between policy texts and their impact on the ground.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

People Places Planet
Podcast Episodes
The Enforcement Angle: Corporate Compliance Monitors [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:47
Increasingly, independent third parties—better known as “corporate compliance monitors”--are appointed to oversee a company’s compliance following the settlement of a criminal or, sometimes, civil enforcement case. Justi…
Women & Water [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:51
International Women’s Day is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 to bring attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. One women’s issue that is ofte…
The Enforcement Angle: The New Mexico Environment Department [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:07
With its deeply forested mountains, unique rock formations, vast plains, and moonlike deserts, New Mexico—the fifth largest state of the nation—boasts a unique landscape. Tasked with protecting and restoring the environm…
National Wetlands Award Feature: Wetlands Watch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:16
ELI’s Georgia Ray speaks with Ross Weaver, the Program Assistant Director for Wetlands Watch, in this first in a series of episodes highlighting the incredible work of wetland heroes throughout the country.
ELI 2022 Year in Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:49
John Pendergrass, ELI’s Vice President of Programs and Publications, and Sandy Thiam, Associate Vice President of Research & Policy, share highlights from ELI’s research department in 2022 as well as a preview of what’s…

«1...678910