No abstract

The rapid, global spread of COVID-19, and the measures intended to limit or slow its propagation, are having major impacts on diverse sectors of society. Notably, these impacts are occurring in the context of other anthropogenic-driven threats including global climate change. Both anthropogenic stressors and the COVID-19 pandemic represent significant economic challenges to aquaculture systems across the globe, threatening the supply chain of one of the most important sources of animal protein, with potential disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities. A web survey was conducted in 47 countries in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to assess how aquaculture activities have been affected by the pandemic, and to explore how these impacts compare to those from climate change. A positive correlation between the effects of the two categories of drivers was detected, but analysis suggests that the pandemic and the anthropogenic stressors affect different parts of the supply chain. The immediate measurable reported losses varied with aquaculture typology (land vs. marine, and intensive vs. extensive). A comparably lower impact on farmers reporting the use of integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA) methods suggests that IMTA might enhance resilience to multiple stressors by providing different market options under the COVID-19 pandemic. Results emphasize the importance of assessing detrimental effects of COVID-19 under a multiple stressor lens, focusing on areas that have already locally experienced economic loss due to anthropogenic stressors in the last decade. Holistic policies that simultaneously address other ongoing anthropogenic stressors, rather than focusing solely on the acute impacts of COVID-19, are needed to maximize the long-term resilience of the aquaculture sector.

Zusammenfassung Ziel der Studie Zusammenhangsanalyse von wahrgenommenen Alltagsbelastungen während der COVID-19-Krise und Persönlichkeitsaspekten mit dem aktuellen psychischen Befinden in der Bevölkerung sowie Vergleich der psychischen Symptomatik mit einem Survey von 2018. Methodik Zufallsstichprobe aus der Bevölkerung (n = 721), die zu coronabezogenen Einschätzungen, Persönlichkeitsaspekten und aktuellem psychischen Befinden (WHO-5, PHQ-D) schriftlich befragt wurde. Ergebnisse Angst um die Gesundheit Nahestehender, Belastungen durch Ausgangsbeschränkungen und vermehrter Substanzkonsum sowie psychische Risiko- und Resilienzfaktoren trugen im statistischen Modell unabhängig zur Vorhersage des psychischen Befindens bei. Ausprägungen und Häufigkeiten psychischer Symptomatik unterschieden sich nicht zwischen 2018 und 2020. Schlussfolgerung Dies ist eine erste Studie in Deutschland, die Ergebnisse aus einer bevölkerungsbezogenen Zufallsstichprobe zu Determinanten psychischen Befindens während der COVID-19-Krise und einen Vergleich der psychischen Symptomatik mit einer präpandemischen Referenzstichprobe vorlegt.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has had severe, unpredictable and synchronous impacts on all levels of perishable food supply chains (PFSC), across multiple sectors and spatial scales. Aquaculture plays a vital and rapidly expanding role in food security, in some cases overtaking wild caught fisheries in the production of high-quality animal protein in this PFSC. We performed a rapid global assessment to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related emerging control measures on the aquaculture supply chain. Socio-economic effects of the pandemic were analysed by surveying the perceptions of stakeholders, who were asked to describe potential supply-side disruption, vulnerabilities and resilience patterns along the production pipeline with four main supply chain components: a) hatchery, b) production/processing, c) distribution/logistics and d) market. We also assessed different farming strategies, comparing land- vs. sea-based systems; extensive vs. intensive methods; and with and without integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, IMTA. In addition to evaluating levels and sources of economic distress, interviewees were asked to identify mitigation solutions adopted at local / internal ( i.e., farm-site) scales, and to express their preference on national / external scale mitigation measures among a set of a priori options. Survey responses identified the potential causes of disruption, ripple effects, sources of food insecurity, and socio-economic conflicts. They also pointed to various levels of mitigation strategies. The collated evidence represents a first baseline useful to address future disaster-driven responses, to reinforce the resilience of the sector and to facilitate the design reconstruction plans and mitigation measures, such as financial aid strategies.