Fishing in the city for food—a paradigmatic case of sustainability in urban blue space

Abstract

This article presents fishing in the city for food (FCF) as a trenchant example of urban ecology, and the ways in which urban dwellers use, interact with, and depend on urban blue spaces. Our literature review demonstrates how FCF is studied in a diverse body of scientific publications that rarely draw on each other. As such, FCF and its relevance for sustainable and just planning of urban blue space remain relatively unknown. Using the literature review, a survey of FCF in European capitals, and examples from FCF in Stockholm, we demonstrate how attention to FCF raises pertinent and interrelated questions about access to water, food and recreation; human health; animal welfare and aquatic urban biodiversity.

Global dataset of species-specific inland recreational fisheries harvest for consumption

“…However, the contribution of recreationally harvested fish to the global food supply is largely unknown. Although catch-and-release is practiced in some recreational fisheries, in many fisheries the harvest and consumption of captured fish may contribute to food security, especially in lower-income regions or communities 9 , and increasingly in urban settings 10 . However, the contribution that inland recreational fisheries provide as a source of food remains unclear due to disparate and missing data 9 , 11 , 12 .…”

Functional quality of urban surface water

“…Other extractions and in situ uses are described in literature on aquatic ecosystem services. Examples of extractions are water withdrawals for domestic use, irrigation or industrial use (Exall & Vassos, 2012;Padowski & Gorelick, 2014), and extraction of fish for consumption (Joosse et al, 2021).…”

“…This focus may also explain why in scientific publications that stress the importance of blue space or blue-green infrastructure for human health and well-being (e.g. Bell et al, 2022;Dall'O', 2020;Geneshka et al, 2021), surface waters and their potential for human use functions of them is hardly considered (Beck et al, 2018;Joosse et al, 2021). Therefore, a new assessment framework is needed that considers all relevant characteristics of surface waters, beyond traditional water quality parameters.…”

“…This study also concretizes the role of surface water as an element of the blue-green infrastructure. Scholars often highlight the importance of blue-green infrastructure for human health and well-being (Bell et al, 2022;Dall'O', 2020;Geneshka et al, 2021), but surface waters and the actual or potential use of them is hardly considered as most attention goes to green spaces (Beck & Arauja Cruxen, 2019;Joosse et al, 2021;Veerkamp et al, 2021).…”

“…Expert consultation broadens the applicability of the protocol as this enables SI development for use functions for which limited, or no, scientific knowledge or guidelines are available. This is likely the case for several use functions of urban surface waters, given the limited available knowledge on the potential use of, or ecosystem services supply by, urban waters (Beck & Arauja Cruxen, 2019;Joosse et al, 2021;Luederitz et al, 2015;Veerkamp et al, 2021). Expert consultation includes interviews or surveys amongst individual experts (Hennink et al, 2011) or methods aimed at finding consensus through group sessions or an iterative process like the Delphi method (Azevedo Linstone & Turoff, 1975;.…”