Aleksander (Olek) Kaminski, a researcher at the Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling discusses the potential benefits of incorporating fish farming into household livelihood strategies with Professor David Little. The podcast discusses the income and food security benefits of having a pond by also looking beyond just the fish and seeing the pond as a strategic component of a larger food system, one that is interconnected with terrestrial crops and livestock; but also as a potential tool against climate shocks - begging the question: does having a pond on your farm make you more climate smart?

In this episode, Professor Dave Little interviews early-career researcher Alex Pounds of the Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling, UK. She is part of a small team funded by Innovate UK, working to understand the issues faced by women oyster harvesters in the Sherbro River Estuary in Southern Province, Sierra Leone. Alex explains the potential impact of climate change on the oysters and mangroves where they grow, the implications for the value chain which supplies growing urban populations, and on the livelihoods of the women involved. She also provides insights into how some of the value chain activities themselves contribute to climate change and hence the need for significant innovation in this sector.

This project is a follow-up to an earlier project in the same location funded through the Darwin Initiative. See our previous blog article about the third annual ‘Bonthe Oyster Festival’

This is the Introductory episode of the HotFish series of podcasts from the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling. These are a series of conversations around the implications of climate change in different aquaculture and aquatic food contexts. They especially feature early-career researchers tackling a range of challenges in different countries. We hope they will be a useful contribution to the upcoming COP26. The podcasts have been produced with financial support from Belmont NERC.