Is Understanding ‘Fish as Food’ Enough? : Reclaiming Power and Politics in Aquatic Food Research and Policy

Standen, Sophie (2026) Is Understanding ‘Fish as Food’ Enough? : Reclaiming Power and Politics in Aquatic Food Research and Policy. Geo: Geography and Environment, 13 (1): e70077. ISSN 2054-4049

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Abstract

Fish are an important source of food, livelihood and culture for millions of people worldwide. Yet, policy, research and fisheries management paradigms have not often recognised fish as food. Instead, fish are commonly viewed as a commoditised natural resource for economic development and fishing as a livelihood of last resort. However, in academic research and in some policy and fisheries governance circles, understandings of the importance of fish as food are increasing. This paper explores how understandings of fish as food have evolved in research, policy and governance. It shows that fish are most commonly articulated as food through the framing of food security. Through highlighting research gaps and limitations to securitised approaches to aquatic food systems and fisheries, it argues that a critical power‐sensitive research agenda needs to be better engaged with in current ‘fish as food’ debates and discourse. Overall, this paper will review our understanding of the burgeoning push for conceptualising fish as food in policy, research and governance to identify gaps in our understanding and thus potential future areas for research.