Reframing Fish Passage Prioritization for Human Nutrition Outcomes.

Area of Science:

• Ecology and Conservation
• Sustainable Development
• Fisheries Management

Background:

• Water control infrastructure fragments river habitats, impacting aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• Inland fisheries are crucial food sources, especially in tropical regions, but face threats from habitat fragmentation.
• Fish passage technologies and prioritization frameworks aim to mitigate fragmentation but may have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate global fish passage barrier prioritization frameworks.
• To assess their suitability for guiding investments in tropical contexts.
• To identify criteria relevant to nutrition security outcomes (SDG 2: Zero Hunger).

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and critical evaluation of 93 fish passage barrier prioritization frameworks.
• Analysis of framework applicability to tropical contexts and nutrition security goals.
• Assessment of geographical and thematic biases in existing frameworks.

Main Results:

• Existing frameworks are ill-equipped to support broader human development goals, particularly nutrition security in tropical countries.
• Tropical contexts are underrepresented in prioritization frameworks despite significant investment.
• Temperate and conservation-focused frameworks, predominantly from North America, dominate the field.

Conclusions:

• Current fish passage barrier prioritization frameworks exhibit inherent biases and limitations.
• There is a need to integrate local needs and nutrition security (SDG 2) into framework development.
• Enhanced collaboration with local partners is crucial for effective fish passage investments supporting food production and community nutrition.