In this blog post, Dr Oane Visser and PhD researcher Nina Swen examine the impacts of climate change on fisheries in the Caspian Sea, off the coast of Baku in Azerbaijan.
By hosting the UN’s global Climate Change conference COP29 in Baku (11-22 November 2024), Azerbaijan presents itself as a climate-responsible oil state and new political ally and donor for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) struggling with the impacts of climate change.
Yet the fate of fisheries off the coast of Baku, navigating between the oil rig dotted and shrinking Caspian Sea, markedly contrasts with this posture. Drawing on research amongst Caspian fishers, this blog post examines these contradictions and the potential for local (and international) fishers to use the COP on their coast as a space for advocacy.
They point out that although two of the largest global fishers' movements are participating in COP29, Azerbaijni fishers are not involved and collaboration with neighbouring Caspian Sea fishers - partly the result of rigid borders and shrinking democratic space - is limited.
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- Related links
- ISS at COP29
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