Mark Flaherty

Professor
Geography
- Contact:
- Office: DTB B352 msf@uvic.ca 250-721-7337
- Credentials:
- PhD (McMaster)
- Area of expertise:
- Aquaculture
Research
My current research interests align along 2 themes. First, I am interested in the role that small-scale fisheries and aquaculture can play in improving food security and reducing poverty in the developing world. Past projects have been in Thailand, India and Mozambique.
I am also interested in multi-trophic aquaculture in Canada and the perspectives of coastal communities, with an emphasis on First Nations. I am currently participating in 2 large projects.
CIMTAN is an NSERC strategic network that is focused on the development of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA). I am the leader for the domain 3 project that is concerned with the social implications of IMTA. We are focusing on 3 cross-cutting inquiry streams:
- aquaculture governance
- the potential contribution of IMTA to Canada’s coastal economy and social sustainability
- First Nations and IMTA
I am collaborating with Dr. Yogi Carolsfeld (World Fisheries Trust) and 4 Bolivian counterparts: Paul Van Damme (Associación Faunagua), Widen Abastoflor (Centro de Promoción Agropecuaria Campesina), Luis Badani (Ingeniería Márketing Gestión Consultaría), and Julio Alem (Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Regional) on a project (2015-2018) entitled Amazon Fish For Food: Enhancing the pathways to poverty reduction and food security for women and Indigenous families in Bolivia. Funding of $5,000,000 is being provided by the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF). Information on our activities is available at Peces para la Vida
Publications
Recent publications
Blythe, J., Flaherty, M. and Murray, G. (2015) "Vulnerability of Coastal Livelihoods to Shrimp Farming: Insights from Mozambique." Ambio 44(4), 275-284.
Samal, K., Flaherty, M., Pradhan, D., Patra, B. and Dora, B. (2014) "Environmental Impact of Use of Antibiotics in Shrimp Farming in India". New Delhi, Avon Publications.
Blythe, J., Murray, G. and Flaherty, M. (2014) "Strengthening threatened communities through adaptation: Insights from Mozambique." Ecology and Society 19(2).
Ahmed, N. and Flaherty, M. (2014) "Opportunities for aquaculture in the ethnic Garo community of northern Bangladesh." Water Resources & Rural Development 3, 14–26.
Blythe, J., Murray, G. and Flaherty. M. S. (2013) "Historical perspectives and recent trends in the coastal Mozambican fishery." Ecology and Society 18(4), 65-74.
Ahmed, N. and Flaherty, M. (2013) "Opportunities and challenges for the development of prawn farming with fish and rice in southeast Bangladesh: potential for food security and economic growth." Food Security 5(5), 637-649