Rashid Sumaila

Rashid Sumaila is a Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Interdisciplinary Ocean and Fisheries Economics at the University of British Columbia's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Bergen and a B.Sc. in Quantity Surveying from Ahmadu Bello University.

His research focuses on fisheries economics, marine ecosystem valuation, and global issues like fisheries subsidies, climate change, and ocean conservation. Notable contributions include work on transboundary fisheries management, intergenerational discount rates, and marine protected areas.

Sumaila has received prestigious awards including the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (2023), Volvo Environment Prize (2017), and Fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada (2019). He is a leading voice in advocating for sustainable ocean policies and has advised on international agreements such as the WTO fisheries subsidies framework.

His research spans over 300 publications, addressing topics like deep-sea mining risks, basic income policies for sustainability, and climate resilience in fisheries. He collaborates globally, engaging with institutions like the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies and the Nordic Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research.