Johann Bell

Since graduating with a PhD in 1986 I have held positions at the Principal Scientist level with the Government of NSW and internationally with WorldFish and the Pacific Community. I have been a Visiting Professorial Fellow with the Australian Centre for Ocean Resources and Security, University of Wollongong, since 2014. In February 2018, I was appointed as Senior Director Pacific Tuna Fisheries at Conservation International.

I have worked extensively on fisheries and aquaculture in developing countries in Asia-Pacific with WorldFish and the Pacific Community, including aquaculture and fisheries related to coral reef habitats. Over the past 10 years, I have focused on the strategic planning needed to maintain the important role that fish plays in the food security of Pacific Island countries in the face of rapid population growth and climate change. While employed at the Pacific Community, I led a major assessment of the vulnerability of fisheries and aquaculture in the tropical Pacific to climate change and was a contributing author to Chapter 30 (The Ocean) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report. I have also advised the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research’s cooperative research program on ‘Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security’ about building climate-resilient food systems for Pacific Islands.

My current work for Conservation International involves the development of practices and policies to diversify the use of tuna to improve food security and public health in Pacific Island countries, and collaboration with regional fisheries agencies to assist both small-scale and industrial tuna fisheries adapt to climate change.

Details of my publications can be seen at:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Johann_Bell

https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=7kxEzqwAAAAJ&hl=en