Biography
Dr. Rashid Sumaila is a University Killam 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 the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs.
He was also named an "Extraordinary Professor" by the University of Pretoria in 2024.
His research focuses on bioeconomics, marine ecosystem valuation and the analysis of global issues such as fisheries subsidies, marine protected areas, illegal fishing, climate change, marine plastic pollution, and oil spills.
Dr. Sumaila has experience working in fisheries and natural resource projects in Norway, Canada and the North Atlantic region, Namibia and the Southern African region, Ghana, Nigeria and the West African region and Hong Kong and the South China Sea. In 2021, he published the book "Infinity Fish: Economics and the Future of Fish and Fisheries".
Sumaila is widely published and highly cited scholar: Clarivate has named him a "highly cited researcher" every year since 2021.
He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Bergen, Norway and B.Sc. in Quantity Surveying from the Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the 2023 Tyler Prize in Environmental Achievement; and the 2017 Volvo Environment Prize. Sumaila was named one of "100 Most Influential Africans" in 2023.