Rod Fujita

Rod co-founded EDF’s Oceans Program and is a leader in the theory and practice of sustainable fisheries that align conservation with the business of fishing. While he currently focuses on sustainable fishery management solutions, his career at EDF has spanned nearly three decades during which he has worked on a wide variety of environmental issues including climate change, acid rain, nitrogen deposition, pollution, ecosystem restoration and overfishing.

As the Research & Development Director for EDF’s Fishery Solutions Center, Rod supervises a talented group of scientists and policy experts who develop tools to diagnose global fisheries problems, design better management programs, and participate in capacity-building efforts. He has extensive experience working with fishing communities, regulators, conservation practitioners, and business leaders in many countries, including the U.S., Mexico, Belize, Cuba, Brazil, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

As a scientist and consensus-builder, Rod has served on a number of state and federal advisory bodies, National Academy of Sciences and other academic panels, and as an expert in public forums. He has written numerous scientific and popular pieces, including the book Heal the Ocean, which explores solutions for protecting the world’s oceans. Rod received his Ph.D. in Marine Ecology at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts and holds a B.A. in Biology from Pitzer College. In his free time, he enjoys kayaking, scuba diving, reading, hiking, wildlife watching, and playing music with friends.

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