Dr. Rashid Sumaila, professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), was conferred the 2023 John and Alice Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (also known as Tyler Prize) in April 2023. This prize is shared with his colleague, Dr. Daniel Pauly, professor at UBC. Dr. Sumaila is an active member of Hokkaido University as a Hokkaido University Ambassador, a position which he assumed in 2018.

The Tyler Prize is a highly distinguished accolade acknowledging outstanding scientific breakthroughs in the fields of environmental science, environmental health, and energy. Widely regarded as the “Nobel Prize for the Environment,” it has been annually administered by the University of Southern California since 1973. On the 50th anniversary of the Prize, the honor was bestowed upon Dr. Sumaila and Dr. Pauly for their scientific activities which are dedicated to marine biodiversity and sustainable management of ocean fisheries, as well as for having raised the issue of overfishing.

As a researcher, Dr. Sumaila pioneered the research in the core tenets of ocean and fisheries economics through interdisciplinary approaches for sustainable marine resources. His initiatives in fisheries economics aim for long-term societal, global-based values; including the contributions to employment and food security. As a Hokkaido University Ambassador, Dr. Sumaila has been involved in knowledge and resource exchanges between Hokkaido University and the University of British Columbia as part of the Nitobe College.

“Receiving the Tyler Prize is very humbling; it means a lot to me as it puts me in a group of very distinguished scientists,” commented Dr. Sumaila. “I believe that this award is a recognition of excellence in interdisciplinary ocean and fisheries economics, a field that I hope will get a boost because the world needs more of it. I won this award partly because of my international work and engagement, and my involvement with Hokkaido University as an Ambassador is a big part of this.”