Nicole Tung

Overfishing in South East Asia, an Ecological & Human Crisis: Nicole Tung

On View: March 20 – April 26, 2026
Opening Reception: March 20, 6-9PM

Bronx Documentary Center
614 Courtlandt Ave
Bronx, NY 10451

Gallery Hours: Thur-Fr 3-7PM
+ Sat-Sun 1-5PM
Free admission.

A report by Nicole Tung, laureate of the 15th edition of the Carmignac Photojournalism Award.

Indonesian fishermen unloaded various types of species including sharks and wedgefish, which are one of the most threatened species, in Tegal, Indonesia, on Friday, June 13, 2025.

This exhibition was made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and Clif Family Foundation, Chris Hondros Fund, Four Friends Foundation, Ford Foundation, Jonathan Logan Foundation, Lawrence Foundation, Matisse Foundation, Peck Foundation, Scherman Foundation, and the Van Agtmael Fund.

This exhibition, based on a nine-month investigation supported by the Fondation Carmignac, offers a rare look at one of the world’s most critical and understudied environmental crises. Southeast Asia produces more than half of the world’s fish, yet its waters are among the most depleted and contested.

Nicole Tung’s work examines the complex dynamics of industrial fishing in the region and its consequences for marine ecosystems and coastal communities. 

Through field reporting in Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia, Tung documents a highly opaque industry in which access is often limited. The exhibition also looks at emerging responses, from Marine Protected Areas to community-based economic initiatives, raising questions about whether these efforts can withstand the accelerating pressures on oceans and the people who rely on them.

Overfishing in South East Asia traces the journey from local ports to global markets, exposing the fragility — and human cost — behind the seafood supply chains that reach consumers worldwide.

Nicole Tung (@nicoletung) is a freelance photojournalist and member of VII Photo based in Istanbul. A graduate of New York University (history and journalism), she works primarily in the Middle East and Asia for international publications and NGOs.

Since 2011, she has covered conflicts in Libya and Syria and has documented stories including Native American war veterans in the U.S., former child soldiers in DR Congo, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests, and Europe’s refugee crisis. She is a grantee and fellow of the International Women’s Media Foundation and has received numerous awards, including the James Foley Award for Conflict Reporting. Her work has been exhibited internationally, and she regularly speaks on photojournalism and journalist safety.

Fondation Carmignac is a corporate foundation structured around two main pillars: a contemporary art collection of more than 300 works, and the Carmignac Photojournalism Award that annually supports an investigative report that is the subject of an exhibition and a catalog.