Now showing items 1-20 of 573

    • Baffling shades of blue: Addressing the impacts of the blue economy on small-scale fisheries in Latin America

      Leopoldo, Cavaleri Gerhardinger (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2022)
      The incessant noise over ‘Blue Economy’ and ‘Blue Growth’ leaves artisanal and small-scale fishers dazed and confused. This report works through that confusion. It draws on scholarship from the trenches and the research centres across ten Latin American countries. From extensive interviews, policy reviews, analyses of finances and online datasets. In granular detail, it examines how Blue Growth affects artisanal fishers and their need for equity and justice. Through the baffling shades of blue—conflicts, priorities, the politics of managing our coasts and seas—this report finds clear light. It lays down the agenda for fishworkers and organizations working for them.
    • Making small-scale artisanal fishing zones work!: Research study on the tenure rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized fishers in Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh.

      Gupta, Vishakha (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2022)
      Under Indian legislation, i.e. various state Marine Fishing (Regulation) Act (MFRAs), small-scale traditional fishers are granted exclusive rights to near-shore marine waters, ostensibly to protect their rights and livelihoods. However, failures in implementation, management and monitoring of these exclusive small-scale artisanal fishing zones (SFZs), has hampered the holistic actualization of these protections. Establishing secure tenure rights to marine and coastal spaces and resources can be considered sine qua non for equity and justice. It is essential to rejuvenate existing mechanisms and bolster them through the principles of human rights and the SSF Guidelines to protect and support small-scale fisheries in our future.
    • Report on Asia workshop – IYAFA 2022: Celebrating sustainable and equitable small-scale fisheries, 4 – 8 May, 2022, The Berkeley Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

      Shridhar, Nivedita; Nair, Sivaja K; DK, Mythili (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2022-08)
      International collective in support of fishwokers (ICSF) in partnership with Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF) Thailand had organized an International Workshop titled “IYAFA 2022-Celebrating Sustainable and Equitable Small-scale Fisheries: Asia” from 4 to 8 May 2022 at Bangkok, Thailand. The Asia workshop was the first of the series of four regional workshops planned by ICSF in connection with the proclamation of 2022 as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) by the United Nations. The workshop revolved around discussions on the SSF Guidelines implementation and monitoring and specifically focused on the themes of tenure rights, social development and gender and women in fisheries. The workshop had a diverse group of 58 participants from CSOs, CBOs and FWOs from 11 participating countries namely-Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. The discussions of four day workshop resulted in the formulation of a ‘The Asian regional action plan: Women and gender in fisheries’ and the ‘ The IYAFA Asia statement’. For more information about the workshop, please check: https://www.icsf.net/resources/asia-workshop-iyafa-2022-celebrating-sustainable-and-equitable-small-scale-fisheries/
    • Report on national workshop on SSF guidelines and women in fisheries, India, 8 -10 April, 2022, Asha Nivas Social Service Centre, Chennai, India

      Shridhar, Nivedita; DK, Mythili; International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2022-08)
      The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) Trust organized a national workshop on the SSF Guidelines and Women in Fisheries, India at Asha Nivas Social Service Centre, Chennai, India, on April 8-10, 2022. There were sixtyone participants from five coastal states of Goa, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. With gender equality and equity being one of the seven pillars of the United Nations International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 (IYAFA), the national workshop facilitated in building a platform of women in fisheries to promote gender equality and equity, to recognize livelihood space and to improve the participation of women in decision making processes through various discussions that were held during the three days. The resource persons provided information on international processes as well as on schemes at the national and state levels to equip women in small scale fisheries to strengthen their position in pursuit of livelihoods and protect their access rights.
    • Samudra Report No.88, December 2022

      ICSF, International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2022-12)
      The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) has released the latest edition of its popular fisheries publication – SAMUDRA Report, its triannual journal on fisheries, communities and livelihoods. SAMUDRA Report No. 88, dated December 2022, has a special focus on the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022), with reports from several regions of how the year was celebrated as well as the ICSF Statements made at the IYAFA 2022 Asia Workshop. The editorial Comment points to how the abiding message of IYAFA 2022 should be that the social pillar of sustainable development ought to be strengthened to protect the future of lives and livelihoods in the small-scale fisheries subsector. A report from the United Nations Oceans Conference 2022 details how representatives of small-scale fishing communities – the most numerous ocean users –launched a Call to Action in a conerence that brought together two main protagonists: those clamouring for reforms in ocean governance to ‘Save Our Ocean’, and those clamouring for reforms to open up the ‘Blue Economy’. The article from Taiwan says that securing the rights of migrant workers in the nation’s fisheries is an ongoing and evolving process... SAMUDRA Report No. 88 can be accessed at https://www.icsf.net/samudra-articles.php?id=9537
    • A case for a human rights-based approach to Indian aquaculture systems: A literature review.

      Koshy, Neena Elizabeth (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2021-12)
      Aquaculture is the new sunrise sector with respect to ­fish production. Developing countries of Asia are the world leaders, with a large population dependent on the sector. Though a plethora of literature is available on aquaculture, there is a lacuna with regards to speci­fic studies on the human rights aspects of the same. This study is an effort to bring focus on this void and the facets that need to be examined if aquaculture is to become sustainable and is able to contribute towards various sustainable development goals as envisaged. As the human dependence on the sector is very high, the study emphasises the need and importance of placing a human rights-based framework at the centre stage of future growth of aquaculture in India. This will steer the development towards an environmentally sound and socially just path, a prerequisite for the sector. the objective of the study is to understand the strengths of legislation, guidelines, schemes and other government documents with regard to the defence of human rights; review and analyse the environmental and social impacts of aquaculture systems as seen in the literature review; and to suggest a set of recommendations that could help ­fill the gaps in the current systems as identi­fied by this study. The monograph will be of use to researchers, scientists, fishworker organisations, environmentalists and anyone interested in aquaculture development in India.
    • Handbook on Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for small-scale fishing communities

      Rajagopalan, Ramya; The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF); Crocevia (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2022)
      This Handbook, developed by ICSF and Crocevia, describes the components of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and provides an overview of its programmes, targets and commitments on aquatic, marine and coastal biodiversity. Using illustrative examples, the Handbook aims to help fishing communities and their supporters to understand the important links between biodiversity and human rights in small-scale fisheries. It also recommends actions for these stakeholders to negotiate a just and equitable outcome from international and national processes to put biodiversity on a path to recovery for the benefit of people and the planet. This handbook is useful for fishworker organizations, civil society organizations and others working on issues related to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, in line with the FAO Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines and the Sustainable Development Goals.
    • A review of governance and tenure in inland capture fisheries and aquaculture systems of India

      Kelkar, Nachiket; Arthur, Robert I.; The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2022)
      This situation paper is a background document that summarizes the diversity, complexity, and relevance of tenure systems, rights, and the institutional management of inland fisheries in India. The paper is prepared on the occasion of the ICSF Workshop on Improving Inland Fisheries Governance in India, held at Seva Kendra, Kolkata, on 6th-7th September 2019, in which the objective was to discuss the draft National Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, Govt. of India, 2019, in relation to the human-rights focus of the FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Small-Scale Fisheries.
    • Covid response 2020: ICSF’s Newsletter on covid-19 emergency assistance to small-scale fishing communities in India

      The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2020)
      The World Health Organization (WHO) characterized COVID-19 a pandemic on 11 March, 2020. Two weeks later, a nationwide lockdown was announced in India, to ensure consistency in the application and implementation of pandemic control measures. The lockdown adversely affected numerous fishers and fishworkers and their families. Being contact-intensive, small-scale fisheries were particularly hit hard, especially in the marine sector across India, as is evident from the stories carried in this newsletter. ICSF Trust undertook relief work among marginalized marine and inland small-scale fishing communities in the states of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Maharashtra. ICSF worked through credible civil society organizations (CSOs) mainly in the form of providing sanitary masks, provisions for cooking and cash assistance in a targeted manner. These efforts followed a groundup approach whereby each CSO applied its own criteria to identify beneficiaries in consultation with local communities. This newsletter provides vignettes of ICSF’s relief work, how the beneficiaries in each state were identified and what form of assistance was offered. The relief work also brought to light the impact of Cyclone Amphan that befell the eastern seaboard of India from 16 – 21 May, 2020. The double whammy literally devastated these precarious communities: thatch and tin roof houses, and other assets such as craft and gear were blown away during the cyclone, exacerbating the vulnerabilities of fishing communities amidst a COVID-19 lockdown.
    • Samudra Report No.87, March 2022

      International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2022-03
      The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) has just published the latest issue of SAMUDRA Report, its triannual journal on fisheries, communities and livelihoods. The current edition, SAMUDRA Report No. 87, dated March 2022, features a range of articles from Africa, Asia and Europe, with a special focus on the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022). The editorial Comment in the issue calls for collective and collaborative actions of all stakeholders to develop coherent and meaningful policies and legislation for the sector. Pointing out that IYAFA 2022 is a chance to create greater awareness about the role of small-scale fisheries in food production, and about the traditional knowledge and rich cultural diversity of fishing communities, the Comment hopes the year becomes a historic watershed for the sector and its communities. SAMUDRA Report No. 87 can be accessed at: https://www.icsf.net/samudra-report/
    • Yemaya No.65, March 2022

      The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2022-03)
      The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) has released the latest edition of Yemaya, its newsletter on gender and fisheries. The articles in this issue are drawn from the presentations and discussions at the webinar organized by GAFS, Women Work in Fisheries, Too! held on 29 November 2021. The webinar identified areas that respond to the inaccurate and inadequate portrayal of women’s work in Asian countries. Yemaya No. 65, dated March 2022, features articles from Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Philippines and Uganda, on decent work, small-scale fisheries and gender issues in the seafood industry. Yemaya No. 65 can be accessed at: https://www.icsf.net/yemaya-articles.php?id=9111
    • Samudra Report No.86, November 2021

      The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) (The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2021-11)
      The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) has just published the latest issue of SAMUDRA Report, its triannual journal on fisheries, communities and livelihoods. The current edition, SAMUDRA Report No. 86, dated November 2021, features a range of articles from Africa, Asia and South America, specifically from Ghana, Kenya, Thailand, the Philippines, India, Bangladesh and Chile. The issue also carries an analysis of the Blue Economy and small-scale fisheries, as well as articles on the UN Food Systems Summit. An obituary notice celebrates the life of Brazilian fisheries engineer and researcher Fábio Hissa Vieira Hazin, who succumbed to COVID-19 on 8 June 2021, World Oceans Day. The editorial Comment in SAMUDRA Report No. 86 argues that negotiations on subsidies at the World Trade Organization (WTO) should lead to an agreement whose primary goal is transparency and universality in fisheries conservation and management measures.
    • Samudra Report No.85, May 2021

      The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) (The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2021-05)
      The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) has just published the latest issue of SAMUDRA Report, its triannual journal on fisheries, communities and livelihoods. The current edition, SAMUDRA Report No. 85, dated May 2021, features a range of articles from Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean, specifically from Turkey, Cambodia, South Africa, Brazil, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Mozambique, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, India, France, the Philippines, Brazil and Thailand. The issue also carries articles that analyze the Blue Economy, destructive fishing, small-scale fisheries (SSF) and the SSF Guidelines, among other topics. The current issue has three articles on food security (from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Cambodia) and five articles on social development and sustainable fisheries (from Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, India, the Philippines and Thailand). The editorial Comment in SAMUDRA Report No. 85 discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the global inadequacy of social-protection floors in safeguarding marginalized communities, in the process exacerbating poverty and vulnerability.
    • Yemaya No. 63, May 2021

      The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) (The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2021-05)
      Yemaya No. 63, dated May 2021, features articles from US, The Netherlands, Myanmar, Senegal, and an article on women in fisheries and human rights. The article from the US by Linda Behnken argues that a growing coalition of small-scale, community-based fishers is calling for the recognition and protection of Alaska’s invaluable coastal fisheries during COVID-19. The article from the Netherlands by Cornelie Quist looks at the challenges facing women engaged in small-scale fishing and supplying fish through retailers and how they found new ways to directly reach consumers. The conversation between Miranda Bout and Cornelie Quist focuses on how they combined new product development with the use of social media to contact their customer base during the pandemic-induced disruption of traditional marketing chains. The article by Elena Finkbeiner, Juno Fitzpatrick and Whitney Yadao-Evans looks at recent media revelations and scientific research that have brought increased attention to human-rights violations and the myriad social issues facing fisheries, but with a disproportionate focus on labour-rights violations at sea and in industrial fishing operations. The systemic inequalities combined with the effects of COVID-19 exacerbated vulnerabilities of women to health risks, food and livelihood security. The article from Senegal by Aby Dia from Lumière Synergie pour le Développement (LSD), in collaboration with WoMin African Alliance, South Africa, narrates the story of traditional women fish processors from the Bargny who have been, for more than a decade, struggling against development projects that jeopardise their environment, health and livelihoods. In order to preserve their livelihoods, women processors in Senegal have come together to oppose the Tosyali steel project. The European Network of Women in Fisheries and Aquaculture in Europe (AKTEA) urges the Office of the Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries to integrate gender into all aspects of European fishing policy. The Profile column looks at how Linda Behnken became a fisher in Alaska and how fishing has shaped her individuality and work. Natalie Sattler says that fishing for halibut, sablefish and salmon from the sparkling waters of the Pacific along with her children and at the same time passion for working with the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association and the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust is an immense challenge.
    • Yemaya No. 64, November 2021

      The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) (The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), 2021-11)
      The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) has released the latest edition of Yemaya, its newsletter on gender and fisheries. Yemaya No. 64, dated November 2021, features articles from Sri Lanka, The Gambia, Gender dialogue took place in Central America, issues of gender seafood industry, meditative reflection on gender equity and social justice from India, and posters released on World fisheries day from Brazil, Ghana, The Netherlands, and Thailand.
    • Profile: adding value to fish: Lovin Kobusingye is not just a successful woman entrepreneur in Uganda but an influential voice in shaping pan-African fisheries policies

      Kasozi, Nasser (2020)
      Yemaya
      Lovin Kobusingye is a well-known young woman fish entrepreneur working in Central Uganda’s Wakiso District. For over eight years, she, along with her two partners and over a thousand other fish farmers, has worked on fish processing and value addition. At the same time, she has persistently lobbied the government to support women-led entrepreneurship through an enabling policy framework designed to protect women in fisheries activities both in Uganda and, at a higher level, throughout Africa.
    • Milestones: pulled backward

      Lakshmi, Ahana (2020)
      Yemaya
      The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SDG 5. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. How has progress towards this end been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? A new report, the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020, released in July by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presents an overview of progress towards the SDGs before the pandemic started, but it also looks at some of the devastating initial impacts of COVID-19 on specific goals and targets. We focus here on SDG 5: Gender equality and empower all women and girls.
    • What’s new, webby?: covering COVID-19

      Roshan, Manas (2020)
      Yemaya
      Since its outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, COVID-19 has spread to 202 countries and territories, leading to 14,508,892 confirmed cases and 606,206 deaths as on 20 July, 2020. ICSF SAMUDRA and DC daily news alerts have tracked the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on fisheries value chains since the early stages of the pandemic. Launched in May, ICSF’s new website (https://covid.icsf.net) has drawn on these news alerts and information from ICSF’s networks of members and partners to map the effects of lockdown restrictions, closure of markets and restaurants, and changes in demand and supply of fish and fish products around the world.
    • Brazil: fishing for crustaceans

      Ferreira, Beatriz Mesquita Pedrosa (2020)
      Yemaya
      This photo-essay depicts the practice of aratu fishing carried out by women in the mangroves of northeastern Brazil. Aratu (Goniopsis cruentata) are small, reddish crustaceans that live on the branches of mangroves. They are processed and sold, the sweetness of the meat making them a prized delicacy. Aratu fishing is carried out mostly by women, for whom it is a source of income, allowing them to get by without formal employment, and offering a certain freedom in their lives. Unlike the crab, the aratu is a fast breeder but both types of crustaceans have their own pros and cons. “If aratu bred like crab, there wouldn’t be much to pick since there are a lot of people fishing. We’re lucky that it reproduces fast. Crab is less labour intensive and fetches more money. Aratu has to be picked before it is sold; crab doesn’t need any such processing”