In the second of the monthly thematic webinars organised by the V2V research partnership about exploring ways for small-scale fisheries from vulnerability to viability Research Lead Pip Cohen of WorldFish Center talked about vibrant and vital small-scale fisheries amidst a sea of transformation. While the major global and regional political fora endorse and recommend small-scale fisheries as reflected e.g. in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Agenda 2030, the Voluntary Guidelines for securing sustainable SSF, statements by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the ground realities are more complicated.
Citing results from some 20 major research publications Pip summarised major challenges of SSF in the face of discourses and heavy investment strategies driven by the Blue Economy mantra, the disruptions experienced as a result of insetting climate change, transformations of food systems and uncertainties of building back or forward in better ways after the current pandemic. Inmidst of these transformational change, artisanal fisheries required greater understanding to stand their ground. She reported, among others, that a meta-analysis of 63 research reports on co-management had produced clear evidence of the benefits of such a regime in terms of income, access to resources and household well-being, participation, compliance with rules and foremost for giving people a voice and hone conditions in which they are protagonists themselves. Listen into the full talk here.