Illuminating Hidden Harvests

Illuminating Hidden Harvests: the contributions of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development (hereinafter IHH) is a global study uncovering the contributions and impacts of small-scale fisheries through a multidisciplinary approach to data collection and analysis. The study provides information that quantifies and improves understanding of the crucial role of small-scale fisheries in the areas of food security and nutrition, sustainable livelihoods, poverty eradication and healthy ecosystems. It also examines gender equality as well as the nature and scope of governance in small-scale fisheries. The IHH study was carried out in support of the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines), themselves developed in recognition of the plight of small-scale fishers, fishworkers and associated communities and released as a contribution to the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022. The purpose of this report is to contribute to a more holistic understanding of what small-scale fisheries are, their importance, and why they are essential to efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By using this knowledge wisely within a human rights-based approach in line with the SSF Guidelines, and by empowering small-scale fishers and fishworkers, a more inclusive, equitable, sustainable and resilient small-scale scale fisheries subsector can be achieved. Realizing this goal would benefit hundreds of thousands in fishing communities and society at large. With this in mind, the IHH report is aimed at all those with a stake or an interest in the small-scale fisheries subsector, in particular decision-makers who are concerned with fisheries, poverty eradication, food security and nutrition, and sustainable development more generally. It is also addressed to small-scale fisheries actors themselves and those who support them.

This document has been adapted from the research protocol used to compile country case study data and to produce the results summarized in the 2023 report titled Illuminating Hidden Harvests: The contributions of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development (hereafter, IHH study) (FAO, Duke University & WorldFish, 2023). It has also been designed in conjunction with the e-learning course titled Collecting secondary data on small-scale fisheries, and aims to support practitioners and researchers around the world in compiling national and subnational data and assess the contributions and impacts of small-scale fisheries of interest to sustainable development. These contributions of small-scale fisheries are categorized according to the environmental, economic and social (including gender equality and nutrition and food security) dimensions of sustainable development, as well as the governance of small-scale fisheries. The approach to compile IHH data was developed in a way that: (i) is adaptable to each country’s context and data availability; and (ii) is comprehensive yet straightforward and cost-effective. While originally designed to be conducted at the national level, this approach can and should be modified as desired to fit different scales of study, and to respond to the particular needs and priorities of individual researchers’ regions of interest. As the name implies, the approach was designed to compile existing data on small-scale fisheries, and not to collect it. Rather, this approach only reinforces the importance of collecting more detailed data specific to small-scale fisheries (for example, as distinct from large-scale fisheries, aquaculture and recreational fisheries), in order to help fill the knowledge gap on small-scale fisheries’ contributions to sustainable development. Given the vast diversity of small-scale fisheries in different countries, a standard definition of “small-scale fisheries” is not prescribed here, nor in the IHH study; researchers should refer to the definitions used in each country context. However, to better characterize fisheries and the differences among them that often contribute to local definitions of small or large-scale fisheries, the IHH study and this approach used a fisheries activity characterization matrix. This tool provides a characterization of the small-scale fisheries subsector at the country level and allows researchers to assess the “scale” of small-scale fishing activities in a more relational manner, thus avoiding the imposition of fixed definitions.

The workshop on How to leverage the Illuminating Hidden Harvests approach for better small-scale fisheries data explored how the results and methodology of the study Illuminating Hidden Harvests: The contributions of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development study (IHH) can be leveraged to support the improvement of small-scale fisheries data, with a view to inform management and policy. [Author] The IHH is a global initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Duke University and WorldFish carried out in support of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines). [Author] The IHH report, published in March 2023, provides new evidence about the benefits, interactions and impacts of small-scale fisheries to inform policy and practice. [Author] This workshop focused on sub-Saharan Africa as a starting point; however, in the future, collaboration and support could extend to other regions. [Author] The workshop concluded that there is considerable value in both the IHH approach and the data already collected that can be capitalized on, at both national and regional levels, taking country priorities into account. [Author] Small-scale fisheries organizations should be further empowered for engagement in relevant policy processes by equipping them with IHH data and information, and partnerships should be sought also outside the fisheries sector. [Author] Tailored communication pathways and products for diverse audiences will be needed, including multiple language translations and simplified versions of the IHH report. [Author] Using the IHH results and approach wisely will help improve the knowledge on the subsector and contribute to sustainable development. [Author]

Women play active roles throughout the fisheries value chain in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, including participating in pre-harvest activities like vessel and gear construction and maintenance, harvest activities both on board fishing vessels and from shore, and post-harvest activities such as sorting, cleaning, processing and marketing the catch, as well as in activities associated with running the fishing business, such as bookkeeping. Furthermore, women are actively engaged throughout the region in fisheries research and fisheries administrations. Despite the wide and varied roles played by women in fisheries, their contributions to the sector are often not captured in official statistics and can therefore go unrecognized, reinforcing existing gender inequalities and potentially leading to inadvertent discrimination. At the same time, a lack of consideration of women working in the sector can also mean that their knowledge and experience is overlooked and not sufficiently profited from. Recognizing the importance of taking the roles, needs and experiences of women into account when addressing social, economic and environmental issues related to the fishing sector, this study aims at narrowing research gaps in the region regarding gender and fisheries, as well as supporting the commitments of Mediterranean and Black Sea countries to promoting gender equality.

This Small-scale Fisheries Brief is tailored to provide insight into the contribution of small-scale fisheries to healthy food systems and sustainable livelihoods in the the Southern African Development Community (SADC). [Author] SADC comprises 16 Member States that lie in southern sub-Saharan Africa. [Author] The region is rich in aquatic resources, with vast inland waterbodies and marine waters. [Author] The fisheries sector generates immense social, economic and nutritional value, which acts as a lifeline for millions of people within the region. [Author] In 2021, over 3. [Author]1 million tonnes of fish were harvested from freshwater and marine capture fisheries in the SADC region. [Author] Capture fisheries are dominated by small-scale fisheries, with many countries having almost exclusively small-scale fisheries relative to large-scale ones. [Author] More than 22. [Author]7 million women and men depend on small-scale fisheries for their livelihoods and subsistence. [Author] Strengthening the commitment and implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) within national policies and plans can help safeguard and enhance small-scale fisheries’ contributions to sustainable development and food systems in the SADC region. [Author] The Illuminating Hidden Harvests initiative has generated new evidence about the value of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development globally and within the SADC; evidence that has informed this brief. [Author]

The small-scale fisheries subsector is a crucial provider of livelihoods, nutrition, and food security to millions of people all over the world. However, small-scale fishers, fishworkers and their communities face many challenges, including lack of recognition, limited participation in decision-making, unsustainable use of aquatic resources, climate change impacts and conflicting interests with other sectors. The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) are the first international instrument entirely dedicated to small-scale fisheries and provide guidance on how to address existing challenges in the subsector. One of the key areas discussed in the SSF Guidelines is the need for an enabling environment that promotes good governance. This publication, Small-scale fisheries governance – A handbook in support of the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication, was based on a number of training courses on governance in small-scale fisheries. It offers an overview of the SSF Guidelines and guidance on their implementation in particular with regard to good governance and the enabling environment needed.

For small-scale fisheries around the world, the Blue Growth and Blue Economy initiatives may provide sustainable development, but only insofar as they align with the global consensus enshrined in the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication. If states do nothing to fulfill the promises they made when they endorsed these guidelines in 2014, the Blue Economy will come at a loss for small-scale fisheries and further their marginalization in the ocean economy. Under the umbrella of Blue Justice, this book demonstrates that these risks are real and must be considered as states implement their sustainable ocean development plans. These are human rights issues, which are embedded into governance principles and institutions and which make a difference for small-scale fisheries people in their daily lives. In stressing the importance of policies and institutions that build on the experiences of small-scale fisheries people in the contexts in which they operate, this book draws on case studies of small-scale fisheries from countries on all continents to clarify what Blue Justice entails for small-scale fisheries and make suggestions for real change. “Through the Blue Justice paradigm, this book flags the relevance of recognizing the potential impact that different factors, including the Blue Economy approach, could bring to fishing communities, their livelihoods, cultural traditions, and other potential multidimensional conflicts. Vulnerability in fishing communities can increase and inequalities can be reinforced at different levels if individuals and community capabilities are not strengthened... A first of its kind, not to be missed, this book is informative, purposeful, and pertinent in an era of change”. Silvia Salas, CINVESTAV, Marine Resources Department, Mérida, Mexico "The studies reveal that Blue Justice is a ‘governability’ issue, which requires establishing ‘right’ institutions, that are transdisciplinary (integrated), participatory, and holistic. It is implicit from these writings that the SSF Guidelines and Blue Growth initiatives do not form two different discourses, and that the implementation of the former would resolve many of the justice issues caused by the latter, in favor of small-scale fisheries and their communities". Oscar Amarasinghe, Professor & Chancellor, Ocean University of Sri Lanka and President, Sri Lanka Forum for Small Scale Fisheries (SLFSSF)

The Asia Regional Workshop on SDG 14.b and Its Associated Indicator 14.b.1 was organized to: (i) Raise awareness about SDG 14.b and the proposed indicator 14.b.1; (ii) Explore the indicator methodology and related issues on data and information sources, analysis, reporting and validation; this included the use of the e-learning platform specifically created for this proposed indicator; (iii) Share experiences and lessons learned regarding the reporting and validation process and identify reasons for non-reporting and non-validation; and (iv) Identify capacity development needs in relation to reporting and validation on SDG 14.b. The workshop was attended by approximately 60 participants from countries in South and Southeast Asia, invited panellists and FAO officers from Bangkok and Rome. Participating countries constituted Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (the), Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines (the), Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam.