Small Scale Fisheries In Asia

Because of the new ocean regime of extended fisheries jurisdictions, governments of developing countries in Asia, and elsewhere, face a unique opportunity for upgrading their depressed coastal fisheries to take advantage of their enlarged resource base. This volume is a partial response to the resulting need for a better understanding of the constraints and opportunities facing small-scale fisheries. It contains 23 papers on small-scale capture and culture fisheries from five Asian countries -- Bangladesh, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand -- based on original field research sponsored by the International Development Research Centre. Among the subjects covered are socio-economic conditions, productivity and economic efficiency, cost structure and profitability, marketing, social and institutional constraints, and government programs.

This book advances discussions of values in fisheries by showing the rich theoretical insights and connections possible when value is grounded in a multi-dimensional social well being approach. Questions of value have long been a central, if often unacknowledged, concern in maritime studies and in research on fisheries. Social scientists have looked at changing perceptions of value as coastal regions and fisheries have industrialized, economic interconnections have deepened, ecosystems have been depleted, shifts in population have occurred, and governance arrangements have been transformed. With a focus on the diverse ways in which small-scale fisheries are valued, the contributions to this volume address these and other themes through cases from numerous countries in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. “This volume provides a timely contribution to the development of new approaches that seek to capture the complexity of how fisheries can be understood beyond standard mo no-dimensional, and often economic, interpretations. Each chapter makes a clear and stand-alone contribution to conceptual and methodological advancement, and collectively these works cover a wide range of frameworks and schools of thought.” Dr Sarah Coulthard, Senior Lecturer in International Development, Northumbria University, UK “The list of contributing authors [is] impressive and covers a wide geographical range of illustrative examples, [which] helps to demonstrate the global value of small-scale fisheries.” Professor J. Allister McGregor, Professor in Political Economy, the University of Sheffield, UK

The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) represent the first ever international instrument dedicated to small-scale fisheries. They represent a global consensus on principles and guidance for small-scale fisheries governance and development. They were developed for small-scale fisheries in close collaboration with representatives of small-scale fisheries organizations in a participatory process between 2011-13, involving over 4000 stakeholders; facilitated by FAO, based on a mandate by COFI. They are directed at all those involved in the sector and intend to guide and encourage governments, fishing communities and other stakeholders to work together and ensure secure and sustainable small-scale fisheries for the benefit of small-scale fishers, fish workers and their communities as well as for society at large.

This photostory book celebrates the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 (IYAFA 2022) by showing the diversity of the small-scale fisheries and aquaculture sector in Asia, as home to the majority of the world's small-scale fishers, fish farmers, and fish workers. The photostory book pays homage to the many women and men at all stages of the small-scale fisheries and aquaculture value chain who are involved in capturing, harvesting, processing and trading. The photostory book introduces the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 and shows how the celebration of IYAFA 2022 contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and provides an impetus towards the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication and the United Nations Decade on Family Farming.

Fisheries and aquaculture contribute to food security and livelihoods of millions of people in Asia. Both women and men are engaged in fisheries and aquaculture. In the past ten years, many actors have worked on raising awareness on women’s contribution as well as promoting gender equality in fisheries and aquaculture. This study aims to consolidate the efforts to date to provide recommendations for action and future studies. Its objective is to answer the following questions for small-scale fisheries and aquaculture in Asia: (i) What is the division of labour between women and men in specific fisheries and aquaculture practices and what are the differences with respect to their access to assets, resources and entitlements? (ii) What are the drivers of such differences? (iii) What could be critical entry points and opportunities for addressing inequalities and discriminatory practices? To answer these questions, the study conducted an online literature search on gender and fisheries and aquaculture in Asia, selecting articles published between 2011 and 2021. This period was selected to understand the contemporary condition and state of knowledge, and since we aimed for an exhaustive list of literature, some limits in the time period was necessary. The review included both published peerreviewed papers in journals as well as other research and project reports that are available online. In total, it reviewed 253 publications on fisheries and 210 publications on aquaculture. The top four countries where studies were conducted are India (44.3 percent of fisheries and 24.3 percent of aquaculture articles), the Philippines (35.6 percent of fisheries and 17.6 percent of aquaculture articles), Bangladesh (27.7 percent of fisheries and 32.9 percent of aquaculture articles) and Indonesia (30.8 percent of fisheries and 20.5 percent of aquaculture articles). The findings based on each research question are presented in this publication.

Drawing on more than 30 case studies from around the world, this book offers a multitude of examples for improving the governance of small-scale fisheries. Contributors from some 36 countries argue that reform, transformation and innovation are vital to achieving sustainable small-scale fisheries - especially for mitigating the threats and vulnerabilities of global change. For this to happen, governing systems must be context-specific and the governability of small-scale fisheries properly assessed. The volume corresponds well with the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries adopted in 2014, spearheaded by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). These affirm the importance of small-scale fisheries for food security, nutrition, livelihoods, rural development and poverty reduction. The book arises from the project Too Big To Ignore: Global Partnership for Small-Scale Fisheries Research (TBTI). "A nuanced, diverse, vibrant and local-specific collection of essays – just as the small-scale fisheries around the world - dealt with by this versatile array of authors. Following on the heels of the recently adopted FAO Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines, here is an erudite compendium which I heartily recommend to policy makers, academics and activists who wish to come to terms with the complex issue of governance of this important field of human activity." John Kurien - Founding Member of the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), and Former Professor, Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, India "Likely to become a classic in its field, this book is about small-scale fisheries and interactive governance – governance which is negotiated, deliberated upon, and communicated among stakeholders who often share governing responsibilities. The authors show that interactive governance is not just a normative theory but a phenomenon that can be studied empirically, here with 34 case studies from as many countries around the world, north and south, east and west. Such "force of example" enables the editors to put together well-developed arguments and sometimes surprising conclusions about the way ahead. A must-read for managers, practitioners, stakeholders, and students!" Fikret Berkes - University of Manitoba, Canada, and author of Coasts for People