Tackling alcoholism and domestic violence in fisheries - a new opportunity to improve wellbeing for the most vulnerable people in global fisheries

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) principle of ‘Leaving no one behind’ focusses global attention on the poorest and most vulnerable people. As different sectors grapple to engage meaningfully with this principle, we posit that greater consideration of social problems in fishing-dependent communities, such as alcoholism and domestic violence, presents an opportunity for fisheries governors to contribute to the SDGs mandate. We further argue that governing marine resources in ignorance of these problems can risk harming some of the most vulnerable people in fisheries. Using subjective wellbeing data from women living in two small-scale fishing communities in India and Sri Lanka, we demonstrate the prevalence and impact of alcoholism and domestic violence in fishing households. We further highlight how policies which restrict access to marine resources can undermine important coping strategies, in particular the ability of women to act as independent income-earners, exacerbating harm to already vulnerable women. A scoping review of the literature reveals that alcoholism and domestic violence are reported in certain fisheries around the world, and we theorise how this may relate to the nature of fishing life, and growing stresses regarding the future of fishing. Tackling the burdens of alcoholism and domestic violence in fisheries, where it is an issue, is an opportunity to improve wellbeing for men, women and their families. The paper concludes with tangible actions which marine resource governors could adopt to contribute to the ‘leave no one behind’ ethos