AKTEA network: perils and prospects

Twenty years of organising by women in Europe’s fisheries have led to important gains, challenges and opportunities

Innovative diversification of fishing units through women initiatives

Traditionally, European fisherwomen were often involved in fisheries sector by selling fish. Today, their contribution is more diversified with very limited legal recognition: management of fishing enterprise, maintenance of gears. Fisherwomen continue to sell fish because it is often a good way to get a better price. Confronted with economic difficulty, fishing households are faced with the alternative of re-conversion in another activity or the search for complementary source of incomes. One way of generating new income lies in the diversification of activities while remaining centred on fishing. Valorising the product and the image of fishing by processing or by providing catering/accommodation services is a route that many of them are exploring. Women occupy a centre position within this concept of fishing based diversification. They appear to have been very innovate in Europe by developing new activities such as accommodation for tourists, processing units, collective fish markets. By setting, under their responsibility, new activities, these women have gained more recognition as income providers in the households. It has also contributed to take many of them in the arena of public voicing. This presentation will be illustrated by empirical material collected under the EU funded FEMMES programme, a network launched by researchers in social and humans sciences and fisherwomen associations.Keywords: Europe, fisherwomen, innovation, Gender Issues in Fisheries and Aquaculture, Fisheries Economics, diversificatio

FWO: Revive, renew and re-launch!

AKTEA is the European network of women in fisheries and its main objective is to lobby at European Union level for women rights in fisheries. It was established in 2006 by fisherwomen organisations from different European countries who collectively volunteered to take this movement forward. For several years AKTEA was unable to organise its annual meeting due to lack of financial resources, amongst other reasons. In February 2020, however, the network was able to meet thanks to the partnership collaboration established with Low Impact Fishers in Europe (LIFE) and the financial support provided by the MAVA foundation

Towards transdisciplinary decision-support processes in fisheries: experiences and recommendations from a multidisciplinary collective of researchers

The shifting policy focus towards Ecosystem Based Management in Fisheries (EBFM) requires the integration of knowledge and disciplines and the engagement of stakeholders to support decision-making processes. Scientists contribute to this through (i) participatory research projects, (ii) stakeholder partnerships and (iii) institutional scientific advice processes. Understanding the role of scientists in such processes, the nature of the interactions between scientists, stakeholders and managers in knowledge integration and the link between science and policy is an emerging field of research addressing transdisciplinary challenges. In 2018, Ifremer-UMR AMURE organized the workshop ‘Science, Partnership and Decision-support in Fisheries’ bringing together international scientists from natural and social sciences to conduct a review based on twenty concrete case studies. Findings indicate that science-stakeholder-manager partnerships for decision-support in fisheries can play an essential role in the transition to EBFM. To foster this transition, eight recommendations are presented that cover the roles of the different participants, the expectations of partnerships, capacity building, the integration of the social sciences, and funding structures. Further, it is recommended that future research and innovation framework programmes into sustainable fisheries and other ocean uses should explicitly include mechanisms to foster transdisciplinary approaches and the development of best practices. Building-up networks and developing reflexive approaches to review experiences and practices for transdisciplinary approaches in EFBM decision-support will contribute to design the next generation transdisciplinary platforms and generating actionable knowledge towards EBFM

Building leaders for the UN Ocean Science Decade : a guide to supporting early career women researchers within academic marine research institutions

Diverse and inclusive marine research is paramount to addressing ocean sustainability challenges in the 21st century, as envisioned by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Despite increasing efforts to diversify ocean science, women continue to face barriers at various stages of their career, which inhibits their progression to leadership within academic institutions. In this perspective, we draw on the collective experiences of thirty-four global women leaders, bolstered by a narrative review, to identify practical strategies and actions that will help empower early career women researchers to become the leaders of tomorrow. We propose five strategies: (i) create a more inclusive culture, (ii) ensure early and equitable career development opportunities for women ECRs, (iii) ensure equitable access to funding for women ECRs, (iv) offer mentoring opportunities and, (v) create flexible, family-friendly environments. Transformational, meaningful, and lasting change will only be achieved through commitment and collaborative action across various scales and by multiple stakeholders.Peer reviewe

Women's Contribution in Small-scale Fisheries in the European Union

Women's contribution in European small-scale fisheries is high but still invisible in the public space in many Member States. This essay attempts to assess the contribution of women within this male-dominated industry in the absence of gender-based statistics. It first presents formal employment and unrecognized work of women in fisheries. A second section reviews the many cases where women initiale or contribute to the diversification of activities by fisher families. The essay also looks at the role of national or European legislation in enabling recognition of women's work and in facilitating or preventing income diversification in family-based fishing enterprises

Seaweeds Fisheries Management in France, Japan, Chile, Norway

http://application.sb-roscoff.fr/download/fr2424/documentation/guyard/MS7-MMAR%20Frangoudes.pdfInternational audienceCoastal communities have long gathered seaweeds for their own consumption, for animal feed and for fertilizer. The development of industrial use and trade of seaweeds generated income to local communities. The intensification of the exploitation led local communities to implement rules to regulate harvesting. This paper analyses the evolution of seaweed management regimes in four countries: France, Japan, Chile and Norway. Social justice within the communities and equity among gatherers appear to be the basic principles to these rules. Conflict avoidance is their concern much more than resource conservation. This review highlights the role played by fishers' organisations and the processing industries in the management of seaweeds.Gestion des pêcheries de macroalgues en France, au Japon, au Chili et en Norvège. Les communautés côtières ont de tout temps ramassé des algues, soit pour leur alimentation soit pour d'autres usages domestiques, fourrage ou engrais. L'usage des algues pour des fins industrielles et le développement de leur commerce a généré des revenus au sein des communautés côtières. L'intensification de la collecte des algues les a poussées à mettre en place des règles pour gérer l'exploitation. Ce papier analyse l'évolution des régimes de gestion des algues dans quatre pays : France, Japon, Chili et Norvège. Il en ressort que les règlements établis avaient pour objet la régulation de l'activité et non la conservation des ressources. Ils répondaient aux principes des communautés qui n'étaient autres que la justice sociale et l'équité entre les membres. L'objectif était l'évitement des conflits au sein de la communauté et entre communautés voisines. Les exemples traités mettent en évidence le rôle des organisations des pêcheurs et des industries de transformation en matière de gestion des algues