3WSFC: A time for transformation

The voices of small-scale fishers and civil society organizations were loud and clear at the 3rd World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress. By all accounts, the past ten years have been truly exceptional for small-scale fisheries. One of the highlights is the adoption of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) by FAO member states in 2014. As the first international instrument specifically designed for small-scale fisheries, the SSF Guidelines give the much-needed visibility to this important sector, calling all parties to promote small-scale fisheries sustainability through a human-rights based approach. The SSF Guidelines set off waves of excitement and optimism about the new era for small-scale fisheries

Coastal Fisheries of South America and the Caribbean

The importance of fisheries for coastal communities and livelihoods in South America-Latin America; and the Caribbean (LAC) is well documented. This is particularly the case for 'coastal fisheries', including subsistence, traditional (artisanal) and advanced artisanal (or semi-industrial) varieties. There are, however, major gaps in knowledge about these fisheries, and major challenges in their assessment and management. Therein lies the key theme of this document, which seeks to contribute to a better understanding of coastal fisheries in the LAC region, as well as to generate discussion about ways to move towards sustainable fisheries. The document includes three main components. First, an introductory chapter provides an overview of general trends in the fisheries of the LAC countries, as well as some of the key challenges they are facing in terms of sustainability. Second, a set of twelve chapters each reporting on the coastal fisheries of one country in South America-Latin America; and the North America (Caribbean); collectively covering fisheries of each main subregion: the Caribbean islands (North America (Caribbean)-North America (Caribbean)-Barbados; Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago), North and Central America (North America (Central America)-Costa Rica; Mexico) and South America (Argentina, South America (Northeastern)-Brazil; South America (Northwestern)-South America (Northwestern)-Colombia; Uruguay). All these country-specific chapters follow an integrated approach, to the extent possible, covering aspects ranging from the biological to the socio-economic. Third, the final component of the document contains a synthesis of information from the countries examined, an analysis of the main issues and challenges faced by the various fisheries, an outline of policy directions to improve fisheries management systems in the LAC region, identification of routes toward more integrated approaches for coastal fisheries management, and recommendations for 'ways forward' in dealing with fishery assessment and governance issues in the region

A decision support tool for response to global change in marine systems: the IMBER-ADApT Framework

Global change is occurring now, often with consequences far beyond those anticipated. Although there is a wide range of assessment approaches available to address-specific aspects of global change, there is currently no framework to identify what governance responses have worked and where, what has facilitated change and what preventative options are possible. To respond to this need, we present an integrated assessment framework that builds on knowledge learned from past experience of responses to global change in marine systems, to enable decision-makers, researchers, managers and local stakeholders to: (i) make decisions efficiently; (ii) triage and improve their responses; and (iii) evaluate where to most effectively allocate resources to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience of coastal people. This integrated assessment framework, IMBER-ADApT is intended to enable and enhance decision-making through the development, a typology of case-studies providing lessons on how the natural, social and governance systems respond to the challenges of global change. The typology is developed from a database of case-studies detailing the systems affected by change, responses to change and, critically, an appraisal of these responses, generating knowledge-based solutions that can be applied to other comparable situations. Fisheries, which suffer from multiple pressures, are the current focus of the proposed framework, but it could be applied to a wide range of global change issues. IMBER-ADApT has the potential to contribute to timely, cost-effective policy and governing decision-making and response. It offers cross-scale learning to help ameliorate, and eventually prevent, loss of livelihoods, food sources and habitat.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Transboundary research in fisheries

Spatial boundaries have become an indispensable part of regimes and tools for regulating fisheries, with examples including marine protected areas, regional fisheries management organizations and Exclusive Economic Zones. Yet, it is also widely acknowledged that boundaries are a social construct, which may be resisted by both fishers and fish ecology. The ensuing spatial and institutional mismatches have been shown to frustrate management efforts, exacerbating issues of non-compliance and ultimately leading to conflicts and overfishing. Interestingly, the often static and rigid nature of these boundaries has also led to a concomitant research interest in ‘transboundary’. This paradoxical situation of more boundary-setting entailing more transboundary thinking warrants a deeper understanding about boundaries and the role of transboundary research in fisheries. The aims of this review article are twofold: (1) a theoretical clarification on the meanings and uses of spatial boundaries drawing on geographical “boundary studies” literature; and (2) a construction of a typology that outlines how transboundary research is being articulated and envisioned. Together, the study reveals that transboundary scholarship in fisheries are mostly related to resources, fleets, trade and governance aspects and that dealing with the “boundary paradox” encompasses re-incorporating, re-scaling and re-imagining of boundaries. This article provides a conceptual basis for reflecting upon boundaries in world's fisheries and opens up discussions for a more nuanced boundary application that can better cope with multi-level interactions and dynamicity

Impacts of CETA on Sustainability of Northern Tip Coastal Communities

The main objective of this research project was to contextualize the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic & Trade Agreement (CETA) for the fisheries of the Great Northern Peninsula (GNP), Newfoundland and Labrador. This research was first discussed in a regional engagement session in December 2017 in St. Anthony where it received final approval from community partners (Harris Centre, 2017). Assessing the impact of CETA on the coastal communities and fisheries of the GNP was accomplished through a two-pronged approach. First, an institutional assessment, informed by a governance perspective analyzed CETA as an institution in the governing system of the region, looking at the extent of compatibility between the agreement and current fisheries management policies. Second, fieldwork was completed in the GNP to capture initial responses to the agreement. There were two main findings of this research. First, it was found through an institutional assessment that CETA impacts the governing system of the region through its principle of ‘national treatment’ which enables market access. Although CETA increases access to one of the largest seafood import markets globally by reducing tariffs on key seafood products (i.e., Northern shrimp, snow crab, Northern cod), the ‘national treatment’ principle contributes to the phase out of a domestic fisheries policy, the provincial minimum processing requirement (MPR). This phase-out has been pointed to as a potential threat to coastal communities (Sabau & Boksh, 2017, Song & Chuenpagdee, 2015), and this research suggests that it contributes to one of multiple external stressors enacted on seafood processing plants. Second, through interviews carried out with local and non-local informants, it was found that there were three major aspects of CETA that initially impacted communities. These aspects are the reduction and elimination of tariffs for seafood products destined to the EU, the provincial MPR phase-out, and the joint provincial-federal funding scheme, the Atlantic Fisheries Fund (AFF). Although tariff phase-outs were initially considered to be positive as it represented easier access to the EU market, the MPR phase-out was incompatible with local goals of processing sector viability, and the AFF was seen as inadequate to address the long-term problems in the fishery and processing sector. The report is structured as follows. First, it presents a summary of key findings. Second, a background of the study area is presented, followed by rationale, objectives, and methodology. Next, CETA is described in relation to fisheries policy and seafood trade. Following this the results of the research are presented. The report concludes with a summary of the research as well as a brief report on the Research Engagement Session held after the completion of the research in July 2019

A bottom-up understanding of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in Lake Victoria

© 2016 by the authors. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a major concern in fisheries management around the world. Several measures have been taken to address the problem. In Lake Victoria, the alleviation of IUU fishing is implemented through the Regional Plan of Action (RPOA-IUU), which restricts use of certain fishing gear, as well as prohibits fishing in closed areas and during closed seasons. Despite the long-term efforts to monitor and control what goes on in the fisheries, IUU fishing has persisted in Lake Victoria. Inspired by interactive governance theory, this paper argues that the persistence of IUU fishing could be due to different images that stakeholders have about the situation, rather than the lack of management competency. Through structured interviews with 150 fisheries stakeholders on Ijinga Island in the southeastern part of Lake Victoria, Tanzania, using paired comparison questionnaires, the study elicits stakeholders' perspective about the severity of different locally-pertinent fishing-related activities. The results show that while fisheries stakeholder groups agree on their judgments about certain fishing gears, some differences are also apparent. For instance, fisheries managers and scientists do not always agree with fishing people about what activities cause the most damage to fisheries resources and ecosystem. Further, they tend to consider some IUU fishing-related activities less damaging than some non-IUU fishing. Such disparity creates governability challenges, pointing to the need to revisit relevant regulatory measures and to make them consistent with the knowledge and judgments of all stakeholders. Based on these findings, we discuss governing interventions that may contribute to addressing IUU fishing in Lake Victoria and elsewhere