Small-scale fisheries (SSF) account for over half of the global catch and 95% of the world’s fisheries, but are also responsible for the great majority of unregulated catch, said Michel Dejean, the director of CLS’ fisheries division since 2018 in a comment to Undercurrent News.
“As a result, there is a growing push to include them in fisheries management to
understand how much is caught, which species and where,” he says. “But for many reasons, the approaches currently used to regulate large scale industrial fisheries are simply not going to work for SSFs.”
He states that the everyday work at SSFs differs considerably from industrial fishing since they are extremely diverse and numerous. Large-scale fishing fleets apply more sophisticated methods and techniques, using expensive tracking technology that very few traditional fishers can afford.
“Many of them are not full-time fishermen and don’t necessarily own expensive boats, gear or investments to amortize. The economic model for SSFs, therefore, must be different and the technology made affordable,” Dejean said.
“If we simply copy the industrial model, regulating things like the mesh size of the net or quotas based on a limited list of species, it clearly won’t work. A whole new approach is needed but it must be collaborative.”
The EU has prioritized the tracking of SSF vessels in a joint effort to ensure the future and sustainability of fisheries. The European project STARFISH 4.0, in which CLS is the coordinator, is an example of this approach in practice.
The project claims to be a demonstration of a solar hybrid tracking device and digital tools for the safety for artisanal fishermen and sustainable management of SSFs. It will be trialing a new piece of vessel monitoring system technology for small-scale fishers, that CLS will then further develop using their feedback.
“Europe chose this project precisely because it is participatory, building a culture of compliance among traditional fishers before regulation,” Dejean explains. “Fishing communities, CLS, local partners, and fishermen’s associations will all work together to develop a system that has value for fishermen.”
He believes this new approach will be welcomed by SSF communities in terms of safety and security but also when it comes to market considerations.
“Most of them have experienced loss of life at the sea, so technology that enhances their safety is often well-received,” he says. “In addition, consumers are more concerned now about the supply chain, traceability and sustainability of what they consume and more and more small-scale fishermen are asked by their trading partners about the details of their catch and whether it is sustainable or not.”
Dejean has been for working for CLS since he joined in 1997, but he has worked in fisheries management solutions with governments, NGOS and fisheries all over the world, which he says has given him a strong idea of what sustainability needs to be for both fishers and regulators.
“A new ‘working together’ mindset along with the necessary new technology is needed, with SSFs and regulators working collaboratively towards sustainable fisheries management,” Dejean told Undercurrent.
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