The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) has just published the latest issue of SAMUDRA Report, its triannual journal on fisheries, communities and livelihoods. The current edition, SAMUDRA Report No. 87, dated March 2022, features a range of articles from Africa, Asia and Europe, with a special focus on the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022).
The editorial Comment in the issue calls for collective and collaborative actions of all stakeholders to develop coherent and meaningful policies and legislation for the sector. Pointing out that IYAFA 2022 is a chance to create greater awareness about the role of small-scale fisheries in food production, and about the traditional knowledge and rich cultural diversity of fishing communities, the Comment hopes the year becomes a historic watershed for the sector and its communities.
The first article in the current issue reports on how a coalition of fishing communities, activists and lawyers has come together to keep the coasts and oceans of South Africa free of the destructive Blue Economy agenda.
From Japan comes an article on how the management of small-scale fishing in Hime-shima in Oita Prefecture shows the potential of collaboration on traditional knowledge and practices to overcome external threats.
Months after a container ship carrying toxic chemicals caught fire off the west coast of Sri Lanka, according to another article, fisherfolk still suffer from the dreadful aftereffects of the country’s worst marine ecological disaster.
Political turmoil following a military coup has robbed small-scale fisherfolk in Myanmar of their decade-long success in making democracy work for them, says another report.
As climate change continues to impact fishing communities, the international climate regime needs to do more to safeguard the global community, which did not happen at COP 26, as reported in an analytical piece in the current issue.
Also on the theme of climate change, another report points to the IPCC’s sixth assessment report, which says small-scale fishers are among those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
From India, a report on a meeting in Mumbai describes how women fishworkers of the coastal districts of Maharashtra drew up an agenda to advocate for their rights and livelihoods.
Across the world, small-scale fishers have set examples of leadership to meet the environmental challenge. Now, according to another report, Saint Mary’s University in Canada is leading an initiative that documents such exemplary efforts.
SAMUDRA Report No. 87 also carries the text of ICSF’s Statement on human rights submitted to the 24th meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-24) on 23 March 2022 at Geneva, Switzerland.
Conflicts over fishing gear have again erupted along the Coromandel Coast of India, according to a report in the issue, and they point to the urgent need for effective management.
Starting their international year on a high note, the African Confederation of Professional Organizations of Artisanal Fisheries (CAOPA) hopes to become a prominent platform, says another report, while one from Brazil wonders how spaces for dialogue between small-scale fisheries social movements, policymakers and scientists can be revived when they remain unlinked in local policy and management.
IYAFA 2022 should open our eyes to a future for sustainable fisheries around the world that does not lie merely in the scale of operations but in the artisanal attitude and its attendant culture, another article reminds us.
Yet another piece on this theme holds up IYAFA 2022 as a rare opportunity to promote much-needed transdisciplinary research into small-scale fisheries.
Despite the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic, the smart use of communication tools can make IYAFA 2022 a success, feels the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), according to report in the current issue.
Also in the issue is a review of an empathetic biography of famed fisheries scientist Daniel Pauly that tells a story of undying commitment to the study and protection of oceans.
The Roundup section of SAMUDRA Report No. 87 carries news snippets, event announcements, briefings on fishery-related matters, and more.
SAMUDRA Report No. 87 can be accessed at:
https://demo2.icsf.net/samudra-report/
ICSF is an international NGO that works towards the establishment of equitable, gender-just,self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector.
For more, please visit demo2.icsf.net