Opening career pathways and providing equal opportunities for women is the focus of a world-first initiative that has seen an all-female deck crew set off on their first fishing trip on a tuna longline vessel.
This is the result of a collaboration between fishing company SeaQuest Fiji and the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, which seeks to begin addressing some of the issues creating the sizeable gender imbalance in the Pacific tuna industry.
Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency Director General, Dr Manu Tupou-Roosen said the women on this crew are pioneers, charting a new direction for the Pacific and the world by challenging the status quo.
‘The research tells us that most women’s jobs in Pacific fisheries are in processing (small scale and commercial) and marketing for the domestic market. Women working on fishing vessels are exceedingly rare,’ said Dr Tupou-Roosen.
‘There are a multitude of reasons why we don’t see women on fishing vessels from socio-cultural beliefs, family obligations, lack of skills and experience to attitudes to what roles women can play.
The uphill battle these women have faced to be on this vessel today is a testament to their strength, determination and commitment to their training. They are an inspiration for us and for generations to come.’