The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) has released the latest editions of two of its popular fisheries publications SAMUDRA Report, its triannual journal on fisheries, communities and livelihoods, and Yemaya, its newsletter on gender and fisheries.
SAMUDRA Report No. 77, dated September 2017, features articles on fisheries from around the world, notably, Brazil, Peru, New Zealand, Ireland, Ghana, Tanzania, West Africa, Canada, The Philippines and Fiji.
The editorial Comment in the current issue, titled ‘Working for Fishers’, focuses on the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188) of the International Labour Organization (ILO), which aims to protect and promote decent work and living conditions on board fishing vessels.
One article analyzes illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and how fishers on board IUU fishing vessels have to struggle against abysmally unacceptable working conditions. Another article points out the significant far-ranging implications of illegal fishing in West Africa.
From Brazil comes a piece that looks at the shellfish fisherwomen on the Paraná coast and how they work in abject conditions. The piece from Peru discusses the diversity of geography, gear and techniques of fishing in the country and the special attendant problems that face the sector.
How migrant fishers are often exploited on board vessels of fishing companies is the focus of the article from New Zealand, while that from Ireland also discusses migrant workers’ rights, emphasisizing the work of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).
Trafficking of child labour is the subject of the article from Ghana, which questions whether current interventions are far-reaching enough to tackle the problem. A piece from Tanzania reveals how the country’s fishers are vulnerable to social and work-related problems.
There are two articles on Canada in the current issue one on the salmon fishermen on the west coast, who are on the brink of bankruptcy, and the other, on how the new government of Canada aims to protect fishermen from foreign corporates.
Social sustainability in fish trade is analyzed in one article, which points out how sustainability hinges on the economic contribution of small-scale fishers.
From the Philippines comes a piece on tuna fishermen and how they need policy interventions to secure their rights, safety and protection. The piece from Fiji is on the participation of women in the country’s fisheries sector and the several challenges they face.
A review of the 2017 edition of the Pêcheurs du Monde film festival in Lorient, France, is followed by a report on the recent UN Ocean Conference, which is described as outstanding in its design and organization.
The back-of-the-book Roundup section carries a range of news, analysis, tidbits and announcements.
SAMUDRA Report No. 77 can be accessed at https://demo2.icsf.net/en/samudra/article/EN/77.html?limitstart=0
The latest edition of Yemaya, ICSF’s newsletter on gender and fisheries, Yemaya No. 55, dated September 2017, features articles from Ivory Coast, Sri Lanka, India and Brazil, as well as an article on films which discuss the role of women in the seafood industry, a position paper on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, presented during the plenary session at the UN Ocean Conference by Vivienne Solis Rivera, and Lisba Yesuda’s memorable address at the conference.
The article, ‘Moving Pictures’ by Ahana Lakshmi, looks at how women, although they make up more than 55 per cent of the seafood industry, in various roles, occupy only five per cent of decision-making positions. Many women in fishing communities have been raising their voices against this discrimination.
‘Roadmap for Survival’ by Pradip Chattertjee, points out that women from the Sundarbans in India are no longer willing to accept the status quo, and are debating the need for women’s fishworker organizations across occupational sectors, with the exclusive or main participation of women.
The article, ‘Brighter Future’, based on an interview with Micheline Dion Somiplehi of Ivory Coast by Beatruce Gorez in French, reveals that the FAO-Thiaroye Processing Technique (FTT) has met with considerable success, enhancing food safety and quality, improving working conditions, reducing post-harvest loss and increasing incomes.
‘A Double Struggle’ by Cornelie Quist describes the travails of women in Sri Lankan fisheries who have to fight for their rights as community members and as women. This is a critical lesson in the context of increasing stress among fishing communities, whether from climate-induced factors, or from human destructive factors such as war and conflict, where women are often the most directly impacted.
A profile of Helan Jasitha Fernando, an economically independent and strong woman who belongs to the Talaimannar region of Sri Lanka, shows how, for over a decade, fishing has been a mainstay in the pursuit of her livelihood.
The ‘What’s New, Webby?’ column highlights the website of the Women in Fisheries Network (WiFN) of Fiji, which is a rich trove of information about the organization’s activities as well as a collection of community stories, films and information about training and workshops.
The Q&A session with Joana Rodrigues Mousinho, a fisherwoman and member of the National Articulation of Fisherwomen (ANP) and the Movement of Fishermen and Fisherwomen (MPP), Pernambuco, Brazil, by Beatriz Mesquita Pedrosa Ferreira, shows how the women in Itapissuma took the initiative to get fishing licences.
The Milestones section presents the recently released handbook from FAO, ‘Towards Gender-equitable Small-scale Fisheries Governance and Development’.
The Yemaya Recommends column provides an overview of the book, ‘Community Fisheries Organizations of Cambodia’ by John Kurien, which brings together important insights on community empowerment in the traditional fisheries in Cambodia, gleaned through field work and consultations undertaken between 2012 and 2015.
The current issue also carries the ever-popular cartoon strip, Yemaya Mama.
Yemaya No. 55 can be accessed at: https://demo2.icsf.net/en/yemaya/article/EN/55.html?limitstart=0
For more, please visit demo2.icsf.net
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
2017 ICSF