Subcategories

How can your fishery help build stronger communities? Small-scale fisheries are often social and economic engines for their communities. Responsible small-scale fisheries governance requires understanding the socioeconomic circumstances of all fishery-dependent stakeholders and requires finding ways to develop communities so that all people have decent work, access to essential services, and the ability to meet their basic needs. Start here to learn about social development, employment, and decent work, and explore the sub-categories below to find ways you can help build stronger communities. 

Resources

Small-scale fisheries and sustainable development

Key findings from the Illuminating Hidden Harvests report - This brief presents the main results from the Illuminating Hidden Harvests (IHH) report, providing new, clearer insights to support the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Science, knowledge & information gathering
Science and assessments
Fisheries policy, governance & management
Co-management
Human rights & gender equality
Human rights-based approach
Gender in fisheries
Social development & employment
Food security & nutrition

Ghost Gear Factsheets

Otherwise known as ‘ghost gear’, ALDFG is the most harmful form of marine debris as it is designed to last a long time. In response to a need for information on this topic, GCFI has produced new fact sheets that seek to share pertinent information about ALDFG and to promote the adoption of best management practices for preventing and reducing the impact of ALDFG.
Science, knowledge & information gathering
Fisheries policy, governance & management
Social development & employment
Social responsibility in seafood

Climate Change and Marine Fisheries in Africa: Assessing Vulnerability and Strengthening Adaptation Capacity

This report takes stock of available knowledge on the economic importance of marine fisheries in sub-Saharan Africa and the populations that depend on them and provides a biophysical analysis of the impacts of climate change as they have already been measured and how they are modeled to evolve, a socioeconomic analysis of the same impacts of climate change, and preliminary estimates of the vulnerability of marine fisheries.
Disaster risks & climate change
Climate change
Social development & employment
Social responsibility in seafood
Other resources & approaches
Capacity development

Securing sustainable small-scale fisheries: sharing good practices from around the world

This document includes eight studies showcasing good practices in support of sustainable small-scale fisheries. FAO commissioned these studies aiming to share experiences and promote the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines).
Science, knowledge & information gathering
Fisheries policy, governance & management
Co-management
Tenure rights
Value chains & post harvest
Market access
Human rights & gender equality
Human rights-based approach
Indigenous rights
Disaster risks & climate change
Social development & employment
Fisher and fishworker organizations
Social responsibility in seafood
Food security & nutrition
Other resources & approaches
Capacity development
Participatory processes and stakeholder engagement

Advancing Gender in the Environment: Gender in Fisheries – A Sea of Opportunity

This guide provides an overview of the unique roles and contributions women make in the wild-caught fisheries sector. The guide also explains how persistent gender inequalities limit women’s economic empowerment, and increased risks of gender-based violence negatively impact the potential of women to thrive and contribute towards strong economies.
Human rights & gender equality
Gender in fisheries
Social development & employment
Worker rights and decent work

Assessing inclusion in community-based natural resource management: A framework and methodology

This Guidance Note offers a framework that opens the “black box” of inclusion and removes uncertainty around the meaning of inclusion—in so doing we make clear distinctions between inclusion from more superficial forms or measures, especially attendance. The Guidance Note then presents a set of mixed methods and tools to assess inclusion (and exclusion) using this framework.
Fisheries policy, governance & management
Co-management
Fisheries management
Social development & employment
Worker rights and decent work

The Blue Swimming Crab Fishers and Fishing Practices in Leyte and Samar, Philippines

Blue swimming crab (BSC) industry contributes considerably to the region’s economy. Despite the extensive harvesting and marketing activities, there is no information on the people who make a living out of the BSC resource. This study provides suggestions to improve the management of BSC fishery by looking into the crabbers’ socio-demographic profile, crabbing gears, crabbing practices, and awareness of regulatory measures regarding BSC fishery management.
Fisheries policy, governance & management
Fisheries management
Social development & employment
Social responsibility in seafood

Energising local economies: experiences of solar start-ups in Kenya's small-scale fishing and agriculture sectors

How are enterprises and NGOs in rural Kenya addressing poor people’s needs for energy that helps them earn a living? This paper looks at what new solar start-ups are doing to promote productive energy use in the fishing, agriculture and service sectors. It asks what specific productive energy needs the projects are targeting — such as cold storage for fish caught in Lake Victoria — and how they address the various barriers that prevent communities from fulfilling those needs. The six case studies include microgrids, irrigation pumps and multi-service energy hubs.
Social development & employment
Other resources & approaches
Capacity development
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