Human rights-based approach

Small-scale fishing communities benefit from recognizing the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable human rights of all individuals. Learn how to analyze inequities and apply human rights-based approach principles to small-scale fisheries.

Resources

Women & Gender Policy Action Toolkit

This Toolkit outlines fisher declarations, resources, and webinars in support of women and gender equality in small-scale fisheries.

Hybrid training on the international and national avenues for the legal empowerment of small-scale fishers

This hybrid training event on human rights and fisheries is co-organised by the One Ocean Hub with the Danish Institute for Human Rights. It aims at supporting generative collaboration between small-scale fishers, researchers, fisheries specialists, environmental NGOs, human rights practitioners and international and national human rights mechanisms to protect the human rights of small-scale fishers.

Webinar: International human rights mechanisms and fisheries

The dialogue series explores how national and international human rights actors are using their respective mandates to promote and protect the rights of small-scale fishers, fish workers and their communities.

The second webinar focuses on protecting the human rights of small-scale fishers through international human rights mechanisms. Representatives from the mechanisms share examples of current advice and recommendations to states in relation to the human rights of small-scale fishers and indigenous peoples. This is followed by discussions on opportunities for deepening their engagement and collaboration on these issues with national human rights institutions, civil society and other key actors.

Customary Law, Tangible & Intangible Heritage, and Ocean Governance Workshops - Workshop 1

This is a recording from the first workshop in One Ocean Hub’s Customary Law, Tangible & Intangible Heritage, and Ocean Governance workshop series. The workshop took place 6 May 2022.

This workshop focused on scene-setting and baseline setting discussing current developments and recent questions surrounding customary laws and tangible / intangible heritage within ocean governance processes.

Namibia’s Experience on Implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on Small-Scale Fisheries (Part 2)

The aim of the webinar is to cross-share experiences between the Namibia Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, as well as key national, regional and international partners and stakeholders in the small-scale fisheries (SSF) sector on developments, plans and programmes to support of the development of the SSF Sector. This webinar is designed to provide evidence required to support the development and realisation of a National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries in Namibia (NPOA-SSF).

Namibia’s Experience on Implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on Small-Scale Fisheries (Part 1)

The aim of the webinar is to cross-share experiences between the Namibia Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, as well as key national, regional and international partners and stakeholders in the small-scale fisheries (SSF) sector on developments, plans and programmes to support of the development of the SSF Sector. This webinar is designed to provide evidence required to support the development and realisation of a National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries in Namibia (NPOA-SSF).

Small-scale fishers and ocean well-being

This roundtable will highlight the often-overlooked connections between the lives and livelihoods of Small-Scale Fishers, their role and risks as environmental human rights defenders, and the needs and opportunities to work with Small-Scale Fishers as crucial partners in the conservation, sustainable use and restoration of marine biodiversity in the face of a changing climate.

COVID-19 impacts on the South African Small-Scale Fisheries Sector

In this presentation, Dr Bernadette Snow, Nelson Mandela University, shares early inter-disciplinary research findings on the effects of COVID-19 and the related lock-down measures on the small-scale fisheries sector in South Africa.

Small-Scale Fisheries and Blue Justice: Procedural and Substantive Rights of Fisherfolks

This seminar will explore the role and practical relevance of international legal instruments for the recognition and full realisation of the human rights of small-scale fishers, such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the context of food security and poverty eradication.

Exploring Challenges, Opportunities & Alliances for the Protection of Small-scale Fishers’ Human Rights

This two-hours roundtable is organized by the One Ocean Hub with the support and technical assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The event will explore the need for a comprehensive understanding of the human rights of small-scale fishers and how different mandates across the United Nations System can contribute to enhancing the protection of the human rights of small-scale fishers, fisherworkers, and their communities.

Applying coherently the human rights-based approach to small-scale fisheries for achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals

Applying coherently the human rights-based approach to small-scale fisheries for achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals

Defenders of the Ocean

This short animation film tells the story of a South African small-scale fisherwoman, Hilda Adams, who poignantly talks about the challenges small-scale fisher communities face. The film explains how the One Ocean Hub works with small-scale fishers, UN agencies and other partners to protect small-scale fishers and their communities human rights during the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries (IYAFA) and beyond.

Video-message: Ms Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Video-message from Ms Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: The importance of raising awareness of the need of a holistic approach to the protection of the human rights of small-scale fishers and fishworkers in the context of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA).

Ocean & Women

This short film presents the story of a Ghanaian fish worker, Peace Gavour Abla, and discusses the challenges faced by Ghanaian women living in coastal communities. The film highlights the importance of improving the protection of women’s human rights in small-scale fisheries and holding governments and businesses accountable

Cases Concerning Indigenous People's Rights and Fisheries

The report is based on previous publications and cases compiled by the Danish Institute for Human Rights, input from the Expert Meeting organised at the margins of the 2023 Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, as well as additional desk research. It was developed and published with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) through the project “Sustainable Oceans – Pursuing a human rights-based approach to fisheries and aquaculture”

Human rights-based approach to the implementation and monitoring of the SSF Guidelines - Background Paper

The paper aims to explain and demonstrate what human rights-based approach (HRBA) means in relation to the various thematic areas and actors addressed in the SSF Guidelines.

The rights of Indigenous peoples in the context of fisheries and aquaculture

This brief examines the respect, protection and fulfilment of Indigenous peoples’ rights to marine resources, marine territories and coastal land, and give guidance for indigenous peoples on what can be claimed in relation to specific human rights.

A Human Rights-Based Approach to Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture

A fact sheet on a human rights-based approach to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture

Sector-wide Human Rights Impact Assessment (SWIA) in small-scale artisanal fishing communities in Barguna and Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh

This report presents the findings of a sector wide human rights impact assessment (SWIA)1 carried out in small-scale artisanal fishing communities in Barguna and Cox’s Bazar Districts in Bangladesh during 2019-2020.

Guidelines for Supporting Fishery Improvement Projects

With the 2022 update, the Guidelines explain how FIPs create opportunities to drive change through collective public-private action to address human rights and labor rights issues. To identify social risks, the Guidelines recommend that FIPs use the Social Responsibility Assessment Tool for the Seafood Sector (SRA), a rapid assessment tool that FIPs can use to identify areas of risk related to social issues, or similar tool.

Empowering Marginalised Actors

To empower marginalised actors to become willing and able to engage proactively with more powerful market actors.

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).