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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.