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

Strengthening organizations and collective action in fisheries: Towards the formulation of a capacity development program

This document provides a summary of the presentations, discussions, working group sessions and recommendations of the workshop “Strengthening organizations and collective action in fisheries: towards the formulation of a capacity development programme,” held in Barbados on 4–6 November 2014. The document also includes the nine in-depth case studies presented during the workshop and a contributed paper.
Fisheries policy, governance & management
Co-management
Fisheries management
Social development & employment
Fisher and fishworker organizations
Other resources & approaches
Capacity development
Participatory processes and stakeholder engagement

Cooperatives in small-scale fisheries: enabling successes through community empowerment

"Cooperatives in the small-scale fisheries sector are a way of maximizing long-term community benefits to deal with the threats of fisheries mismanagement, livelihood insecurity and poverty – harsh realities for many of the world’s small-scale fishers. Communities with successful community-based organizations are better off than those without (Ostrom, 1990). Successful cooperatives are possible, feasible and desirable and play an important role in community development. Cooperatives have the potential to empower small-scale fishers against environmental and socio-economic shocks such as catch shortfalls, sickness and death in their families, natural disasters and hunger. The following case studies show how fisheries cooperatives contribute to improving the conditions of small-scale fishers around the globe."
Fisheries policy, governance & management
Co-management
Fisheries management
Value chains & post harvest
Value add and processing
Social development & employment
Fisher and fishworker organizations

Participatory frameworks and stakeholder strengthening

FAO's course to develop an understanding of the actors and organizations involved in rural poverty reduction and the ways in which they interact. The importance of participatory framework, approaches and methods is highlighted, and the importance of a collaborative and inclusive way of working.
Fisheries policy, governance & management
Co-management
Social development & employment
Fisher and fishworker organizations
Other resources & approaches
Capacity development
Participatory processes and stakeholder engagement

Safety at Sea for small-scale fishers in the Caribbean

This manual on safety at sea for small-scale fishers in the Caribbean aims to contribute to a culture of safety awareness among fisherfolk, reduce the number of accidents and increase the chances of survival if accidents occur. The manual provides guidance on safety matters related to the work on a small-scale fishing vessel (e.g. fire safety, deck safety, lifesaving equipment, lighting and ventilation), personal safety and navigation safety.
Social development & employment
Worker rights and decent work

Overview: Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (the SSF Guidelines)

This video gives a brief overview of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (the SSF Guidelines), adopted by member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2014.
Science, knowledge & information gathering
Fisheries policy, governance & management
Fisheries management
Value chains & post harvest
Human rights & gender equality
Disaster risks & climate change
Social development & employment
Food security & nutrition

The Social Responsibility Assessment Tool for the Seafood Sector

The Social Responsibility Assessment Tool for the Seafood Sector, is useful as a diagnostic, benchmarking, or risk-assessment tool for conducting human rights due diligence in seafood supply chains.
Science, knowledge & information gathering
Science and assessments
Human rights & gender equality
Human rights-based approach
Social development & employment
Worker rights and decent work
Social responsibility in seafood
Food security & nutrition

Handbook for improving living conditions on board fishing vessels

This Handbook on improving living and working conditions on board fishing vessels has been developed to assist competent authorities, representative organizations of employers and workers (in particular, representative organizations of fishing vessel owners and fishers), as well as others with an interest in the sector, in order to gain a better understanding of the provisions of Convention No. 188 and Recommendation No. 199.
Human rights & gender equality
Human rights-based approach
Social development & employment
Worker rights and decent work
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