SSF Hub Champions 2021
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Earlier this year, the SSF Hub welcomed 5 individuals and 2 organizations from Mexico, Peru, Montserrat and Indonesia as SSF Hub Champions.
These Champions have served as ambassadors for the SSF Hub and have participated in various activities including sharing their experiences and insights, joining events and bringing awareness to the stories and needs of their communities. Their participation, experiences and feedback will help the SSF Hub continue to evolve and adapt to the needs of small-scale fishers, fish workers and community leaders around the world.
Can you share more about you and your role within the small-scale fishing community?
My role within the small-scale fishing community is one of collaboration. I focus on co-design and participatory research projects that include fishers as co-partners. This work allows me to share and amplify the challenges and allyship of the small-scale fishing communities with whom I work. Current projects that I am involved in include Project DigiFish and Maka Nui. DigiFish is promoting the use of digital technologies and innovative data analysis methods to support the application of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) in partnership with The Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organization (BARNUFO).
What have you learned, or what has stood out to you, throughout your time as a SSF Hub Champion?
Small islands & territories increasingly seek to develop and sometimes conserve marine resources through the blue economy, blue carbon, and the 30x30 initiative. However, as our governments actively consider the promises of 'blue' foreign investors such as global biotech firms and energy prospectors, there is also a looming threat of deep-seabed mining (whereby the impacts on deep-sea ecosystem processes and ocean health remain unknown). The promise to islanders is to help us 'rethink' tourism, improve food security, create improved livelihoods and access to good paying jobs. It is often not communicated the substantial risks that can arise for not just our environment, but for small-scale fisheries too. Within this context, I'm honored to be a part of a new breed of champions at the SSF Hub who seek to know, understand and collaborate rather than conquer and extract.
[Note: English translation is provided below the original text.]
¿Puedes compartir más sobre usted y su rol dentro de la comunidad pesquera a pequeña escala?
Soy Percy Gianmarco Bayona Fiestas, Br de Ingeniería Pesquera de la Universidad Nacional de Piura. Actualmente me desempeño como tesista del Proyecto "Aumento de la resiliencia en las comunidades pesqueras a los impactos del COVID-19 en el norte de Perú", realizando la tesis en mi comunidad pesquera, La Islilla, sobre "Impacto productivo y económico del COVID-19 en la cadena de valor de la pesca artesanal costera en la comunidad de La Islilla, Piura - Perú".
¿Qué ha aprendido, o qué le ha llamado la atención, a lo largo de su tiempo como Campeón del SSF Hub?
Lo que me llamó la atención dentro del grupo de campeónes del SSF Hub es conocer a diferentes actores de otros lugares que quieren mejorar las condiciones de la pesca artesanal en sus comunidades y pueden compartirlo dentro del grupo para debatir y conocer sus realidades.
Can you share more about you and your role within the small-scale fishing community?
I am Percy Gianmarco Bayona Fiestas, Br from Fisheries Engineering at the National University of Piura. Currently I am working on the thesis of the project "Increasing the resilience in fishing communities to the impacts of COVID-19 in northern Peru," doing the thesis in my fishing community, La Islilla, on the "Productive and economic impact of COVID-19 in the value chain of coastal artisanal fishing in the community of La Islilla, Piura - Perú".
What have you learned, or what has stood out to you, throughout your time as a SSF Hub Champion?
What caught my attention within the SSF Hub Champions group is meeting different actors from other places who want to improve the conditions of artisanal fishing in their communities and can share it within the group to discuss and learn about their realities.
[Note: English translation is provided below the original text.]
¿Puedes compartir más sobre usted y su rol dentro de la comunidad pesquera a pequeña escala?
Con pescadores de la comunidad, estamos desarrollando la aplicación de una pesquería eco-amigable, específica para atunes, para evitar la pesca incidental de fauna en peligro. Comprendiendo a las comunidades de Cabo Blanco, El Ñuro, Los Órganos y Máncora y nuevas pesquerías.
¿Qué ha aprendido, o qué le ha llamado la atención, a lo largo de su tiempo como Campeón del SSF Hub?
En el periodo como Campeón es importante haber conocido el trabajo de las comunidades de pescadores artesanales y principalmente el trabajo de la mujer, como Kokoly y otras, las cuales comparto en mis páginas sociales.
Can you share more about you and your role within the small-scale fishing community?
With fishermen from the community, we are developing the application of an eco-friendly fishery, specifically for tuna, to avoid accidental fishing of endangered fauna. Understanding the communities of Cabo Blanco, El Ñuro, Los Órganos and Máncora and new fisheries.
What have you learned, or what has stood out to you, throughout your time as a SSF Hub Champion?
In the period as Hub Champion, it is important to have known the work of the artisanal fishing communities and mainly the work of women, such as Madame Kokoly and others, which I've shared about on my social media profiles.
Can you share more about you and your role within the small-scale fishing community?
Mitra Bentala is an NGO domiciled in the province of Lampung, Indonesia. We are committed to empowering communities in coastal areas and small islands, one of which is that we are currently assisting small-scale fishing communities for blue swimming crab (BSC) commodities on the east coast of Lampung, Indonesia. There are 19 communities that we have assisted with the concept of catching crabs that are environmentally friendly as well as organizational independence.
What have you learned, or what has stood out to you, throughout your time as a SSF Hub Champion?
As long as we participate in the discussion group as SSF Hub Champions on the platform, we can connect with various communities and individuals engaged in environmentally friendly and sustainable fisheries. We also received information on fisheries from various countries that have been implemented. Very cool this platform!
Trazando el Rumbo de la Pesca provides a virtual space for fishermen and women in Mexico to discuss the needs and opportunities in their sector, share key information for activities and events and promote public policies that strengthen their conditions. Learn more about Trazando el Rumbo de la Pesca here.
Miswan is a crab fisherman and chairman of the forum for the Committee for Sustainable Blue Swimming Crab Fishing Management (KPPRB).
Guswarman is a facilitator at Mitra Bentala and works on projects as a consultant with Environmental Defense Fund.