Resources

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.

The relationship between the governance of small-scale fisheries and the realization of the right to adequate food in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals

This conceptual-level information note seeks to highlight the human rights aspects of the goals and targets relating to food security and small-scale fisheries (SSF), particularly from the perspective of the right to adequate food, and to demonstrate how this interrelationship plays out in the monitoring mechanisms established by relevant instruments.

The Tun Mustapha Compliance Plan

The Tun Mustapha Marine Park (TMP) is home to mangrove forests, sea grass beds and coral reefs all of which serve as a critical breeding ground for resident marine species, as well as migratory species such as whale sharks. In this report, we analyze the legal framework, competencies and jurisdictions of all marine enforcement agencies in order to design an enforcement system for the TMP project that is practical, affordable and feasible to implement over a four-year timeframe.

The Ecuador Blueprint - A plan to strengthen coastal marine protected areas

In this report, we analyze the legal framework, competencies and jurisdictions of all marine enforcement agencies in order to design a cost effective national surveillance system for Ecuador’s MPAs.

Territories of Life: 2021 Report

Territories of Life: 2021 Report is a local-to-global analysis of territories and areas conserved by Indigenous peoples and local communities (sometimes abbreviated as “ICCAs” or “territories of life”). This multi-scale approach weaves together diverse perspectives, insights and new findings about the grassroots global phenomenon of territories of life while also creating space for nuance and complexity. Overall, the report adds to a growing body of literature on the incontrovertible role of Indigenous peoples and local communities in ensuring a healthy planet for all, and the urgent actions required to support them.

Nearshore artisanal fisheries enforcement guide

WildAid in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy developed this guide to assist managers in designing a cost effective enforcement strategy for near shore artisanal fisheries. This document is not a recompilation of literature, but a practical guide based on our experience in the Eastern and Western Pacific.

Local management of marine resources - A guide for communities in Kenya and mainland Tanzania

This guide, available in both English and Kiswahili, has been designed to provide guidance to community members and resource users who wish to manage their own natural resources by developing a strategy for local management of their coastal area and marine resources. It is meant not as a comprehensive, step-by-step guide, but rather as an introduction to the important ideas and processes involved in establishing local management. The guide provides some links where those interested can find out further information or can request support and practical assistance.

ICSF's Summary of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication

The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) were adopted by member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and were officially approved as an international instrument in June 2014. Tis document is only a summation of the contents of the Guidelines.

Taking stock of the Voluntary Guidelines on Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries — Development and testing of a country-level assessment tool

The SSF Guidelines detail a rich, multisectoral compilation of good practices for a wide range of stakeholders to be aware of and to adopt to secure sustainable small-scale fisheries for food security and poverty eradication. As such the Tool is designed to raise awareness of these good practices and to support a country-level assessment of status of implementation to inform programming and project design.

Social protection for small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean region

This review includes the findings of a desk study, complemented by consultation and validation missions, on social protection systems in place and available to small-scale fishers in Mediterranean riparian states, and it outlines the specific cases of five Mediterranean countries (Albania, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia), setting out best practices and sharing recommendations.

The Governance of Artisanal Fisheries in the Sherbo River Area of Sierra Leone

This report sets out the historic and existing governance arrangements for artisanal fishing in the Sherbro River Estuary (hereafter the Estuary’), where fishing is vital to the livelihoods and food security of local communities. It uses research from 17 community visits and interviews of key stakeholders to analyse current and historic conditions at the levels of local communities, traditional authorities, local government and central government.

The need to establish fresh water and marine protected areas in Nigeria

This policy paper calls for the mapping out and creation of fresh water and marine protected areas in Nigeria, especially in the Niger Delta region. It outlines the need for and benefits of such areas, sources of inputs and steps in their establishment, and the associated legal institutional and policy frameworks. This paper can well be adapted and replicated for use across the Congo Basin and the Gulf of Guinea.

Towards gender-equitable small-scale fisheries governance and development

This document, Towards Gender-Equitable Small-Scale Fisheries – A handbook In support of the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (henceforth the “handbook”), was developed to support gender-equitable small-scale fisheries by enhancing the understanding of their gender dimensions, with a focus on the specific role and conditions of women in the small-scale fisheries sector.

Legislating for sustainable small-scale fisheries

This document, Legislating for Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries – A guide and considerations for implementing aspects of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication in National Legislation, is a tool for States to strengthen their fisheries legislation in order to establish conditions for inclusive and sustainable small-scale fisheries development, taking into account the interrelatedness of social, economic and environmental sustainability, while focusing on marginalized groups.

Too Big To Ignore: Blue Justice for Small-Scale Fisheries - A Global Scan, Volume 1

"TBTI has gathered stories and examples of policies, programs, projects, initiatives, regulatory frameworks, as well as other situations that create different types of injustice and inequity in small-scale fisheries. This first release of the ‘Blue Justice for Small-Scale Fisheries – A Global Scan’ e-book contains 18 stories from 14 countries."

Too Big To Ignore: Let's commit to Blue Justice

Join TBTI Global and its members around the world to speak up and take action for social justice for small-scale fisheries

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.

FAO Podcast TZH 46 - How do you tackle illegal fishing?

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is worth an estimated US$23 billion annually, but it’s wreaking havoc on marine resources and the environment. The Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), introduced in 2016, aims to tackle this global problem. It's the first binding international agreement that specifically targets illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. To date, 87 States are party to the treaty, with more to follow. To explain how the treaty works, we hear from Manuel Barange, director of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Matthew Camilleri, senior fisheries officer at FAO.