The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) has released two publications on small-scale fisheries and their contribution to food security, poverty alleviation and sustainability.
One is a brochure that addresses the importance of small-scale fishers and fishworkers, including women who comprise up to 90 per cent of the workforce in upstream secondary activities. It also explains the diversity and common characteristics that exist in the sector which help, secure sustainability.
For millions of people around the world, small-scale fisheries is a socially and culturally fulfilling way of life, and contributes to local economic develpment, food security, foreign exchange earnings and sustainable, environment-friendly development.
The brochure also addresses the challenges facing small-scale fisheries. These include precarious and exploitative working conditions, insecure tenure rights, poor access to basic services, weak organization, top-down conservation initiatives, and pollution and degradation of natural habitats.
The second publication is a leaflet on the Draft Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries (SSF) in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Alleviation, initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The leaflet explains the SSF Guidelines, how they are being developed and the role of civil society organizations in the process. The leaflet points out how, despite being voluntary, the SSF Guidelines can make a difference to small-scale fisheries, once adopted. It emphasizes that small-scale fishers and fishworkers will need to work with their governments to ensure that policies, legislation and programmes are aligned with the proposals contained in the SSF Guidelines.
These documents are available at
http://www.icsf.net/images/ssf/SSF_BROCHURE_English.pdf
http://www.icsf.net/images/ssf/ENGLISH%20_SSFguidelines_leaflet.pdf
ICSF is an international NGO that works towards the establishment of equitable, gender-just,self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector.
For more, please visit www.icsf.net
2013 ICSF