Latin America and the Caribbean Small-Scale Fisheries
1) TBTI Regional Synthesis Report – Executive Summary
Proportion of SSF marine catches (tonnes), landed value (USD) and value per tonne (USD/tonne) compared to LSF for Mexico Central America, South America and Caribbean sub-regions of LAC in 2010 (Source: Sea Around Us).
Small-scale fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean support livelihoods, employment and food security of more than 2.3 million people in marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. They also contribute to environmental stewardship in the region, which is known for its rich biodiversity and endemism species, through a strong leadership and collaboration among fishers’ associations and cooperatives.
Small-scale fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean are characterized as multi-gear and multi-species, accounting for about 16% of the global small-scale fisheries catches, and almost 20% of the total landed value. Compared to the global average, small-scale fisheries in this region receives a relatively high proportion of beneficial subsidies.
Challenges for small-scale fisheries in the Latin America and the Caribbean arise when the institutional arrangements do not match the resource dynamics, and when paired with poor fisheries assessment, resource over-exploitation is exacerbated. The governance system has limited technical and financial capacity to enforce rules and regulations, culminating in compliance issues such as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
Opportunities in the Latin America and the Caribbean small-scale fisheries emerge at the local level with an increased participation of fishing communities in co-management and community-based management. In an ever-changing environmental, economic, and political context, institutional flexibility is an important adaptation and coping strategy for small-scale fisheries, and represents an opportunity within fishing cooperatives. At the regional level, the adoption of international agreements and guidelines for promoting sustainability and viability of small-scale fisheries helps guarantee fishers’ access and rights.
To read the full TBTI Regional Synthesis Report, CLICK HERE.
Interested in contributing to the synthesis report on the small-scale fisheries of Latina America and the Caribbean?
TBTI regional reports present a global picture of the small-scale fisheries characteristics, challenges, threats and opportunities. The report was developed by TBTI with inputs from academics and experts in Latin America and the Caribbean. With these reports, TBTI aims to put small-scale fisheries on the map and in the right perspective, such that small-scale fisheries sustainability can be improved through policies that maximize their contribution to the regional and national social and economic development. The regional synthesis reports provide an informed baseline for actions through policy changes that can transform the way small-scale fisheries are recognized, managed and governed.
To contribute, download the report and send your comment to toobigtoignore@mun.ca by January 15, 2019. All comments will be taken into consideration during the revision of the draft and consolidation of the final report.
2) Latin America and the Caribbean – Summary from the regional roundtables
Presented by: María José Barragán Paladines
I What are the major knowledge gaps in Latin America and the Caribbean small-scale fisheries?
1. Share/learn/adapt different ways and scales (regional/local) of knowledges.
2. Target the balance between different disciplines to address knowledge gaps.
3. Integrate the inland fisheries knowledge (i.e., water sources and human rights).
4. Raise awareness among governmental bodies, academia, and fishers about: the SSF Guidelines, blue economy, and other policies and instruments.
How do we go about resolving them?
Through learning circles’ between fishers/fishers’ organizations, between fishers/fishers’ organizations and groups like civil society organizations, academia and governments, and among all groups.
Concrete actions:
- Regional platformto enhance learning, building on what COBI is doing. This involves an integration of other entities like IICA, OSPESCA, CONMECOOP, etc.
- Monitoring changes
II What kind of change in science, community, markets and policy is required to improve viability of small-scale fishing communities, reduce their vulnerability and to promote small-scale fisheries sustainability?
1. Define what / how changes could affect different actors, regions, realities.
2. Inclusion of transdisciplinarity in the research concepts, proposals, projects, governance approaches, fishing practices.
3. Improve organization and self regulation.
4. Ensure legitimacy.
How do we go about resolving them? Through ‘learning circles’.
Concrete actions:
- Regional platform to enhance learning
- Bottom-up changes/and actions
- Utilize the already existing initiatives (e.g., platforms, actions, initiatives like IICA, OSPESCA, CONMECOOP, etc.)
- Scanning funding lines/trends: to search for opportunities and to guide donors where to invest
III. What strategies and actions are required from civil society organizations, research community and policy people in order to implement the SSF Guidelines?
1. Communicate and share (e.g., art, traditional knowledge, tell stories, technical instruments)
2. Language: ensures that communication respects the language and cultural barriers, and that common ground is set.
How do we go about resolving them?
Through ‘learning circles’ between fishers/fishers’ organizations, between fishers/fishers’ organizations and groups like civil society organizations, academia and governments, and among all groups.
Concrete actions:
- Develop Latin America and the Caribbean network for sharing of information and knowledge.
- Produce a book on good/positive initiatives and success stories.
- Utilize the already existing initiatives (e.g., platforms, actions, initiatives like IICA, OSPESCA, CONMECOOP, etc.) to strengthen networks and enhance learning
- Establish regional indicators to guide changes, assessments, development of new ideas
- Foster fishers / fish. Coop. interchange model.
- Sharing knowledge through social media, arts, and technical and traditional knowledge
- Reduce waste
- Add values to fisheries
- Include women and young people
- Focus on human rights and security at sea
- Promote education and training (all actors)
