Calls for contribution:
TBTI special sessions for MARE People and the Sea Conference, 25-28 June 2019
Session title #1 “Blue Justice for small-scale fisheries in the context of fishing opportunities and markets: A lens for SDG14b”
Organizers: Alicia Said and Jose Pascual
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has raised the profile of small-scale fisheries through SDG14b, a target that calls for the provision of ‘access of small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets’. Considered as a historic moment for small-scale fisheries, their recognition in the SDGs is an important milestone that sets an important focus on how such target ought to be achieved. Reaching this milestone requires overhauls in governance structures and management systems that have traditionally favoured other segments of the fishing fleets, mainly industrial and large-scale fisheries supposedly more “efficient”. This is particularly relevant in the era of “Blue Growth” that in many of its formulations exclude fisheries, and particularly small-scale fisheries (SSF), privileging new sectors, potentially increasing the challenges for SSF. Hence, achieving access to fishing opportunities and markets, a.k.a. SDG14b, would require adjustments in resource governance and fisheries management systems in all sectors, and development programs that embed concepts like human rights, social justice and equity as key elements of what we refer to as Blue Justice. In this session, we seek to provide case studies from around the world to showcase the governance challenges and opportunities concerning the planned or accomplished implementation of SDG14b, along with lessons about the importance of focusing strongly on the issues and concerns related to SSF as we strive to achieve the overall SDGs. The session invites experts from different regions to bring together a global discussion on governance transformations in the broader picture to decipher challenges and inform new policies that bring about blue justice in ocean and resource governance.
Proposed format: 2-hour session, oral presentations
Conference stream to which the panel relates: 3: Governing, steering and managing coasts and oceans
How to participate: If you are interested in joining this special session, please send the title of your talk, name, affiliation and contact information of the presenter and all co-authors, and 100 words synopsis of the presentation to Alicia Said (alicia.said87@gmail.com) and Jose Pascual (jpascual@ull.es) no later than January 25th.
***
Session title #2 “Transdisciplinary Fisheries Sciences for Blue Justice: The Need to Go Between, Across and Beyond”
Organizers: Milena Arias Schreiber (School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, Sweden) & Ratana Chuenpagdee (Department of Geography, Memorial University, Canada)
Ocean sustainability has long been a key research agenda for many scientists. Yet, not all disciplines are present at the same scientific conferences to share, exchange and discuss ideas and vision for the ocean. This is the case both at conferences dominated by either social or natural sciences and at interdisciplinary conferences. It is also notable that such collaboration is also lacking among social scientists interested in ocean sustainability, such as those working on social relations and gender may not be working with those working on marine protected areas. In the context of “Blue Economy,” which is gaining popularity as observed at the recent conference in Kenya, the looming absence and the lack of integration threaten the viability of many ocean users, especially small-scale fisheries that constitute the majority. To rectify the situation, Too Big To Ignore (TBTI) Global Research Network is inviting scientists who are interested in ‘transdisciplinary’ research to present their ideas about how to bridge the gaps by going between, across and beyond disciplines in working towards ‘blue justice’ for ocean users and ocean sustainability. In this special session, we want to explore the reasons for the poor scientific collaboration and how it affects fisheries and ocean sustainability, especially how it may exacerbate the marginalization of small-scale fisheries. Further, we are interested in learning about methodological approaches, frameworks and initiatives that have been successful at knowledge integration. Ultimately, we will reflect on the lessons learned and develop strategies for concerted efforts as we move towards the Ocean Decade in 2021.
Proposed format: 2-hour session, oral presentations
Conference stream to which the panel relates: 2: Framing, knowing and dreaming coasts and oceans.
How to participate: If you are interested in joining this special session, please send the title of your talk, name, affiliation and contact information of the presenter and all co-authors, and 100 words synopsis of the presentation to Milena Arias Schreiber (milena.schreiber@gu.se) and Ratana Chuenpagdee (ratanac@mun.ca) no later than January 28th.
