Country: Colombia & Canada
Viviana is a Colombian Biologist working with SQUALUS Foundation since 2002, and she lives in St. John's, NL (Canada) with her husband and their 2-year-old son. For several years her work focused on the characterization of small-scale fisheries along the Pacific coast of Colombia considering different aspects including fisheries, biology, and socio-economics. During her Master's research (2010-2013) she looked at governance and the history of both large- and small-scale fisheries within an exclusive zone for artisanal fisheries that the government implemented in 2008. The goal was to alleviate conflicts between sectors by excluding the large-scale fishing sector and granting exclusive rights to the small-scale fishing sector. Through this experience she learned a great deal about the complexity of the decision-making process around fisheries management and stakeholders relationships.
1. What are you currently working on within the context of SSF?
In the last couple of years, while spending time with my son, I've been working on the publication of the chapters of my thesis and getting involved in the fascinating field of women and gender in small-scale fisheries in Colombia. I'm also starting the conversation within SQUALUS about 'going global', that is, framing our work within the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (FAO) and the Sustainable Development Goals (UN). Last but not least, I'm about to join the organizers of the 3rd World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress to be held in Thailand this October.
2. If you could single out one or two most significant factors for securing sustainability of SSF, what would these factors be?
