Diverse SSF Values

1. The diverse values cluster seeks to promote mixed-methods research on the values (social, economic, cultural, etc.) of small-scale fisheries at multiple scales and in different places in order to effectively advocate in their favour.

2. More broadly, the diverse values cluster aims to support research and the dissemination of findings on the social and cultural dimensions of small-scale fisheries. The cluster seeks to build on the rich body of work from maritime anthropology, sociology, human geography and other related disciplines that has explored the distinctive and diverse social relations and systems of meaning that humans have developed through small-scale fishing practice in aquatic environments globally.

3. TBTI is based on the premise that small-scale fisheries are a social good in the sense that they contribute to society in many ways, including income, food security, sense of place, and ecological knowledge. This is a value proposition that deserves explicit recognition and consideration. The diverse values cluster thus intends to offer a point of critical self-reflection for TBTI on the discursive basis of the project’s support for small-scale fisheries.

The following are some of the many questions that relate to this cluster’s objectives:

1. Globally, regionally, and locally, for what reasons are small-scale fisheries valued? For what contributions are they recognized as valuable?

2. How do they vary between different parties, whether within or outside of small-scale fisheries? How do small-scale fisheries values complement or contradict one another? How does power influence what small-scale fisheries values are influential?

3. How do small-scale fisheries values change and how are they adapted as the social, economic and ecological environments in which the fisheries are embedded change?

4. How can quantitative and qualitative data be most effectively brought together to illuminate the diverse values of small-scale fisheries?

5. How can new approaches and methodologies be drawn on and extend the insights of earlier work on the social and cultural dimensions of small-scale fisheries?

6. How can arguments in support of small-scale fisheries be presented in ways that do justice to their complexities, including sometimes problematic social and environmental relations?

7. How can efforts by TBTI and other groups working to support small-scale fisheries incorporate a reflexive awareness of their positioning in their research, particularly that with an applied intent?

1. An edited volume on a social wellbeing and placed-based approaches to the diverse values of small-scale fisheries that will contain at least 12 conceptual and empirical contributions from Asia, Europe and Latin America. The volume will lay the groundwork for subsequent work by the diverse values cluster.

2. Promotion of an ongoing set of detailed studies of particular small-scale fisheries that aim to identify the diverse ways in which they are valued. These studies could be collected in special issues or further edited volumes following on from the one mentioned in point 1.

3. Research or policy briefs, short videos, or other accessible format publications summarizing research for a non-academic audience.

Rapid assessment of SSF values

The cluster has developed an exercise to document/catalogue how stakeholders value SSF. While a diverse set of SSF values is difficult to elicit without detailed studies, a rapid assessment of values may be useful, especially in relative term and as the first step in identifying their range and significance.

The Values Assessment template is modified based on the value schemes suggested by Song and Chuenpagdee (2015). People who complete the survey should have good knowledge and familiarity with the SSF. The analysis will be global and comparative and will be weighted to reflect the level of knowledge and familiarity of the respondents.

All contributions will be acknowledged and incorporated in the Information System on Small-Scale Fisheries (ISSF), with interactive web-based, open access maps, showing relative values of SSF around the world.

To find out more about the assessment and to contribute your data, download the Values Assessment template. The completed template should be sent to toobigtoignore@mun.ca as an attachment.

Andrew M. Song & Ratana Chuenpagdee (2015) Eliciting Values and Principles of Fishery Stakeholders in South Korea: A Methodological Exploration, Society & Natural Resources, 28:10, 1075-1091, DOI: 10.1080/08941920.2015.1020976

1. Complete the rapid assessment exercise. For more details, see the Timeline / Work plan section above.

2. Complete a SSF profile: One of the main commitments of TBTI is to make information about SSF comprehensive and available to everyone. The SSF profile in ISSF is developed with this in mind. Currently, ISSF is running the SSF profiles drive to have the first 200 profiles completed. We would like to encourage all cluster members to help with this task by completing the fillable form and email it to toobigtoignore@mun.ca. We don’t expect that you will have all the required information. Please consult colleagues or literature as necessary.

3. Participate in the panel discussion at the MARE Conference in 2017. [CLOSED]

Book (2017): ‘Social Wellbeing and the Values of Small-scale Fisheries’
Editors: Derek Johnson, Tim Acott, Natasha Stacey and Julia Urquhart
The volume presents first book-length application of the social wellbeing approach to small-scale fisheries and includes contributions from numerous countries across Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

E-book (2018):  ‘The meaning of small: Diverse values of small-scale fisheries‘.
Editors: Mirella de Oliviera Leis and Ratana Chuenpagdee
This  e-book portrays the different meaning and importance of small-scale fisheries around the world through photos and infographics.

Derek Johnson, University of Manitoba, Canada

Alan White, The Nature Conservancy, USA

Julián Idrobo, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia

Ratana Chuenpagdee, Memorial University, Canada