SAMUDRA Report No.44, July 2006

Item Type monograph

Publisher International Collective in Support of Fishworkers

Download date 24/09/2021 14:49:35

Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/33078 ISSN0973·1121

INTERNATIONAL COLLECTIVE IN SUPPORT OF FISHWORKERS

WORks,",op ON EMERGiNG CONCERNS iN FisJ.iERiES Child LAbouR iN Fisi-

COMMENT 1

REPORT Fishing for insights 3

This issue includes a sup- SENEGAL plement—SAMUDRA for For- Growing pains 8 taleza, the special newsletter brought out during the “Emerging Con- VIEWPOINT cerns of Fishing Com- Myth of green belts 14 munities Workshop at Fortaleza, Brazil, in July 2006. SOUTH AFRICA Fishing rights vs human rights? 20 SAMUDRA News Alerts

RESPONSE SAMUDRA News Alerts is a free No one-size-fits-all approach 25 service designed to deliver news reports and analysis on fisheries, aquaculture and re- REVIEW lated issues, on a daily or Planning for a community 26 weekly digest basis, in plain- text or HTML format.

BRAZIL The service often features ex- Mining the gold of the sea 29 clusive,original stories on small-scale and artisanal fisheries, particularly in the ANALYSIS regions of the South, as well No magic bullet 36 as issues that deal with women in fisheries and safety at sea. Apart from news and EUROPE stories on fisheries, the ser- Other ways of fishing 40 vice also focuses on environ- mental and oceans issues. DOCUMENT Be participatory and consultative 42 Please visit http://www. icsf.net to subscribe to SAMUDRA News Alerts. The REPORT ICSF website has archives of Towards a global force 44 all past news items as well as all issues of SAMUDRA Report and several other documents DOCUMENTATION and resources that might in- Fun, duty or sheer hazard? 47 terest you. We would also be happy to get feedback and suggestions on the news ser- NEWS ROUND-UP vice and the website. You can Indonesia, Australia, Nigeria, China 50 reach us at [email protected]. Comment No child’s play

Fishing is considered one of the most dangerous occupations in the world. The employment of children below 18 years of age in hazardous fishing, therefore, is a matter of concern. Unfortunately, it is practised in several parts of the developing world, both in marine and inland fisheries.

Children help prepare the craft for a fishing trip; bail out water; help haul in the nets and clear them of fish; dive into the water to guide the fish into encircling seines; disentangle fishing nets from tree trunks in deep reservoirs; bait hooks, fish with handlines, and haul in longlines; help prepare meals for the crew of the vessels, and arrange the fish in the ice-boxes; and anchor and un-moor fishing vessels. They also guard the catch, equipment and crew belongings.

Bailing out fishing vessels can be a backbreaking job, especially on board a leaky pirogue. Diving deep down to drive fish into an encircling gear in a coral reef can damage eardrums. Baiting hooks or removing fish from hooks can injure hands or fingers. Guiding the fish into encircling gear can sometimes cause drowning; so too, removing fishing gear entangled on tree trunks. To our knowledge, no country maintains statistics on child mortality in fishing. There are only unconfirmed reports of such incidents.

Many fishing communities believe that children who master a profession early on, find work easily. However, there are many children who, due to socioeconomic and overfishing reasons, end up as workers in fishing. Many children in Senegalese fisheries, for example, are orphans, or their parents are so poor that they have to take up fishing to earn a livelihood. In Ghana, overfishing of coastal waters is said to be a main reason for children, especially girls, to be sold under bondage by their impoverished fisher parents to boatowners in the hinterland of Volta Lake, to undertake dangerous diving at night for fish.

Often, the work is carried out in abusive conditions. The children sometimes work up to 10 hours in one shift. They are beaten, physically abused or harassed. They are not given rest periods of sufficient frequency and duration for the safe and healthy performance of their work (see Growing pains, pg 8).

It should be ensured that children below 18 years of age, especially girls, are not employed in night fishing or in fishing operations that involve diving or swimming or work that involves manual handling and transport of heavy loads, and work for excessive periods of time. We consider all these as hazardous forms of fishing. In the case of non-hazardous fishing operations, the minimum age should be 15 years and the working hours of fishers above this age should not exceed eight hours per day and 40 hours per week, and they should not work overtime, except where unavoidable for safety reasons. While sufficient time should be allowed for all meals, fishers under the age of 18 should be assured of a break of at least one hour for the main meal of the day. These measures are proposed in the International Labour Organization (ILO) Work in Fishing Convention that will come up for adoption at the 96th Session of the International Labour Conference in June 2007. Urgent attention is needed to halt the exploitation of children in fishing, particularly where the work is hazardous, exhausting, and of long duration.

COMMENT

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 1 Report Fisheries workshop Fishing for insights

A recent international workshop at Ceará, Brazil identified emerging issues of concern for small-scale fishing communities

he year 2006 marks the 20th Body (GB) to draw on these anniversary of the founding of the discussions to set the agenda for TInternational Collective in Support the coming period of Fishworkers (ICSF), in India in 1986. In the two decades of ICSF’s existence, the Sixty participants from 18 countries of fishing sector, in general, and the Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe small-scale- fisheries-dependent participated in the workshop. They communities, in particular, have been included, besides ICSF Members, profoundly affected by many changes. At representatives of fishworker the same time, the small-scale sector itself organizations (FOs) and organizations has changed in many ways. It, therefore, working to support small-scale fisheries in appeared important and timely to their respective countries. organize an international workshop to take stock of significant developments in At the opening session, ICSF Members fisheries, and to identify emerging issues from Brazil, Maria Cristina Maneschy of of concern. the University of Belem and René Schärer of Instituto Terramar, welcomed all It was against this background that the participants. The ICSF Secretariat then workshop on “Emerging Concerns of provided a brief overview of ICSF’s work Fishing Communities: Issues of Labour, over the last 20 years. This was followed Trade, Gender, Disaster Preparedness, by a session where seven founding Biodiversity and Responsible Fisheries”, Members of ICSF present at the workshop, was held from 4 to 6 July 2006 at SESC reflected on the 20 years of ICSF, from Colonia Ecologica in Fortaleza, Ceará, different perspectives. Setting the tone for Brazil. (Ceará is home to an important the workshop to follow, Nalini Nayak, artisanal fishery that has a long history of ICSF Member from India, drew attention to struggle against destructive fishing the changed context today. “I am rather practices and inequitable policies.) The confused who the small-scale sector workshop, co-hosted with Instituto includes and what it represents. This is Terramar, was organized with the one of the challenges for us to redefine, following objectives: with our fishworker friends, who we are going to support and for what in the • Provide a forum for ICSF Members, coming years” she wondered. fishworkers and others working in small-scale fisheries to share First session perspectives, and discuss and The first session on “Responsible analyze recent developments of Fisheries” started with a panel discussion relevance to small-scale fisheries on “Fisheries Management: Rights-based and fishing communities Fisheries and Implications for the Small-scale Sector”. Sebastian Mathew of • Explore possible future scenarios, ICSF said it is important to consider and highlight actions needed to whether property-rights-based fisheries ensure a secure future for are capable of meeting the objectives of small-scale fishing communities fisheries management, such as conservation of fisheries resources. More • Make recommendations, and fundamentally, he wondered whether otherwise enable the ICSF General property rights limited to a few would be

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 3 acceptable in countries with large fishing The panel discussion on “Distant-water populations. Fisheries: Implications for Fishing Communities” had representatives from olf Willmann, Senior Fishery Senegal, Guinea Conakry, Argentina, Report Report Planning Officer, Fisheries Chile and France. Dao Gaye from Senegal RDepartment of the Food and spoke about the participation of the Agriculture Organization of the United artisanal sector during negotiations of Nations (FAO), highlighted that rights are fisheries access agreements with the essential for effective fisheries European Union (EU), and said that on no management, and that decentralized and account should foreign fishing fleets be flexible community-rights-based systems allowed access to resources exploited by need to be explored. Dao Gaye of the artisanal sector. Governments need to Collectif National des Pecheurs address the social problems resulting Artisanaux du Senegal (CNPS) drew from migration of fishers from attention to present efforts in Senegal to neighbouring countries and poor people regulate access by introducing access from rural areas, before thinking of fishing rights. John Kurien, Professor at the agreements with foreign distant-water Centre for Development Studies, India, countries, he said. He also drew attention stressed the importance of institutional to the problem posed by illegal fishing arrangements that go along with the operations by foreign fleets. granting of rights. Antonio Carlos Diegues, Professor at the University of Ernesto Godelmann of el Centro para el Sao Paulo, Brazil, made reference to Desarrollo y la Pesca Sustentable traditional community-based systems (CeDePesca, the Centre for Sustainable that promoted sustainable utilization of Fisheries Development), Argentina, drew resources. The conservation agenda is, attention to the overexploitation of unfortunately, now being defined by the resources in Argentine waters, which North, he said. resulted from fishing operations of European fleets fishing under access In her presentation on co-management, agreements. He further highlighted the Nalini Nayak, an ICSF Member, pointed poor labour conditions on board these out that the responsibilities and costs of vessels, and the gross violations of human management initiatives are often largely rights. The issue of exploitative labour borne by communities, and particularly conditions on illegal fleets fishing in by the women of these communities. In international waters off the southern coast such a context, it is important to define of Latin America was also mentioned by ‘stakeholders’ and ensure that their Hector Luis Morales of the University of interests are protected and their efforts La Serena, Chile. Juan Carlos Cardenas of rewarded. Cosme Caracciolo of Centro Ecoceanos, Chile, flagged the issue Confederación Nacional de Pescadores of illegal, unreported and unregulated Artesanales de Chile (CONAPACH) said (IUU) fishing in international waters, and that the introduction of individual stressed the need to create the necessary transferable quotas (ITQs) has led to the political will to regulate the activities of privatization of fish resources in Chile. such fleets. James Smith of the There is also clear evidence of stock Observatory of Seafarers’ Rights, France, depletion, he said, questioning the very provided information on cases of rationale of the ITQ system. Ramon abandonment of crew of fishing vessels, Agama Salas of Federacion de and highlighted the need for greater Integración y Unificación de los international attention to this issue. Pescadores Artesanales del Perú (FIUPAP), Peru, underscored the importance of FAO guidelines effectively enforcing the artisanal zone to The presentation by Rolf Willmann of the protect livelihoods in the small-scale FAO, on “Policies and Strategies for sector and the resource base. The group Increasing the Contribution of Small-scale discussions that followed the Fisheries to Poverty Alleviation and Food presentations concluded that it is Security” was based on the FAO Technical important to improve management of Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries on fisheries resources, using measures that Increasing the Contribution of Small-scale promote equity and sustainability. Fisheries to Poverty Alleviation and Food

4 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Report Security. Willmann drew attention to the subsidies. Further, there is a possibility, he renewed global recognition of small-scale said, that, by disciplining fisheries, and outlined possible pro-poor production-distorting subsidies in policy, legislation and management fisheries, WTO’s mandate could broaden to approaches. He highlighted the include fishing methods (and not only fish importance of providing greater rights and fish products), with several and access to fisheries resources, to reduce implications, including the likelihood of overcapacity in industrial fisheries and to linking with multilateral environmental establish effective co-management and agreements. community-based management regimes. Speaking on fish trade and food security, n the session on “Biodiversity and the John Kurien observed that the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries”, relationship between fish trade and food IChandrika Sharma and Ramya security is complex and not necessarily Rajagopalan of ICSF discussed, in positive. He noted that the goal should be particular, the implications of the to enhance the positive contribution of Protected Area Programme of Work of the fish trade to both direct and indirect food Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) security, and to make it more inclusive, for fishing communities. Even as there is and that only truly responsible fisheries international pressure to expand the area initiatives can achieve this goal. under marine protected areas (MPAs), non-participatory and top-down Alain le Sann of Peche et Developpement, implementation is affecting communities France, shared the reactions, in France, to in a highly negative way, they said. At the Darwin’s Nightmare, a film on the political same time, MPAs may not be the best and social impact of the Nile perch fishery approach for conserving marine in Lake Victoria. The film, he said, was biodiversity or fisheries resources under effective in drawing attention to the ethics all circumstances, as is being presently involved in the trade of Nile perch from proposed, they observed. Antonio Carlos Lake Victoria, and has generated debate Diegues provided information about on the course of action that needs to be marine extractive reserves (RESEX) in pursued, such as consumer boycotts. He Brazil, as an alternative approach to emphasized the need for a nuanced participatory conservation. This response that supported the approach, particularly effective for organizational actions of fishworkers and sedentary species, reaffirms the rights of their communities in Africa, and artisanal fishing communities to the sea. emphasized responsible consumption. This is also a model in which the relationship between traditional Ernesto Godelmann and René Schärer knowledge and resources are taken into spoke of the problems and prospects of consideration for resource conservation, ecolabels for small-scale fisheries, and the he said. Sebastian Mathew, speaking on role that ecolabels can play in promoting the current initiatives to develop an selective fishing and thereby, sustainable ecosystem approach to fisheries, said that management of fisheries resources. It is the concept could potentially be useful to necessary to create stronger alliances with draw greater attention to destructive gear, consumers in the countries of market such as bottom trawling, as well as to destination, in the context of consumer address the impact on fisheries resources boycotts, public awareness campaigns, of pollution from land-based and other and ecolabelling and fair trade, they said. sources. Measures to promote resource sustainability and ecosystem integrity as During the session on “Trade in Fish and well as equity and food security are as Fish Products”, Sebastian Mathew essential, they added. focused on the implications of processes under way in the World Trade MSC certification Organization (WTO) for small-scale The discussion that followed emphasized fisheries. He drew attention, in particular, the need to explore the implications of the to negotiations on eliminating tariff and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) non-tariff barriers, and on clarifying and certification of fisheries that are primarily improving WTO disciplines on fisheries harvested by industrial vessels, for

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 5 Report Report

small-scale fisheries, as, for example, on Gunnar Album of Coastal Campaign, the small-scale fisheries for hake in Chile. Norway; and Cornelie Quist of VinVis, It was also pointed out that a certification Netherlands. All the presentations of industrial fisheries as sustainable was highlighted the importance of strong in itself problematic from a community organizations in a disaster small-scale-fisheries perspective. This context. The need for good co-ordination, was specially so as the certification handled by a set of people with experience process did not take into account in disaster management, was also gear-related social and labour issues. highlighted, as was the need to integrate disaster preparedness into local nother issue discussed was the development plans, prepared in relationship between population participatory ways. The Thai presentation Agrowth, particularly in highlighted efforts to integrate disaster developing countries, and the demand preparedness into school curricula. It was for fish, and overfishing. Increase in suggested that it is important for population does not directly translate organizations such as the FAO to have in into a greater demand for fish and higher place a team of people experienced in pressure on resources, as demand is disaster co-ordination, deployable at short linked to purchasing power, argued John notice. In the session on “Labour Issues in Kurien. Fisheries”, Sebastian Mathew provided information on the ongoing International In the panel discussion on “Disaster Labour Organization (ILO) process related Preparedness and Coastal Fishing to the proposed Convention on Communities”, panelists shared their Comprehensive Standard on Work in the priorities in relation to disaster Fishing Sector, which could not be preparedness, based on their experiences adopted at the 93rd session of the with natural disasters affecting fishing International Labour Conference (ILC) in communities, such as cyclones, the El 2005 for lack of quorum. Niño, and the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Panelists included Convention relevant Ravadee Prasertcharoensuk of the He drew attention to the importance of Sustainable Development Foundation ensuring that the Convention is adopted (SDF), Thailand; Herman Kumara of when it comes up again for voting in 2007, National Fisheries Solidarity (NAFSO), Sri as its adoption could benefit the Lanka; Harekrishna Debnath of National small-scale sector in several ways. The Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF), India; Juan Convention is also relevant in a context Carlos Sueiro of Cooperaccion, Peru; where employer-employee relations in

6 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Report the small-scale sector, as well as introduction of genetically modified employment of wage labour, are on the organisms for aquaculture was also rise. The Convention does not at present underlined. The presentation from cover shore-based women workers, and it Thailand highlighted the emerging is important to work toward their problem of privatization of inshore areas inclusion, he said. (commons) for mariculture, through the Seafood Bank project being promoted by avid Eli of Technical Services for the Thai government. This could lead to Community Development growing conflicts in coastal areas, said D(TESCOD), Ghana, presented a Ravadee Prasertcharoensuk. film being made on child labour in the fisheries of Lake Volta in Ghana. While it In the final session on “Fishworker is a traditional practice in Ghana for Organizations: Emerging Concerns” there children to be handed over to relatives or were ten presentations from fishworker friends to develop their skills, factors such organizations, NGOs and others working as changes in the local economy and a rise to support the small-scale sector. The in HIV/AIDS have given a new face to child session was meant to highlight issues that labour in Africa, in general, and Ghana, in would need to be addressed in the coming particular. The working conditions now period, to defend the interests of are close to slavery. Though Ghana has fishworkers and their communities. The elaborate laws and programmes to concerns identified related to fisheries eradicate the worst forms of child labour, management, access to land and sea the lack of enforcement is the biggest resources, labour and social security, hurdle. An important issue raised in trade, aquaculture and related issues, David Eli’s presentation was the such as recognizing and supporting distinction between paid labour and women’s roles in fisheries and in family labour with similar conditions. He organizations. The presentation by spoke about the need for a nuanced Cornelie Quist provided an incisive understanding of child labour. If children account of the achievements and are denied their right to education and challenges facing fisherwomen’s fulfilment of their aspirations, this can be movements in Europe. considered as child labour, even if children live at home and work to Although its agenda was packed, the contribute to the household economy. workshop witnessed some very interesting and thought-provoking There were four presentations in the discussions on a wide range of issues of session on “Aquaculture”. The first concern to men, women and children of presentation by Rolf Willmann drew fishing communities. It also witnessed attention to the rapid growth in excellent participation from fishworker aquaculture in the recent past. Cultured organizations, NGOs, academics and fish accounts for almost 50 per cent of food others. Especially noteworthy was the fish supply today. Even as production great participation of local groups and increases, there is growing trend towards communities from Ceará. The women’s intensification of aquaculture practices, meeting, on the sidelines of the workshop, and an increasing influence of markets, provided good insights into how women trade and consumers on production, he of fishing communities in Brazil and Chile said. The presentations from Chile by Juan are organizing around their concerns. Carlos Cardenas and from Brazil, by Soraya Vanini of Instituto Terramar and a member of Red Manglar, drew attention This report has been filed by to the social and environmental costs of Neena Koshy and Chandrika export-oriented salmon and shrimp Sharma ([email protected]) of ICSF. The farming, respectively. Particular attention full report of the workshop and the was drawn to the expansion of the presentations can be accessed fishmeal industry to support the increase from the conference webpage in production of high-value carnivorous on the ICSF website species, and the links of reduction (http://www.icsf.net/jsp/conference fisheries with environmental /GB2006/) degradation. The need to prevent the

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 7 Child labour Growing pains Senegal

Child labour in the artisanal fisheries of Senegal was the focus of an ILO study on the worst forms of child labour (See also pg 47)

enegal’s marine artisanal fishing professional training that is undertaken in sector was chosen by the the real-life conditions of the sector, SInternational Labour Office of the where, traditionally, sons follow their International Labour Organization (ILO) fathers, and professional competence is for an in-depth study on the “worst forms passed down from father to son. of child labour”. The study, titled Etude sur les pires formes de travail des enfants dans In Senegal, the fisheries sector plays a vital le secteur de la pêche artisanale maritime role both in the economy and in society at sénégalaise (Study on the Worst Forms of large, providing, as it does, important Child Labour in the Senegalese Maritime foreign exchange earnings, employment Artisanal Fishery), was carried out in and food. There are an estimated 100,000 December 2002 by the Senegalese direct jobs provided in fishing in Senegal, Institute for Agricultural Research, with 90 per cent of these being in the artisanal the field research conducted by Le Centre sector. It is further estimated that de Recherches Océanographiques de nationwide up to 600,000 people (17 per Dakar-Thiaroye (CRODT), the Centre for cent of the working population) earn their Oceanographic Research at living from fisheries-related activities. Dakar-Thiaroye. It was contracted by the International Labour Office (ILO/BIT) in As for food, fish is highly important in the the framework of the National local diet. With an annual per capita fish Programme for the Elimination of Child consumption of 26 kg, fish represents Labour (IPEC/Senegal). some 75 per cent of the animal protein intake. This is very high when compared The study’s findings highlight that in to per capita fish consumption generally Senegal’s artisanal fishery, over a quarter in sub-Saharan Africa (6-9 kg annually), (26.6 per cent) of the crew embarked are where fish makes up only 20 per cent of children under the age of 15. In the sector the animal protein intake. In 1999, as a whole, child labour represents just Senegalese fish exports reportedly earned under one-third of the workforce (28.8 the country some US$314 mn, equivalent per cent), 36.5 per cent in boatbuilding to twice its debt repayments for that year. and repair workshops, 35.8 per cent in outboard motor workshops, 35 per cent The artisanal fishing sector dominates the in fish processing and 41 per cent in Senegalese fishery, accounting for 80 per trade-related activities. cent of the fish landings (some 375,000 tonnes in 2002, down from 390,000 in The reasons for the presence of such large 2000), and employing around 60,000 numbers of children in the workforce are seagoing fishermen. It is noteworthy that essentially socio-economic, the study in recent years there has been a huge concludes. Child labour, and the increase both in the size of the fishing fleet conditions under which children work, and in the fishing population. are culturally accepted and socially entrenched. Generally, child labour is Increased numbers seen in a positive light, particularly in the In the area between Djifere in the south fishing communities, where it is and Saint Louis in the north, which considered an important part of accounts for over 90 per cent of the preparing children for adulthood, and for national artisanal fishing fleet, the taking up future responsibilities—a numbers of pirogues reportedly increased

8 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Senegal Maritime Regions and Main Artisanal Fish Landing Centres

from 4,968 in 1982 to 9,761 in 2003. Much migrations to grounds in the waters of of the increase is due to investment in neighbouring countries (notably vessels and gear by people leaving the Mauritania) have become more agricultural sector, which has experienced widespread. severe crises in recent years. The child labour study covered most of he workforce too has been swollen Senegal’s 700-km coast, including four of by in-migration from the the five main maritime areas (Grande Tagricultural sector. Landings from Cote, Cap Vert, Petite Cote, and Sine the sector have more than doubled over Saloum), with Casamance excluded for the last 20 years, from around 150,000 reasons of security. Nine main landing tonnes in 1981 to 366,000 tonnes in 2002, centres were selected according to three prompting considerable concern about criteria: the size of the pirogue fleet and sustainability of both fishing livelihoods number of fishermen, the importance of and the resources on which they depend. activities associated with fishing, and the degree of isolation (determining, as it But the sector has proved highly dynamic does, access to social services, education and adaptable. Motorization has become and health). Sampling was undertaken widespread, with over 90 per cent of the according to the nature of the activity, and pirogue fleet motorized, and there has representative of the size of the target been a considerable diversification of population. In the case of the fishing units, fishing operations. Today, large pirogues a random stratified sample of 10 per cent of up to 20 m are found, and more than 20 was taken. different kinds of fishing operations are recognized, including many modern Fleet census adaptations. The latter include multi-day According to the CRODT March 2002 boats with ice-boxes, squid jigs and long Pirogue Fleet Census, 63 per cent of the lines. In many areas, there has been a total pirogue fleet in the study area is move away from traditional activities that concentrated in the nine centres selected target small pelagics for local markets for study, three of which account for 45 towards demersal species for export per cent of the fleet (Saint Louis, Mbour (including squids and octopus). Fishing and Kayar). On the basis of their census,

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 9 Defining the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Senegal

Child: Person aged between six and 14 years • all forms of slavery or practices similar to old, that is, less than 15 years old. This is in slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of

Senegal line with the International Minimum Age children, debt bondage and serfdom, and Convention (No 138), and the Senegalese forced or compulsory labour, including Merchant Marine Code, which formally forbids forced or compulsory recruitment of the embarkation of sailors under 15 years of children for use in armed conflict; age. • the use, procuring or offering of a child for Worst forms of child labour: All kinds of work prostitution, for the production of which, by its nature or the circumstances in pornography or for pornographic which it is carried out, is likely to harm the performances; and health, safety or morals of children. • the use, procuring or offering of a child for The Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention illicit activities, in particular, for the (C182), 1999 applies the term ‘child’ to all production and trafficking of drugs as persons under the age of 18, and includes the defined in the relevant international following as the ‘worst forms of child labour’: treaties.

CRODT calculated that overall the centres sector. In parallel, focus-group selected for the study are highly discussions with child workers and senior representative (63 per cent, ranging from actors in the sector were organized. 46 per cent to 84 per cent) of the kinds of fishing operations carried out in Senegal. In addition, general observations were made by the researchers on the children or the purposes of the study, fishing and on their working environment. These operations were divided into six related to the physical hardship of their Fmain categories: multi-gear fishing work, the risks of accident, the degree of vessels (combining two or more fishing surveillance and support provided by methods); surround-seines; liners; adults, the nature of the working gillnetters; vessels with ice-boxes; and environment, and the existence of other kinds of vessels (drift nets, adequate protection measures. Further, encircling gillnets, beach-seines and cast precise information was collected on the nets). Apart from looking at child labour state of health centres available for in seagoing fishing activities, the study receiving sick or injured child workers. looked at four associated activities—carpentry (boatbuilding and A number of problems were encountered. repair); outboard motor maintenance and These included the influence that older repair; fish processing; and trade. people wielded over the children, where children may have been intimidated into Two questionnaires were used. One was giving biased answers. There were also targeted at the pirogue captains and the difficulties in estimating earnings of managers of the workshops, and the seagoing children in some units, other at the child workers in the fisheries particularly where there are large sector. The first aimed to identify the fluctuations in earnings (such as amongst main activities carried out, and the migrant fishers), and where income is associated professional risks; the second, only calculated and shared out at the end to document information on the of the season, or on the eve of important children—their socio-demographic religious festivals. profile, tasks, occupations and working conditions, levels of remuneration and No exact number destination of pay. In many cases, determining the exact age of the children was impossible, as many Interviews were also carried out, do not know their ages. In some centres including individual interviews, with the with strong migrations, it was not possible heads of households of the child workers, to find out the exact number of fishing as well as with the public and private units for some kinds of fishing, and not all authorities intervening in the fisheries pirogues take on child labour.

10 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Senegal Overall, 827 children working in 467 units round-the-year presence of children. This were interviewed, 673 (81.4 per cent) is much less marked in fishery-related working directly in fishing. Most of the activities, where children often take up respondents work in the four main shore-based work during school holidays. landing centres of Saint Louis (191), Joal (131), Mbour (103) and Kayar (73). As regards the age and sex of the children, most of those interviewed were boys (girls hildren under 15 represent 28.8 per made up only 8.2 per cent). Forty-eight per cent of the artisanal fishery labour cent of the boys and 39 per cent of the girls Cforce. In fishing itself, child labour fall within the age group of 14-15 years. represents just over 25 per cent. In Djifere, No girls were recorded in fishing child labour is relatively low, since it is a activities, being mainly active in place mainly dedicated to migrant processing work. Most of the boys work in fisheries, where harsh working conditions fishing (83.1 per cent), and report an and the need for physical strength average age of 13. The average age of mitigate against the employment of child children entering the fishing profession is labour. 10.6.

The highest levels of child labour are A high proportion of child workers are found aboard the liners and gillnetters. orphans—16.2 per cent have lost at least Here they constitute one-third of the crew. one of their parents. They tend to be under These techniques are the least demanding the care and direction of a tutor or uncle of physical strength, and fishing is carried (or aunt) to learn about the profession. out during the day, with operations Children living with both parents lasting less than 24 hours. This compares generally work as part of a family group, with surround-seine operations, where with their father, mother or uncle or aunt. fishing is often at night, and vessels with ice-boxes make trips that can last several The main reason given by children for days. In these operations, child labour taking up fishing is to get out of school, but comprises, respectively, 15 per cent and it is worth noting that a high number enter 17.9 per cent of the crew. due to their precarious family situation. In most cases, children have willingly left Above-average numbers of children were school to work in the fisheries sector, but found to be working in two suburban a significant number (33 per cent) have centres of Dakar—Grand Mbao and been expelled. It is explained that this is Hann. Here the number of children in each due to the ease with which money can be unit (seagoing pirogue or workshop) was earned in fishing, and the promise of a 5 and 3.4, as against an overall average of career. Some parents explained that 1.8. children even try to get expelled from school so as to go fishing. In only one There is a wide range in the actual number centre, in the Dakar suburb of of children employed across the different Soumbédioune, was the high cost of kinds of fishing activities. In pirogue school fees mentioned, a factor that is fishing with surround-seines, while the linked to the relatively higher living proportion of children compared to the standards in the capital. overall crew may be relatively small, the actual numbers are relatively high. It is in Many heads of households claim that these units that the highest average child labour forms an important part of numbers are to be found (3.2), and their their children’s education and presence is deemed essential for bailing. professional training. In their view, Generally, there was a very high rate of children who master a profession early on, work attendance by child workers (95.8 easily find work. Given the prospect of per cent), with only the surround-seines of unemployment, this is an important factor Hann showing high absentee levels that favours fishing over schooling. (above 50 per cent). Culturally acceptable In the main, 86 per cent of child workers However, the public authorities see things work the year round. More than 70 per differently. While child labour may be cent of the pirogue fleet record a strong culturally acceptable (passed on from

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 11 Senegal

father to son), it is socially harmful. In as apprentices or as co-owners, they also effect, the large number of child workers have to assist with landing the catch, and mainly results from the abrogation of cleaning and arranging the pirogue. But their parents’ responsibilities. other children, who work independently, may leave immediately after the catch is t is a selfish way to exploit children, landed. given that children still need Ieducation and the opportunity to The study report also discusses a number grow up. They also consider that of other important issues. These include enrolling children into fishing the extent to which children are subject to encourages truancy, and while it may physical violence, the nature and accustom children very early on to remuneration of their work, and the risks earning money, it does not assure them and dangers to which they are exposed. any future career. A large number of those children fishing On average, children in the artisanal report that they are beaten (51.2 per cent), fisheries sector work just over eight hours physically abused (57.4 per cent) or per day. In purse-seiners and multi-day harassed (35.2 per cent). This is much ice-carrying vessels, working hours are higher than in shore-based fishing-related much longer, 9.9 and 9.4 hours, activities. As regards working at night, respectively. By contrast, in gillnetters, rest periods and time off, in both fishing hours are much shorter, averaging 6.8 and fish processing, much of the work hours daily. These differences are due to (50.5 per cent and 62.2 per cent, differences in the nature of the respectively) is carried on at night. While operations: purse-seiners may operate there is generally no time off given at the both day and night, while large multi-day weekends or provisions made for paid boats, with their powerful engines and holidays, religious holidays are respected, ice-boxes, go far offshore for many days. particularly in Muslim communities. In the case of gillnetters, the catch has to be brought to market rapidly, by the end Arduous task of the morning or early afternoon, and as The main task for children working at sea there are no onboard storage facilities, is to bail out the pirogues, a task that is spoilage is a big problem. essentially reserved for them. Keeping the boat empty of water is important for its However, the work of the children does stability, and in rough seas, and in shallow not end there. In addition to sea time, for and leaky vessels, bailing can be an those children who work in family units, arduous task. But this is not their only

12 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Senegal task, and alongside adults, they also fish. labour study focus on the need to combat Their skills are particularly appreciated the entrenched views of child labour as aboard line-fishing pirogues, where 17 per culturally acceptable and socially cent of the children fishing are aged less desirable, and the important role and than 11. responsibility of the State in doing this. They provide nine alternative proposals n gillnetting operations, children also for addressing the problem: help haul the nets and clear them of Ifish. In purse-seining operations, 1. Provide short-term professional children are required to dive into the training tailored to the sector and water to guide the fish into the net, and geared towards a decent job. this is generally done by those aged between 12 and 13, who have some 2. Establish centres of excellence that swimming experience. There is a high risk offer ideal conditions for training of drowning due to the long time spent in young people who want to take up the water, far away from the adults who a career in the fishing sector. are busy dealing with the net. In multi-day ice-carrying vessels, children 3. Modernize the artisanal fishing bait the hooks, fish with handlines, and sector by promoting alternative haul the longlines. They also help to technologies that can take over prepare meals and arrange the fish in the many of the tasks habitually carried ice-boxes. The particularly harsh working out by children. conditions aboard these vessels are reflected in most of the children engaged 4. Categorically forbid the being above 12 years of age. embarkation of children under 13 years of age on to multi-day In those pirogues that engage in a variety pirogues and surround-seine of fishing operations, the number of tasks vessels. required for children to master is even higher. These vessels generally carry both 5. Make it compulsory to use lines and gillnets, and as in the multi-day adequate navigational and safety boats, the number of tasks requires older equipment. children. In these vessels, there are no children under nine years of age. 6. Organize anti-tetanus vaccination programmes. In addition to their fishing tasks, children also work in preparing the vessels for 7. Promote the development of social, going to sea. In the case of surround-seine educational and recreational and multi-day boats, the children are programmes. required to anchor and un-moor the vessels, after unloading the catch. After 8. Develop national-level anchoring, they must swim ashore, over programmes to keep children at several dozen metres. For multi-day boats school. returning after a trip, children are often left aboard alone to guard the catch, 9. Provide financial support for the equipment and crew belongings. parents of child fishers (scholarships, subsidies, short- and Generally, the daily tasks assigned to medium-term loans, etc.). children vary according to the nature of the operations undertaken. Also, the diversity of tasks and the harshness of conditions is a function of the age of the children embarked. The tasks aboard the This report has been compiled by multi-day boats, surround-seine vessels Brian O’Riordan (briano@ and multi-gear pirogues are the hardest tiscali.be), ICSF Brussels Office and most dangerous. Secretary

In drawing conclusions and making recommendations, the authors of the child

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 13 Tsunamis Myth of green belts Viewpoint

In the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami has come some dangerous myth making about green belts and buffer zones as protective barriers

ne of the most pervasive myths social and economic costs of current following the 26 December 2004 reconstruction policies. OIndian Ocean tsunami is that healthy ecosystems, such as coastal The idea that healthy coastal ecosystems forests and coral reefs, reduced the can provide meaningful protection damage to coastal communities. against tsunamis is a beautiful idea that deserves to be true, but beauty isn’t Partly on the basis of this myth, always truth. The horror of the tsunami governments throughout the region are and a long history of disappointment in enthusiastically embracing the planting the conservation movement as coastal of mangrove forests as a natural defence forest degradation accelerated over the against future tsunamis. Vast sums of last few decades combined to create a money are at stake; for example, strong psychological desire for good IUCN-The World Conservation Union is news. Even Bill Clinton was seduced by promoting “Mangroves for the Future”, a the myth. The suspension of critical Euro38-mn (US$48.5-mn) programme faculties is perhaps acceptable among that aims to build natural barriers of conservationists, whose role as mangroves in 12 countries in Asia and environment advocates is perhaps Africa. If saving lives in future tsunamis appropriate, but a lack of rigour among is the real purpose of these schemes, then professional scientists is unacceptable. every euro may be wasted. The crux of the issue for me as an ecologist In this article, I briefly review the is that bad science is being used to justify evidence for the effectiveness of green worse policy, with the potential for major belts, and conclude that there is, in fact, social injustice. Hopefully, it is not too late no good empirical, theoretical or to reverse this injustice before my analytical support for the hypothesis that profession becomes complicit in one of the coastal forests provide meaningful great land grabs in post-colonial history. protection from tsunamis. Furthermore, the prominence of the mangrove myth must divert resources The concept of buffer zones is equally from potentially more effective measures, flawed: to be effective, they would need and, consequently, those who promote to be many kilometres wide, much wider the myth may contribute to unnecessary than those currently proposed, and loss of life in a future tsunami. almost impossible to institute without prohibitively high social and economic Media attention costs. Released amid large fanfare within weeks of the Indian Ocean tsunami, the United Governments in the region should enact Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) legislation and provide financial Rapid Assessment Report set the agenda assistance to allow people to return to for a plethora of similar reports and their land and resume their livelihoods. international media articles, most of Future loss of life can best be prevented which simply repeated the contents and by an effective early-warning system, anecdotes of the UNEP and earlier reports. community education and disaster The uncritical repetition of these studies planning. Future loss of property is has only helped to perpetuate the myth by unavoidable and preferable to the large obscuring its provenance.

14 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Viewpoint The UNEP report, After the Tsunami, is events, very little mitigation may be largely a series of eyewitness reports, with possible...” and “..in the coastal area of some quantitative estimates of damage Banda Aceh ... mangroves were carried that are often inaccurate, at least in Aceh, ...by the waves...two to three kilometres Indonesia, a region I first visited in 1984 inland; this included mangroves that were and whose reefs I have been studying in relatively good condition in the area of since 2000. Ulee Lhee”.

or example, the report quotes the The fanfare with which this report was central planning agency of greeted is in stark contrast to the reception FIndonesia for estimates of 30 per given to later UNEP and cent damage to 97,250 ha of reefs in Aceh. IUCN-commissioned reports, which were Subsequent surveys of the region by much more ambivalent about the myself and my colleagues revealed that mitigation myth, or, indeed, presented the damage to reefs, while occasionally empirical data that contradicted the spectacular, was trivial, particularly when conclusions of the initial report. compared to pre-existing damage from destructive fishing. More pertinent to the Within four to six months of the event, a argument here are the conclusions of the small number of articles emerged in the report on the mitigating effect of scientific literature that seemed to confirm mangroves, based on selective the mangrove myth, and these, plus the observations from an earlier Wetlands UNEP report, continue to be cited in International report. For example, the support of it. Papers and reports that UNEP report states, “Anecdotal evidence criticize or question these studies are and satellite photography before and after routinely ignored. Below, I outline serious the tsunami event seem to corroborate problems with these studies. claims that coral reefs, mangrove forests and other coastal vegetation, provided Property losses protection from the impacts of the The first study from Tamil Nadu in India tsunami”. Contrast this with the reported that human deaths and property following statements from the original losses were lower in coastal hamlets 2005 Wetlands International report: “...the fronted by coastal forests (Kathiresan, K. evidence so far [i.e. after the tsunami] seen and N. Rajendran. 2005. “Coastal from satellite images is that in high-energy Mangrove Forests Mitigated Tsunami”. situations such as Aceh province, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science Sumatra, complete loss of mangroves 65:601-606). However, when my occurred, indicating that in extreme colleagues and I re-analyzed the data, we

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 15 Viewpoint

discovered that the relationship between did not compare the observed pattern of coastal forest and tsunami damage was damage against patterns expected by false. In fact, the most important chance: the basis of a robust statistical characteristics of villages where damage approach (Dahdouh-Guebas, F., L. P. was lower were height above sea level Jayatissa, D. Di Nitto, J. O. Bosire, D. Lo and the distance of the village from the Seen and N. Koedam. 2005. “How coast. Effective Were Mangroves as a Defence against the Recent Tsunami?” Current nce these two factors were taken Biology 15:R443-R447.) In fact, when my into account, the effect of the colleagues and I analyzed the data, we Oforest fronting the village was found no association between tsunami negligible. A second study from the same damage and either forest degradation or area, led by scientists from Denmark, pre-tsunami forest condition. In other used satellite data to conclude that coastal words, the pattern of damage was no vegetation had reduced damage from the different from that expected by chance, tsunami (Danielsen, F., M. K. Sorensen, and, therefore, cannot be linked to M. F. Olwig, V. Selvam, F. Parish, N. pre-tsunami forest condition. My D.Burgess, T. Hiraishi, V. M. colleagues and I have written to the Karunagaran, M. S. Rasmussen, L. B. editors on each occasion, and, at every Hansen, A. Quarto and N. Suryadiputra. journal, our comments have been rejected. 2005. “The Asian Tsunami: A Protective Journal editors and peer reviewers must, Role for Coastal Vegetation". Science at some point, take responsibility for what 310:643). However, this study was flawed is published. It will be a permanent stain because these authors did not use on our profession if this issue is not treated statistically independent observations in with the rigour it deserves. their analysis. For example, the authors pointed out that three northern villages Mitigation hypothesis incurred minimal damage because they In a trip to Aceh in March 2005, my were situated behind dense vegetation. colleagues and I were able to collect our own data to test the mitigation hypothesis. However, no area elsewhere incurred We used a combination of variables damage this far inland, even when collected from the reefs and coast of Aceh, vegetation was absent. The final study Indonesia, including per cent cover of from Sri Lanka also concluded that coastal vegetation, to test whether these mangroves offered protection; however, variables influenced inundation distance. once again, despite claiming to use a The majority of the variation in semi-quantitative approach, the study inundation distance was explained by the

16 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Viewpoint slope of the coastal terrain. Inundation kilometres, compared to that of a few was independent of reef quality or cover metres for wind waves. The wavelength of of coastal vegetation prior to the tsunami. the tsunami when it hit the Acehnese coast has been estimated at 12 km. In places, the n other words, the tsunami stopped ocean kept rolling in for nearly an hour. only when it reached the relevant Iinland contour: where the wave was Incredibly, theoretical attempts to predict 10 m high at the coast, it reached the 10 m inundation distance from tsunamis are contour, whether this was 200 m from the almost non-existent. The only attempt I coast, or 2 km. know of that incorporates features of the terrestrial environment, such as the type Our results are strongly supported by a of vegetation, is an equation developed for later UNEP/IUCN report (Chatenoux, B. the insurance industry to predict potential and P. Peduzzi. 2006. Analysis of the Role of damage to coastal settlements from Bathymetry and Other Environmental asteroid-impact-generated tsunamis Parameters in the Impacts from the 2004 (Bretschneider, C. L., and P. G. Wybro. Indian Ocean Tsunami. 1977. “Tsunami Inundation Prediction”. UNEP/DEWA/GRID-Europe, Switzerland: Pgs 1006-1024 in C. L. Bretschneider, (Ed.) http://www.grid.unep.ch/product/pub Proceedings of the 15th Coastal Engineering lication/download/environment_impac Conference. American Society of Civil ts_tsunami.pdf), which found that Engineers, New York). This equation inundation distance was best explained estimates the inundation distance as a by distance from the earthquake function of tsunami wave height at the epicentre, that is, wave height at the coast, coast and the roughness coefficient of and, furthermore, that coastal vegetation local terrestrial terrain. However, the had no significant effect on inundation predictions of the equation have yet to be distance. tested empirically. This work has further been criticized because there is no In addition to these empirical studies, one explanation as to how the equation was analytical model, combined with derived and nor it does not take account experimental simulations, has suggested of wave period. that dense forests may absorb up to 90 per cent of the energy of a tsunami wave In my correspondence with the authors of (Hiraishi, T., and K. Harada. 2003. these studies, many other arguments have “Greenbelt Tsunami Prevention in the been presented to justify the mangrove South-Pacific Region”. Report of the Port myth. Some authors appeal to common and Airport Research Institute 42). sense or the laws of thermodynamics. This appeal is logically flawed and hardly Without strong mathematical training, it scientific. Mangroves will absorb some of is difficult to dissect this analytical the energy in a thermo-nuclear explosion, approach. However, a model is only as but will they save lives because of this? good as the next empirical test, and none This comparison may sound extreme; of the data from the Indian Ocean tsunami however, it has been estimated that the come remotely close to supporting this energy released by the earthquake was optimistic prediction. equivalent to 23,000 Hiroshima bombs, nearly four for every kilometre of While mangroves are very effective at coastline hit by the tsunami. Others have dissipating the energy of storm waves, appealed to the precautionary principle. tsunamis are a very different beast, and, a This is, in effect, an admission of error. failure to appreciate this is one of many reasons the myth has gained such status. Strange distortion In wind waves, most energy is contained One scientist has argued that because near the ocean surface, and wave-induced there may be a risk to life in future water motion decays rapidly with depth. tsunamis if mangroves are not rehabilitated, the normal standards of In contrast, in a tsunami, water is in statistical proof should not apply to his motion throughout the entire water research. This is a very strange distortion column. The other major difference is that of the precautionary principle. Which tsunamis have a wavelength of advice is more likely to put people at risk?

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 17 Viewpoint

Suggesting people are safe behind buffer zones. As of March 2006, no green mangrove barriers, or suggesting they belts or buffer zones have been run for the hills? established; however, the reconstruction is only beginning, and there is no thers have taken a very guarantee they will not appear at a later Machiavellian view, and while date. Othey concede that their analyses are less than perfect, they believe this Will these buffer zones be effective? A unimportant as long as mangroves are simple examination of how far inland the rehabilitated: a classic case of the end Indian Ocean tsunami penetrated in the justifying the means. This constitutes a various regions suggests this is highly failure to appreciate the potential of their unlikely. The inundation distance in each science to affect the lives of the people location was largely determined by the involved, for example, those evicted or size of the tsunami at the coast and the prevented from returning to the buffer topography of the coastal zone. In Aceh, zones. the region closest to the epicentre of the pre-tsunami earthquake, the wave height The upshot of this brief review of the was between 5-12 m. Inundation distances scientific literature is that there is no were regularly over 2 km in low-lying credible theoretical, analytical or areas on the west coast, and up to 6 km empirical evidence to support the idea near the regional capital, Banda Aceh, that coastal vegetation can mitigate the generally reaching between the 10 m and effect of tsunamis on coastal 20 m contour. communities. Indeed, the only rigorous statistical analyses of empirical data to Inundation distances date refute the mangrove myth. Clearly, even a 2-km buffer zone would not have prevented major damage. In Sri In Aceh, the initial reconstruction plan Lanka, the wave height was estimated at released by Indonesia’s central planning between 2-8 m, with inundation distances agency recommended establishing a of up to 2 km on the west coast, which, 2-km buffer zone along the length of the being in the lee of the main tsunami west coast of Aceh, a policy that would waves, were smaller than on the east coast, have involved relocating over 500,000 for which I can find no data. The proposed people, nearly 50 per cent of the surviving buffer zones of between 100-200 m are population. While this initial plan has clearly inadequate. In India, where the sensibly been abandoned, the current maximum wave height was less than 5 m, Master Plan still includes green belts and the tsunami, nonetheless, penetrated up to

18 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Viewpoint 2.5 km. Consequently, a buffer zone here the tsunami were felt in the area affected, of 500 m will not prevent major damage in and the tsunami was preceded by a wave a future tsunami of similar, or larger, size. draw-down, a sure sign that the tsunami was imminent, yet people did not know to istorically, inundation distances run. Government officials were given have been much larger: for timely warnings of the likelihood of the Hexample, the tsunami following tsunami from the Pacific Early Warning the eruption of Krakatoa penetrated 8 km Centre in Hawaii, yet they failed to act. inland through primary rainforest. A Clearly, education efforts in Indonesia tsunami dated to within 1,000 years before have been inadequate. the present on the west coast of Australia reached 30 km inland. Clearly, if saving Coastal vegetation, such as mangroves, either life or property is the goal, these can provide coastal communities with buffer zones are totally inadequate. many valuable goods and services, and the protection of these ecosystems is, in However, I do not mean to suggest they general, an endeavour I wholeheartedly should be made larger. The concept is support; however, if the aim is to protect impractical, unjust and unworkable. The coastal communities from future social, economic and emotional costs of tsunamis, the money would much better relocating large numbers of people from be spent elsewhere. Furthermore, the their traditional homes and livelihoods proposed buffer zones will not work, and must also be considered, and, while often it is time to let those displaced people difficult to quantify, will almost certainly return to their homes, if they wish, and outweigh the economic cost of rebuilding support them to do so. following rare catastrophic events. Furthermore, the enforcement of these buffer zones without the consent of the displaced people violates numerous international conventions. Another myth of prominence is that the tsunami travelled very fast over land, when, in fact, in Aceh, many people outran the wave, despite getting almost no warning. An effective early-warning system and adequate planning would have saved tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lives.

I am concerned that promoting green belts and buffer zones as protective barriers, particularly in preference to tsunami early-warning systems, may lead to substantial loss of life in a future event. The available evidence suggests these barriers will be ineffective and, therefore, may encourage a false sense of security. Furthermore, these schemes must direct time and money away from more effective but technologically, logistically and politically challenging measures such as well co-ordinated early-warning systems, This article is by Andrew H. Baird community education and emergency ([email protected]), a planning. Incredibly, over 18 months after Senior Research Fellow of the ARC the Indian Ocean tsunami, the Indonesian Centre of Excellence for Coral government has yet to deploy an Reef Studies, James Cook early-warning system south of Sumatra, University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, which the subsequent tsunami of 17 July Australia 2006 has now made clear was a tragic oversight. Furthermore, the tremors from

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 19 Fisheries management Fishing rights vs human rights? South Africa Africa South

An ongoing class action litigation in South Africa brings to focus the challenge to the rights-based management system in the country’s fisheries

group of South African artisanal provisions for artisanal fishers were fishers has launched class action included in this Act and the legislation Alitigation against the Minister states clearly: responsible for fishing rights allocation on the grounds that the policies pursued “no person shall undertake commercial fishing by the South African government are or subsistence fishing, engage in mariculture inequitable and discriminatory, and or operate a fish processing establishment violate the human rights of artisanal unless a right to undertake or engage in such fishers in the country. Is it possible that an activity or to operate such an establishment the introduction of a rights-based has been granted to such a person by the management system might violate the Minister” (MLRA, 1998,18 (1)). human rights of certain fishers? In terms of the MLRA, a fishing right is South Africa began introducing a granted to a specific person or entity and, rights-based fisheries management “in terms of Section 21 of the MLRA, the system as early as the 1960s, when quotas right may not be transferred without the were introduced by the Department of approval of the Minister or his delegate. Sea Fisheries for a limited number of Upon the death, sequestration, or commercially exploited species. From liquidation of the right holder, the right 1988 onwards, the Department allocated vests, respectively, in the executor, trustee rights in terms of the Sea Fisheries Act 12 or liquidator and the right may continue of 1988. These quotas were allocated to be exploited for the period of time within a racially defined fisheries permitted by the applicable legal structure and were largely held by white provisions. However, any transfer of the rights holders, while the artisanal fishery fishing right to a third party requires was being marginalized. Highly approval” (General Fishing Policy, 2005). capitalized commercial companies predominated in the industry during this Following the introduction of this Act, the period. government established a Subsistence Fisheries Task Group (SFTG) to investigate Following the election of the first the nature and extent of subsistence democratic government in 1994, the fishing and to advise on the management government began a process of of this sector. This task group undertook restructuring the fishing industry and research along the coast in South Africa developing new legislation and policies and identified approximately 30,000 to guide the allocation of fishing rights subsistence fishers. Most significantly, the and the management of these rights. SFTG recognized that three categories of Towards this end, the Marine Living fishing practices could be discerned Resources Act (MLRA) was introduced in amongst these fishers, based on the 1998. empirical survey data that was gathered for this purpose. This Act empowered the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism to Three categories allocate fishing rights in three defined According to a 2005 affidavit by Ken Salo fishing categories: subsistence, presented in support of the court case of commercial and recreational. No Kenneth George and others vs the

20 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 South South Africa Minister of Environmental Affairs and allocation of quotas and not to re-allocate Tourism, these three categories “were to the artisanal or small-scale sector to any classified as subsistence, artisanal and extent. They argued that government commercial according to a comprehensive could best achieve its transformation and combination of social, economic, redistribution goals by supporting technical, spatial, ecological and historical established industry to provide criteria that did not weigh any one employment and to increase its black criterion more than the other”. empowerment component. They were also successful in wooing organized n South Africa, the artisanal fishery labour in these companies to support has specific characteristics. Artisanal them by promising them job security and, Ifishers historically live in in some instances, a share in the profits communities near the shoreline, use through worker share schemes. low-technology fishing gear, and harvest a variety of marine species found near the Following the introduction of the new shoreline. Over generations, they have legislative framework, the government developed an understanding of the main department responsible for allocating and biological lifecycle and migration patterns managing fishing rights, Marine and of certain marine species. Their catch is Coastal Management, developed a either consumed, shared, bartered or medium-term fishing rights allocation marketed through a complex set of policy with a view to allocating rights for relations and traditions developed the period 2002 -2005. It was intended that between men and women, families, a long-term rights allocation policy would neighbours and local retailers. In this be implemented following this initial manner, fishing communities have period. The medium-term rights period developed a culture and caring for one did not recognize artisanal fishers as a another’s livelihood. category of fishers on their own and instead forced them to apply for There was considerable debate regarding ‘commercial’ or ‘limited commercial’ the definition of artisanal fishers, and, rights. although it was acknowledged by the Task Group that their needs should be Limited rights accommodated, no formal recognition of Only a small number of artisanal fishers this group legally ensued. Business and were successful in obtaining these limited the large-scale commercial companies commercial rights and those who did get actively lobbied the authorities to rights were allocated totally maintain the status quo regarding the unsustainable quotas. Many bona fide

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 21 fishers were left out of the system Presidency, meetings with officials, completely and hence no longer had marches on Parliament, the chaining of access to the sea. Others were able to eke leaders to the gates of Parliament, a out an existence by working for rights hunger strike and vigil by veteran holders in one or other sector at certain artisanal fisher activist Andrew Johnston, times of the season but often had no and building strong alliances with other

South Africa Africa South income during other times of the year. stakeholders in civil society.

uring 2005, Marine and Coastal Currently, the fishers’ hopes are pinned Management released the Draft on the outcome of litigation, which they DLong-term Fishing Rights Policy, have launched with the support of which would effectively allocate Masifundise Development Trust, long-term rights for up to 15 years in 19 members of the Artisanal Fishers of the commercial species. Artisanal Association of South Africa and the Legal fishers up and down the coast held high Resources Centre. The Legal Resources hopes that this policy would recognize Centre, an NGO, is funding this class action and accommodate them; however, this against the Minister, and has launched new policy further entrenched their papers on behalf of the artisanal fishers in exclusion. The application process was this regard. The court cases have been extremely costly and complicated, and launched in both the High Court and the the application forms were only provided Equality Court. The Equality Court is a in English, which is not the home new court introduced in South Africa, language of the fishers. The fishers were following the introduction of the first forced to either form companies or other democratic Constitution in the country in legal entities with others and compete 1996. The Equality Court aims specifically with the large commercial companies for to give effect to the Equality Clause in the the high-value species or apply as Constitution, which states that “everyone individuals for meagre quantum in a few is equal before the law and has the right to limited nearshore species. The majority of equal protection and benefit of the law” the artisanal fishers have been completely (Section 1). excluded from obtaining long-term fishing rights. For example, in the In order to provide the legal framework nearshore West Coast Rock Lobster for this protection, the Promotion of sector, of the 4,070 fishers who applied, Equality and Prevention of Unfair only 813 have been allocated rights. Discrimination Act of 2000 was Those who have been allocated rights promulgated. This Act states: “Neither the have only received between 250 and 750 State nor any person may unfairly kg per annum. Once their catching and discriminate against any person” (Section marketing costs have been deducted, 6). The argument presented by legal these fishers will barely be living above counsel for the artisanal fishers centres on the poverty line and those allocated only the belief that the Minister’s failure to 250 kg will be way below the poverty line. define and provide for the artisanal fishers Those who did get long-term rights have in the Marine Living Resources Act of to operate in the narrow confines laid 1998, and the consequences of this failure down in the policy. They are not skilled on the lives and livelihoods of this fishing operators within this system and thereby community, constitute a violation of a remain totally vulnerable to exploitation. number of human rights contained in the South African Constitution. Matters of The past 18 months have seen ‘non-equality’ nature in this case will be unprecedented action by the artisanal argued in the ordinary High Court. sector in South Africa as the fishers fight for their rights to their traditional Right to choose livelihoods and those of the coastal The artisanal sector argues that the communities in which they live, which Minister has deprived them of their right depend on the artisanal fishing to choose their trade or occupation. economies. They have embarked on a Section 22 of the South African range of advocacy and lobbying Constitution provides that “every citizen activities, including numerous letters and has the right to choose their trade or memorandums to the Ministry and occupation freely” (Constitution of South

22 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 South South Africa Africa, 1996, Section 22). According to a protected through reasonable legislative 2004 affidavit filed by Naseegh Jaffer on and other measures is central to the case behalf of Masifundise in the matter as the Minister has a duty to develop between Kenneth George and others vs legislation that fulfills this right whilst the Minister of Environmental Affairs and promoting the sustainable use of the Tourism: “These fishers are faced with the country’s natural resources. In addition untenable options of either forsaking their to the abovementioned socioeconomic traditions and the skills passed between rights, the fishers argue that the way in generations of fishers, and entering a which the policy and application process commercial fishing industry for which has been administered violated several they are not skilled, or resigning key constitutional provisions, namely, the themselves to a life of poverty outside the right of everyone to use the language of framework of legal fishing operations, their choice. Enshrined in this is the duty risking prosecution and criminal sanction. imposed on the State to “use at least two It is thus believed that these options do not official languages and to ensure that all constitute a proper ‘choice’ of trade or official languages are treated equitably”. occupation as contemplated by the The failure of the Department to provide Constitution and are, accordingly, application forms in the home languages unlawful and unconstitutional”. of the fishers greatly exacerbated the difficulties experienced by the artisanal It is also argued that the current legislative sector in understanding what was framework violates a number of other required of them when applying for basic socioeconomic rights, most notably, rights. This aspect is directly linked to the the right of access to sufficient food, and right to reasonable administrative action, hence the internationally recognized right which is also a right protected by the to food security is threatened. The impact Constitution. of this violation is felt by not only the fishers but by all members of their Inequitable households and the extended community This case argues that all of the that depend on these livelihoods within above-alleged violations of the rights of the local marine and coastal economy. The artisanal fishers arise because the State, right to healthcare, housing and through the Minister, has failed to treat the education, and the rights of the child to fishers equitably in comparison to the basic nutrition are threatened by this other fishing sectors. In failing to do so, the violation, and hence are also cited in the law is inequitable and discriminatory and arguments to be presented to the Courts. hence violates the central tenet of the The right to have the environment Constitution, that of the Equality Clause.

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 23 he Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has, to date, Tfought the legal proceedings by appealing against the decision to hear the matter in the Equality Court. The fishers were heartened by the judgment of the

South Africa Africa South Appeal Court that insisted that the fishers had the right to have the matter heard in this Court and noted that the Minister should not deny the fisher’s prayer to have their say in court. The advantage of the matter being heard in the Equality Court as well as the High Court is that the Equality Court is empowered to order a variety of forms of redress, if it is deemed necessary. This raises the hope that it may yet be possible to envisage a real, rights-based fisheries management policy in South Africa, one based on the principles of social justice and the rights enshrined in the country’s Constitution, and upon which the future of South Africa’s new democracy rests.

This article is by Naseegh Jaffer ([email protected]), Director of Masifundise Development Trust, South Africa, and Jackie Sunde (jackie@ masifundise.org.za), a Researcher for Masifundise, and Member of ICSF

24 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Response Fishing rights No one-size-fits-all approach

This response to an article in the last issue of SAMUDRA Report discusses rights-based schemes in fisheries

refer to Derek Johnson’s article, “Who fisheries. The current variety of schemes is Sharing the Fish?”, in SAMUDRA for formally allocating fishing rights has IReport No 43 (March 2006), vastly expanded the range of fisheries and discussing the Sharing the Fish 2006 fishing situations to which rights-based Conference that was held in Australia last schemes can be applied. They should February and to which the Food and apply to large and small fisheries, both Agriculture Organization of the United with large and small boats. They are, by Nations (FAO) gave technical support. far, the best tool to re-establish and While the tone of the article is positive formalize traditional fishing rights and, regarding the conference, and its outcome thus, protect the rights of fishermen. Even in supporting better-managed fisheries, I ITQs need not threaten the livelihoods of would like to emphasize a few points: small-scale fisheries, and they should not foster inequity if well designed. The FAO Secretariat has moved, beyond a doubt, on the matter of whether fishing There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and rights are good or not. They are absolutely more attention needs to be given to necessary and fundamental to the appropriately sequence policies and sustainability of the world’s fisheries policy reforms. Perhaps it is time to resources. convene an international conference on the allocation of rights in small-scale However, fisheries policies, management fisheries, to which I am sure ICSF would be approaches—and fishing rights—need to able to contribute. be tailored to the specific context of countries and localities with respect to the fisheries in question, the social setting, culture, etc. Indeed, fishing rights have been allocated under long-standing programmes, such as the community development quota (CDQ) systems that have been operating in fishing communities in the Bering Sea; the various types of territorial use rights in fisheries systems (TURFs) such as those found in Japan, the Philippines, Samoa and Fiji; the Management and Exploitation Areas for Benthic Resources of Chile; and the beach management units (BMUs) found in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. It is for communities to decide on how efficient This Letter to the Editor is from they would like their fisheries to be, with Ichiro Nomura, Assistant Director few or many boats of small or large size. General, Fisheries Department, Food and Agriculture Fishing rights do not simply equate to the Organization of the United Nations big individual transferable quota (ITQ) (FAO) systems that have been designed for large-scale fleets. Moreover, fishing rights should not be limited to large-scale

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 25 Resource management Planning for a community Review Review

This review looks at the documentation of a community-based coastal resource management project in Danao Bay, Philippines

Rehabilitating Nearshore Very complex activities ranging from Fisheries: Theory And listing biodiversity and stock assessment, Practice On to calculating productivity of the bay have Community-based Coastal been undertaken by the people and Resource Management lucidly retold in the book. By getting From Danao Bay, involved in these activities themselves, Plilippines by Arjan the community understands the intricate Heinen. CBCRM Resource relationship between the standing stock, Centre, UP Social Action Research and the biomass and sustainable harvestable Development Foundation, Inc., UP production. It is this understanding that College of Social Work and Community leads them to affirm the need to restore the Development, Oxfam GB-Philippines stock and make the difficult decision to Office, Netherlands Development manage it. Organization (SNV Philippines), and Pipuli Foundation. From this rather technical process, they move to the even more difficult task of uch is being written and understanding the psychology of the spoken about fisheries different players in the Bay. The Mmanagement today. There are stakeholders’ perspectives are analyzed several areas where fisheries by assessing the disparities in their management is being carried out either knowledge, lifestyle and values. By by coastal communities themselves or defining the shared and differing norms with the assistance of governments or and values in the community and the local other agencies. The approaches differ, government, the people of Danao Bay depending on the fishery and the could plan for change, and tackle community of fishers involved. The resistance to it. Working out a clear vision Philippines, in particular, probably was the next step, followed by defining because of its specific island geography, the management unit, and working for a has a fairly long history of plan through a management body. The community-based coastal resource book explains how the core group of keen management (CBCRM). Some of these learners put their traditional and newly approaches have been documented acquired knowledge together and, with elsewhere, but one of the most illustrated the good of the whole community and of them is the one documented by Arjan future generations in mind, worked out Heinen in the publication under review. the resource management plan for the As its title elaborates, it is about the theory Bay. and practice on CBCRM in Danao Bay, Philippines, facilitated by the Pipuli Different styles Foundation. Different management styles—the unrestrained exercise of power, This book not only makes very interesting charismatic leadership, consensus reading as it alternates between the building among the resource users—are theory and processes involved with the also discussed and illustrated. Heinen actual strategies employed by the Danao explains how as a shadow fisheries Bay community, but it also clearly management body in Danao Bay, the explains how the actual action was fisher-managers learned to deal and undertaken—a brilliant teaching manual. negotiate with the town mayors who

26 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 No. 1 4 July 2006

FortalezaFortaleza

I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O L L E C T I V E I N S U P P O R T O F F I S H W O R K E R S samudraToday’s Agenda ¾ Inaugural Session Bem-Vindos ! ¾ Panel Discussions: Welcome to Fortaleza, the capital of the State of Ceará, home to a vibrant z Responsible artisanal fishery, and the venue for the 20th anniversary meeting of ICSF Fisheries z Distant-water t is now 20 years since the The following are some of gle against destructive fish- Fisheries International Collective the major issues that will be ing practices and inequita- Iin Support of discussed in the next three ble policies. ¾ Group Discussions Fishworkers (ICSF) was days: founded in Trivandrum, In- z Responsible fisheries Also, the strategic impor- Marginally... dia, in 1986. Since then, sev- z Biodiversity tance of fisheries for the so- eral changes have taken z Labour cial and economic develop- SAMUDRA for Fortaleza is a place in fisheries, especially z Trade ment of Brazil has been rec- newsletter that will report on in the small-scale and z Gender ognized by President Luiz the proceedings of this aquaculture sectors, as well z Disaster preparedness Inácio da Silva through the workshop. It will also serve as in the larger political, eco- and coastal fishing com- establishment of a special as a forum for the sharing of nomic and social framework munities Secretariat for Aquaculture ideas and experiences, in the in which they operate. z Aquaculture and Fisheries. form of brief write-ups, z Fishworkers’ organiza- interviews and opinion This workshop is being held tions This workshop is expected pieces. Please contact the to understand these changes, to be a forum to share per- SAMUDRA Team or anyone at and to take stock of impor- Fortaleza was chosen as the spectives, discuss and the ICSF Secretariat if you tant developments in fisher- venue for the workshop for analyze recent develop- have something to ies. Participants include ICSF a couple of important rea- ments in small-scale fisher- contribute. Needless to add, Members and representa- sons. ies and fishing communi- the opinions and viewpoints tives of fishworker organiza- ties, explore possible future expressed here do not tions, as well as other indi- The State of Ceará is home scenarios, and highlight the necessarily represent the viduals/organizations that to a very important, well-or- actions needed to ensure a official views of ICSF. have been working with ganized artisanal fishery secure future for small-scale small-scale fisheries in their with a long history of strug- fishing communities. respective countries. Founded in 1954, Colonia Ecologica Sesc Iparana What’s Inside (SESC)—the workshop venue—is just 20 minutes Reflections...... 2 from the Iracema beach, 17 km from the centre of Blast from the Past .... 3 Fortaleza and 27 km from the airport. It offers various About Fortaleza ...... 4 options for leisure and hospitality, including sports, Helpline ...... 4 ecological trips, parties and social events. Portuguese ...... 4

SAMUDRA for Fortaleza 1 ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet REFLECTIONS John Kurien From Rome to Fortaleza…

he plan for the Rome Confer- Trivandrum in 1998. But in 2002, at far beyond our expectations. How- ence came out of the blue. A let- Maputo, we reaffirmed a new vision for ever, the recognition from fishworkers Tter. A challenge. With key support. and fishing communities themselves facilitators around the globe—three has been uneven and varied across the women and one man—the job of co- Since then, global recognition has come continents. ordination was so much easier and en- from several quarters: Most impor- joyable. The event itself was a combi- tantly, the FAO awarded the Margarita The strength of any network depends nation of discussions—very serious Lizárraga Medal for 2002-2003 to ICSF on its weakest link. For us, this has and top-rate—and great fun. The in- in recognition of its “comprehensive, been the difficulty to enlist new mem- volvement of the Commune of Rome sustainable and catalytic initiatives in bers as supporters. Perhaps this mode and permission to use the Piazza support of the Code of Conduct for Re- of support is not relevant anymore. Novona for a cultural event added sponsible Fisheries, through work- Perhaps the class approach to defin- public legitimacy and popular partici- shops, outreach and advocacy activi- ing contradictions in the sector is not pation to the event. Overlapping it ties, as well as by mobilizing grassroots valid anymore. The need of the times with the World Conference is for support to coastal on Fisheries organized by communities around the the Food and Agriculture world to resolve complex, Organization of the United evolving and multi-dimen- Nations (FAO) brought sional issues by taking con- about the widest possible temporaneous action at the press coverage. global and the local levels. To achieve this, we have to Nostalgia apart, in the run- ask ourselves: How appro- up to Rome, there was more priate is the structure we decentralized, democratic have today to cope with preparatory work, and, at these challenges? Are the Rome itself, a more delecta- links we have made in the ble assortment of passionate last two decades strong conference agenda and cel- enough to further the ebratory side events than we cause? How effective is our seem to be able to put to- working style in delivering gether these days. our promises of support? support and enhancing human capac- How good is our stock of knowledge We thought it was over with Rome. ity-building, particularly in developing for launching such a pursuit? How But the commitment made to the countries.” And, more recently, in 2005, best can the goodwill we have earned fishworkers to create a supporters’ fo- Svensk Fisk awarded the Kungsfenan over the years be used as a founda- rum lingered. It took over two years Swedish Seafood Award (also referred tion to build upon for the future? to fructify. Discussions in India. Visits to as the “Nobel Prize of the Seafood by some of us to Norway, Rome, Sen- Industry”) to ICSF in recognition of its Today, these are some of the crucial egal and Canada, in between. Finally, “efforts to promote sustainable fishing, issues that stare down at us. We need the International Collective in Support for working closely with small-scale some soul-searching. The onus is on of Fishworkers (ICSF) was born in fisheries and their communities, and for each one of us to articulate our Trivandrum, India, in November 1986. conveying news relating to fisheries thoughts and offer frank opinions. We and information about sustainable fish- came to Rome in 1984 in faith and with We had a dream: Make this support ing to the general public living in coas- expectations and hopes. network a “force to reckon with” in the tal communities.” world of fisheries. Bangkok in 1990 At Trivandrum in 1986, we envisioned confirmed that we should move on. Thus, we have been able to silently in- an approach to support. We reach Cebu in 1994 set a new agenda. The fluence major fisheries discussions at Fortaleza today, two decades later, creation of the two world forums of FAO, the United Nations (UN) and the with questions and a choice of cross- the “fishworkers” and the “fisher peo- International Labour Organization roads. Only time will tell which was ple” made us question the need for our (ILO). Our success in influencing glo- the real watershed. continuance when we met again in bal policy in fisheries has perhaps been

John Kurien, currently Professor at the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, India, is a Founding Member of ICSF

2 SAMUDRA for Fortaleza ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet Blast from the Past The International Conference of Fishworkers and their Supporters, which led to the creation of ICSF, made these recommendations in July 1984:

e, fishworkers and their association; withdraw all measures We call for a collective effort in chang- supporters from 34 coun- that penalize the workers ing attitudes and values towards Wtries of the world who women in order to get their full par- struggle for survival and sometimes We recommend that governments of ticipation in decisionmaking at all lev- die for their cause, urge governments the Third World co-operate on a re- els. to be responsive to the demands of the gional basis to ensure effective manage- local fishworkers’ organizations to: ment of their fish resources in the long We emphasize the positive contribu- term. tion of non-governmental organiza- • Reserve and protect for small-scale tions in the development of technol- fishing all near-shore waters and We stress the essential role of women ogy and forms of participatory man- fishing grounds accessible to it in fishing communities, considering agement that ensure the future of their sensitivity to the deteriorating small-scale fisheries. Priority should • Ban all technologies that disturb quality of life. be given to lessening dependency on the balance of the ecosystem either foreign capital, equipment and know- through overfishing or pollution, We support them in getting organized how. and prevent the use of chemicals to: that are forbidden in the industri- We ask that all scientists who recog- alized countries • protect their activities in the produc- nize the importance of conserving and tion process enhancing the person-nature relation- • Associate local fishermen’s organi- ship take a strong stand on behalf of zations or fishermen communities • improve their working conditions the small-scale fishermen. in devising and implementing regulatory measures (with con- • alleviate the burden of their work We urge them to work in collaboration crete possibilities of control) with local fishermen’s organizations to • actively reduce pollution, and pro- complement their knowledge of the • Respect and guarantee the funda- tect the environment sea and to enable them to regain their mental rights of fishworkers to free rights over the sea. About Fortaleza ortaleza (Portuguese for for- of the Treaty of Tordesillas, the discov- for having the “wildest Monday tress) is the State capital of ery was never officially sanctioned. The nights in the world.” The Praia de FCeará, located in northeastern real colonization started when the Iracema (Iracema’s beach), one of the Brazil. With a population of more Dutch constructed Fort Schoonenborch first urban nuclei of the city, holds than 2 million, it is considered the in 1649. Later, the Portuguese expelled many bars and restaurants. There, the second most important city in the re- the Dutch and renamed it Forte de Ponte dos Ingleses (Bridge of the Eng- gion in economic terms, after Salva- Nossa Senhora da Assunção. Around lish), the old docks, is located and dor in Bahia. Fortaleza has an area the fort, which even today is perfectly used to watch the sunset, and spot of 336 square km. To the north of the preserved, a small village grew to be- dolphins. city lies the Atlantic Ocean, to the come the fifth largest city in Brazil. In south the cities of Pacatuba, Eusébio, 2004 Luizianne Lins was surprisingly Warm waters bathe Fortaleza’s urban- Maracanaú and Itaitinga, to the east elected as mayor. ized beaches, which offer every com- is the county of Aquiraz and the At- fort to the tourist. The scenery is com- lantic Ocean and to west is the city Tourism plemented by the jangadas (small and of Caucaia. A complete infrastructure, three thou- rustic rafts used by many of Ceará’s sand hours of sun per year and the con- fishermen). From the jangadas come History stant ocean breeze give the full dimen- the sea’s fruits, responsible for the best Fortaleza’s history began February 2, sion of this paradise. For those who Ceará’s cuisine. The Praia do Futuro 1500 when the Spaniard Vicente have more energy, the nightlife is full (Beach of the Future) is the meeting Pinzón landed in Mucuripe’s cove of attractions, with bars, restaurants, place for bathers, concentrating a large and named the new land Santa and shows. Not even on Mondays does number of typical beachside restau- Maria de la Consolación, but because Fortaleza cool down. The city is known rants, with carnauba straw used in its (contd... Page 4)

3 SAMUDRA for Fortaleza ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet (...from Page 3) Helpline construction. The local population praised literary style was used during calls them “Barracas de Praia.” Thurs- the Modern Art Week of 1922. day nights, the beach becomes the big- Conference Secretariat gest sensation in the capital’s nightlife, There are many other cultural centres Salao de Eventos 2 (adjacent to with live music, forró and a lot of crab like the Banco do Nordeste Cultural Conference hall) to eat. Centre and the most important, Dragão do Mar Centre of Art and Culture, Registration/Travel A few kilometers away from the city which is placed on the quarter of Praia SESC Reception (Tel: 55 85 3318 are some well-known beaches as de Iracema, an important cultural cen- 6000) Prainha, Iguape and Porto das Dunas. tre of Fortaleza. In the latter, there are two large water Money Changing parks. Landmarks SADOC (Cambio e Tourismo, z José de Alencar playhouse Fortaleza. Tel: 3219-7993) Culture z Mucuripe lighthouse Fortaleza has a strong and traditional z Cathedral Emergency Numbers cultural life. Since the end of the 19th z Iracema Statue Police 190 Century, the city has had various cul- z Nossa Senhora da Assunção Fort Ambulance 3433-7373 tural institutions. The Instituto do z Palace of Light Ceará (Ceará Institute) was SESC Address estabilished in 1887, and is the oldest Sports Colônia Ecológica Sesc Iparana institution. Its reseach has a historic, There are several soccer Praia de Iparana S/N Caucaia geographic and antropologic type. clubs based in Fortaleza Ceará such as Fortaleza EC, Cep: 61.605-600 The Acad-emia Ferroviário AC and Tel: 55 85 3318 6000 Cearense de Ceará SC. Embratur: 20.03.612.122/0004-70 Letras Site: www.sesc-ce.com.br (Cearense With strong winds Word Acad- the Praia do Fu- emy) was the turo is an excel- first institu- lent place for nau- tion of the tical sports. This (Rome) conference was sort in the Fortaleza hosts “not conceived as an intellectual country, be- world competi- experience. It became a living ing estab- tions of surfing, human experience in which lished in August 15 of 1894. windsurfing and kite surfing. spontaneity, life-sharing and In 1892 Fortaleza was the place for a self-expression at all levels cultural movement of literary expres- — From Wikipedia played a major role. sion called “Spiritual Bakery” and its

— from the 1984 Rome Conference Report” Know Your Portuguese

GREETINGS It doesn’t matter Não importa Hello Olá I don’t mind Não me importo Tomorrow Good day Bom dia Of course Claro Good evening Boa tarde True Verdade Good night Boa noite With pleasure Com prazer ¾ FAO Technical Guidelines Hi Olá ¾ Biodiversity & Ecosystem Good bye Adeus QUESTION WORDS Approach See you soon Até logo/Até a vista ¾ Fish Trade ¾ Disaster Preparedness Where? Onde? ¾ Video Documentary Show GENERAL RESPONSES When? Quê? Yes Sim Why? Quem? No Não What? Qual?/Quais? (pl.) That depends Depende Who? Como? I don’t know Não sei Samudra for Fortaleza is a special How? Quanto? publication brought out by the I don’t think so Acho que não How much/many? Quanto/Quantos? SAMUDRA Team for ICSF’s 20th I suppose so Suponho que sim Is/are there? Há? I think so Creio que sim Anniversary Meet at Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

4 SAMUDRA for Fortaleza ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet No. 2 5 July 2006

FortalezaFortaleza

I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O L L E C T I V E I N S U P P O R T O F F I S H W O R K E R S samudraToday’s Agenda Looking at ICSF at 20 ¾ FAO Technical Guidelines As ICSF enters the adolescence stage, seven of the Founding Members got together to reminisce about the past—and ponder the future ¾ Biodiversity and Ecosystem Approach he workshop kicked Since then, ICSF has been of small-scale fishworkers off with Rene Scharer working on issues that affect to highly migratory fish ¾ Fish Trade Tof Instituto Terrmar, the artisanal and small-scale stocks (UN Fish Stocks the co-host, and Chandrika fisheries sector, especially in Agreement) and the fishing ¾ Panel: Disaster Sharma, Executive Secretary the developing world. It has subsidies debate (UN Envi- Preparedness of ICSF, warmly welcoming taken part in and itself or- ronment Programme). the participants to Fortaleza, ganized several significant ¾ Video and hoping that the next conferences on these issues. ICSF is a founder member of Documentaries three days would see much the Coalition for Fair Fish- meaningful discussion on ICSF has engaged with sev- eries Arrangements (CFFA), the various issues that have eral UN processes on issues which campaigns for fair Marginally... brought them together. ranging from labour (for in- and equitable fisheries ar- stance, highlighting the need rangement between the EU A total of 57 participants are In an overview of ICSF, to include small-scale fishers and the African, Caribbean here at Fortaleza to deliber- Chandrika Sharma outlined under the proposed ILO Con- and the Pacific (ACP) coun- ate, over three days, issues the work done by the organi- vention and Recommenda- tries. dealing with fisheries and zation since its formation in tion on Working Conditions fishworkers. Most of the Trivandrum, India, in 1986 in the Fisheries Sector); rec- ICSF, Chandrika said, has participants (41) are from by a group of concerned in- ognition of the rights of also worked steadfastly to the South, while eight are dividuals from 18 countries, small-scale fishworkers and foster a gender perspective from the North. In terms of in response to an invitation communities in fisheries and within fishworker organi- geographic spread, Latin from the Centre for Develop- biodiversity management zations. The organization America is best represented, ment Studies (CDS) and the within a larger oceans/ has been especially success- with 27 participants, while South Indian Federation of biodiversity perspective ful in disseminating infor- Asia and Africa have seven Fishermen Societies (SIFFS). (UNCED, FAO, CBD); the rights (...contd. on Page 3) each.

The country-wise breakup is What’s Inside as follows:

Argentina 2; Brazil 18; Chile Reflections...... 2 5; France 3; Ghana 1; Guinea Sound Bites ...... 2 Conakry 1; India 4; Mauri- On the Web ...... 3 tania 1; Netherlands 3; Nor- Darwin’s way 1; Peru 2; Italy 1; Sen- Nightmare ...... 4 egal 2; South Africa 2; Sri Portuguese ...... 4 Lanka 1; Thailand 2; (Secre- tariat 8).

SAMUDRA for Fortaleza 1 ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet REFLECTIONS Alain Le Sann Sound Bites On the workshop: This workshop should focus on topics Unique, indispensable counterbalance like

lthough I became a Member it possible to understand how artisanal - access to reserved fishing zones; of ICSF only at the end of the fishing in the South may evolve, and - co-management of fishing re- A1980s, I had had the opportu- what are the shortcomings to avoid so sources nity to attend the Rome Conference or- as to guarantee a sustainable future. - access to markets with specific ganized by those who went on to One of the big challenges for artisanal rights found ICSF. That Rome meeting was fishermen in the South is to develop determining for me, because I discov- deep-sea fishing, making sure that they - certification of artisanal fishery ered there the burgeonning power of avoid using equipment that is too - empowerment of fishworker or- the organizations in the South. The costly. Markets are often in the North ganizations and coastal communi- NGOs that I had met up till then were and they have a growing impact on ties dominated by representatives from fishing communities in the South. the North. The Rome Conference— Thanks to ICSF’s network and docu- On fisheries in Ceara: and, subsequently, ICSF—helped me to mentation, we were able to take an ef- understand the shortcomings of in- fective part in the debate in France The State of Ceara has no official policy dustrial fishing and the impact of Eu- around the film Darwin’s Nightmare, on artisanal fisheries at all. The last ropean policy on Southern countries. on the export of the Nile perch from initiative was the creation of a fishing Fishworkers from the South made us Africa. Northern countries import more committee in 1995. But since 1999, understand that the future lay in and more fish from the South, and nothing has been done. artisanal fisheries. many people question the sustainability and the equity of such trading practices. Coming back from Rome, I decided to We fishers in Ceara face many prob- publish a newsletter, Pêche & ICSF is a unique network that enables lems. The State government has no Développement, and it has been pub- people to understand interactions and political will to tackle the problems, lished regularly ever since. Today, in evolutions in the world’s fisheries. It is and the federal agency, IBAMA, is in- Lorient, France, where I am based, an indispensable NGO that can efficient too. Through subsidies, the artisanal fisheries is about the only one strengthen the voice of fishing commu- government encouraged the industrial to survive, industrial fishing having nities, particularly to counterbalance collapsed at the end of the 1980s. Af- the growing influence of environmen- fishery, and too many boats were ter exhausting the fish stocks in Eu- tal NGOs, who tend to impose their own built. Today nearly 350 steel boats lie rope, the old industrial trawlers were points of views. Artisanal fishermen in rusted and disused, and illegal fish- sold off to Africa, where they went on Northern countries become invisible ing for lobster is rampant. to create great damage. minorities. In order to survive, they must not only build up alliances with The solutions are well known: partici- ICSF also greatly helped us to under- other groups, but also develop links stand the importance of the role of with fishermen from the South, who are pation of coastal communities in co- women in fisheries. The Cebu meet- much more numerous, to voice their management, monitoring of fishing re- ing in 1984 particularly stressed this claims on a global scale, once they get sources, genuine control by competent aspect. The deep crisis that affected organized. public departments, partnership with fisheries in France in 1992-93 showed international organizations… how fishermen’s wives play a major We have reached the limits of the ex- role in sustaining fishing livelihoods; ploitation of the world’s fish resources today, they hold important positions and we must now share them equally. On the Instituto Terramar: in various organizations in fishing The challenge for the world’s fishermen The institute was created in 1993 to communities. is not only to defend their fishing ac- defend the artisanal fishery in Ceara. tivities, but also to restore the produc- Its main aims are to assist fishworker While giving priority to fishworkers tive capacity of the coastal zones in communities and give them technical from the South, ICSF has been wise which they operate. We have a lot of aid, support coastal social movements, enough to maintain links with such positives experiences from around fishworkers from the North. The evo- the world—and they nurture our defend fishers’ rights against land lution of fisheries in the North makes hopes. speculation, protect mangroves and oppose the setting up of shrimp farms.

—These are excerpts from an interview Alain Le Sann ([email protected]), Publisher and Editor of Rene Scharer by Alain Le Moal, CCFD, of Pêche & Développement, is a Member of ICSF France

2 SAMUDRA for Fortaleza ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet (ICSF at 20... contd. from Page 1)

mation and analysis through its var- Nalini Nayak chose to highlight what in 2002. Just before the reminiscence ied output, ranging from publications she labeled as “some of the confusions” session ended, Nalini reminded the like SAMUDRA Report, Monographs and that have evolved over the last 20 years. audience that there were actually not Dossiers, the Yemaya women-in-fish- When ICSF was started, the founders just the seven at the founding meeting eries newsletter and other studies, and and supporters seemed to be rather sure of ICSF, but a total of around 24 people the ICSF website, SAMUDRA News what the small-scale sector in the South- who came together. Some of them have Alerts and multimedia products. ern part of the world was and quite sure since moved out due to a lesser in- of whom to support. Massive changes volvement with the sector as a whole, After that overview, seven of the have since taken place and, Nalini while some others remain very active, Founding Members reflected on 20 added, “I am rather confused who the although at the periphery. In conclu- years of ICSF. John Kurien recalled that small-scale sector includes and what it sion, Rene quipped, “If ICSF didn’t ex- the original founders of ICSF did not represents. This is one of the challenges ist, we would have had to invent it.” go to Rome (and, subsequently, to for us to redefine with our fishworker Trivandrum) as individuals but with friends – who we are going to support the strong backing of people involved and for what in the coming years?” Lovers on Aran in fisheries. The support of this large The timeless waves, bright, sifting, number of people worked towards Although ICSF has given importance to broken glass, creating a network that is a force to the question of women in fisheries, Came dazzling around, into the rocks, reckon with in the world of fisheries Nalini pointed out, the issue has not Came glinting, sifting from the development. gained much ground, mainly because Americas ICSF’s principal constituency has been Cornelie Quist recalled that her 22 fishworker organizations, which are To posess Aran. Or did Aran rush years of involvement with the ICSF mainly male-dominated. Where the lo- to throw wide arms of rock around a process has been a unique experience cal community is given power in deci- tide of mission and vision, and friendship sion-making processes, there women That yielded with an ebb, with a soft shared between members. ICSF has definitely play a role. Nalini hoped that crash? played an important role in the val- in the coming decade, ICSF would be orization of artisanal fisheries at the able to articulate and realize the con- Did sea define the land or land the local and international levels. This be- cept of sustainability where women, sea? came very evident in ICSF’s involve- men and nature do actually matter. Each drew new meaning from the ment in the post-tsunami work. waves’ collision. Rolf Willmann, Senior Fisheries Officer, Sea broke on land to full identity. ICSF has not only championed the FAO, said that ICSF has become main- cause of artisanal fishworkers, stream for FAO and is filling a void to — Seamus Heaney Cornelie added, but also of women counterbalance the presence of the en- fishworkers and vendors. ICSF’s effort vironmental groups by representing the to integrate a gender perspective into fisheries sector, in general, and the dominant discourse was most fishworkers, in particular. Though ICSF The ICSF website, http://www.icsf.net, challenging and unique, so much so is now mainstream, Rolf said, the cru- has several resources on fisheries, that today women’s role in artisanal cial issue is translating good policies fishworkers and fishing communities, fisheries has been more or less ac- into ground realities so that we can see including all issues of SAMUDRA Re- knowledged. real changes in the lives of fishing com- port, ICSF’s triannual journal, and munities. Yemaya, the newsletter on women in The greatest contribution of ICSF, fisheries. All these, as well as the other Cornelie summed up, relates to the James Smith recalled that one of the publications, are available for free conceptual and contextual analysis of things that impressed him most at the download from the site. You can also fisheries development. She hoped that Rome conference was how the organ- subscribe to SAMUDRA News Alerts, in the coming triennium ICSF would izers were able to allow the voices of the free news service designed to de- take up the challenge of a more inte- fishworkers from the villages to reach liver fisheries-related news and analy- grated approach to fisheries the international level. As for the fu- sis daily or weekly, in either plain-text policymaking. ture, James pointed to the need to think or HTML format. in terms of workers’ and human rights, Hector Luis Morales characterized and the place that fishworkers should For this workshop, a special website ICSF as a network of not only support find in the maritime world. There has been created at http:// but also tolerance. It is important for should be fewer and fewer distinctions www.icsf.net/jsp/conference/gb2006. ICSF to recognize and address the en- between the workers in the maritime The site features all the presentations vironmental and social changes that field, he said. made at the workshop as well as use- have taken place over the past 20 ful information and links related to the years. The future lies in allowing com- A minute’s silence was observed in themes discussed. The final report of munities to be stakeholders in the memory of Michael Belliveau, a Found- the workshop will also be uploaded struggle, he said. ing Member of ICSF, who passed away to the site.

3 SAMUDRA for Fortaleza ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet Helpline ™ Darwin’s Nightmare ome time in the 1960s, in the This booming multinational industry Conference Secretariat heart of Africa, a new animal of fish and weapons has created an Salao de Eventos 2 (adjacent to Swas introduced into Lake Victo- ungodly globalized alliance on the Conference hall) ria as a little scientific experiment. The shores of the world’s biggest tropical Tel: 87390906 Nile Perch, a voracious predator, ex- lake: an army of local fishermen, tinguished almost the entire stock of World Bank agents, homeless chil- Registration/Travel the native fish species. However, the dren, African ministers, EU commis- SESC Reception (Tel: 55 85 3318 new fish multiplied so fast that its sioners, Tanzanian prostitutes and 6000) white fillets are today exported all Russian pilots. around the world. Money Changing “Witty, provocative, angry and heart- SADOC (Cambio e Tourismo, Huge hulking ex-Soviet cargo planes breaking, this incisive, imaginative Fortaleza. Tel: 3219-7993) come daily to collect the latest catch film ranges wide in the subjects it in exchange for their southbound covers.” — TIME OUT, London Emergency Numbers cargo…Kalashnikovs and ammuni- Police 190 tion for the uncounted wars in the (Darwin’s Nightmare was screened here last Ambulance 3433-7373 dark centre of the continent. night. Those who missed the film can request for a private screening.) SESC Address Colônia Ecológica Sesc Iparana Praia de Iparana S/N Caucaia Ceará Cep: 61.605-600 Tel: 55 85 3318 6000 Embratur: 20.03.612.122/0004-70

“...it takes the waters of many rivers to make a mighty ocean—a samudra. And so it is with our Collective...

— Viewpoint from SAMUDRA Report No. 1 ”

Know Your Portuguese Tomorrow

¾ Labour Issues in Fisheries ¾ Aquaculture SPECIAL OCCASIONS Take Care! Cuidado! ¾ Fishworker Organizations: Emerging Concerns Congratulations! Parabéns! ETIQUETTE ¾ Concluding Session Happy Birthday! Feliz aniversário! ¾ Dinner Party/Festa Happy Christmas! Feliz Natal! Please Se faz favor / Por favor Happy New Year! Feliz Ano Novo! Thank you Obrigada Happy Easter! Feliz Páscoa! Excuse me Com licença / Desculpe Good Luck! Boa sorte! I’m sorry, but... Peço desculpa, mas... Samudra for Fortaleza is a special Enjoy the meal! Bom apetite! That’s a shame Que pena publication brought out by the Have a safe journey! Boa viagem! May I... ? Posso... ? SAMUDRA Team for ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet at Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

4 SAMUDRA for Fortaleza ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet No. 3 6 July 2006

FortalezaFortaleza

I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O L L E C T I V E I N S U P P O R T O F F I S H W O R K E R S samudraToday’s Agenda A long and fruitful day ¾ Labour Issues in The penultimate day of the workshop witnessed some spirited discussion Fisheries ¾ Aquaculture on a range of issues affecting small-scale coastal fishing communities ¾ Fishworker Organizations: Emerging Concerns he first day's spirited strategies and policies that sponded to the film Dar- ¾ Concluding Session discussions on re could be employed to allow win's Nightmare and the ¾ Dinner Party/Festa Tsponsible and rights- small-scale fisheries to help role of globalization in the based fisheries, and what alleviate poverty and con- trade of the Nile Perch. such an approach would tribute to food security. How ecolabels affect the Obrigado! mean for small-scale fishing Small-scale fisheries are un- small-scale fisheries in As we meet for the last day communities, brought forth dervalued and deserve more Latin America was also dis- of the workshop, it’s time concrete examples from attention in policymaking, cussed. The panel discus- to thank all those who have Chile and Peru of their expe- research and fisheries infor- sion on disaster prepared- spent several months in preparing for this event. riences with management mation systems. They ness and coastal fishing areas and artisanal fishing should be provided with communities featureda We would like to especially zones. These subjects were greater rights and access to range of experiences and acknowledge the staff of explored in depth and more fishery resources, land, wa- potential strategies to miti- Instituto Terramar, specifi- specifically in the group dis- ter, technology, knowhow gate the effects of natural cally, René Schärer, cussions that followed. The and capital, Rolf concluded. disasters. Eluziane, Thiago, Jefferson, pre-dinner panel discussion Soraya, Rosinha, and dealt with distant-water fish- The session on biodiversity The post-dinner screening Giselta Maria. And we’re eries. and the ecosystem approach of films rounded off a long not forgetting Michelle...! featured an elaboration of and fruitful day, and hope- The level of enthusiasm set the CBD process , how marine fully set the tone for today, Thanks also to the staff of on the first day continued on extractive reserves can serve the concluding day of the SESC for their hospitality, great food, and help, par- Day 2, a fairly packed day as an alternative approach to workshop. ticularly, Sadi, Alain and that saw discussions ranging participatory conservation, Faustino. A special word of from the role of the FAO in al- and the small-scale fisheries appreciation for the trans- leviating the conditions of perspective on the ecosystem lation provided by ITI poverty in fishing communi- approach to fisheries and What’s Inside Translation, Fortaleza. ties to trade in fish and fish oceans. products and how coastal Reflections...... 2 For the sketches, many, communities should prepare The post-lunch session on many thanks to Surendra for natural disasters. trade in fish and fish prod- Sound Bites ...... 3 (India) and our very own ucts focused on the World Gunnar. And to InApp, as In an exhaustive presenta- Trade Organization and the always, great work! Reflections...... 4 tion, Rolf Willman, Senior role of trade in food security. And now, até logo, Boa Fisheries Planning Officer, There was also an analysis of Gunnar’s Album ...... 6 viagem...!! FAO, described the possible how the French public re-

SAMUDRA for Fortaleza 1 ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet REFLECTIONS Nalini Nayak More ups than downs

am not generally a person who lives manner in which the entire equations and West, great mistrust and divisive- in the past, although I do look back of international relations and the ness developed when the organiza- Iat times to take stock of where I am mindset of development would change. tions themselves took the lead in link- going and why. When I was requested In a way, capitalism and neoliberalism ing up globally. Moreover, the man- a reflection for SAMUDRA for Fortaleza on triumphed, shattering our organiza- agement of power within the organi- the occasion of the 20th anniversary of tional struggles against that twin ide- zations themselves has highlighted ICSF, lots of memories did come back, ology, shattering the strength of the or- that alternative forms of organization and one can say they range wide— ganized working class by atomizing have not sufficiently evolved to create from high moments to low, from very and 'unorganizing' it. The socialist op- workable options at the base. Here successful programmes to some medio- tion was rendered outdated, although again, I would venture to add that pa- cre ones, from very engaging and the ‘rights perspective’ gained ground triarchal forms of leadership and vi- stimulating friendships to some broken in the new global village, where the sion have contributed to this short- ones, from serious and hard work to most powerful still call the shots. coming. exciting, fun times, but always, very constructive discussion and debates These changes have affected coastal How we in ICSF have dealt with these that have contributed to ‘valorizing the communities, fishworkers, fishworker changes, has been the challenge, keep- coastal fisheries’. On average, the ups organizations and all of us in so many ing the rudder of the boat firm to seem to outweigh the downs. ways. While several have been weather the storm, while, at the same pauperized and rendered redundant, time, being responsive to the demands At the close of the Rome Conference in the surviving segment has got overcapi- of those who keep their heads above 1984, the fishworkers present suggested talized and has joined the race to chase the water. The brunt has been borne, that the supporters continue to support the last fish. So has our definition of the in the most part, by the ICSF Secretariat, the coastal fishers in their struggle for 'coastal fisher', the 'artisanal fisher', the which was the institution created in survival, while they themselves would 'small-scale fisher' changed? By the very 1991 when the Members realized that create and strengthen their collective fact that we have worked mainly with the demands made on them, and the organizations, demanding their rights fishworker organizations, the base that need to respond to various issues lo- to recognition and survival. While the we relate to has continued to be those cally, regionally and globally, were be- fishworker organizations maintained fishers that have survived. yond the abilities of voluntary service. their autonomy and grew the world over, the ICSF that was created in 1986 But here again, there have been several But, in a way, the creation of the Secre- sought to: catches: these are generally male fish- tariat—and an efficient one at that— ers, and this has been one of the main has resulted in the decline of volun- • build bridges between fishworkers reasons that women have got a back tary participation of the ICSF Members. in regions where their fisheries were seat and probably one of the reasons linked through bilateral agreements; why the feminist perspective within Forging a strategy aimed at the future • see that the coastal fishery and ICSF has not evolved to the extent it is, therefore, going to be a greater chal- fishworkers found a place in the in- should have. This does not discount the lenge. But given the fact that the ocean ternational discourse and work done and achieved in this regard, resources and the coastal zone con- decisionmaking in world fisheries; because ICSF has played a significant tinue to be focal points for develop- and role in spreading a feminist and gen- ment, and the fact that there still re- • provide inputs to fishworker organi- der perspective and awareness among mains so much energy among the old zations on macro-developments that women from fishing communities, and young to continue to struggle affect them at the micro-level. which has been the basis for them to against overpowering destructive de- organize and thereby expand the hori- velopment, I feel certain that new and I may not be wrong in concluding that zon and canvas of the coastal fishery. positive strategies can be crafted to ICSF has made significant strides in forge ahead. these directions, and, from that point The other disturbing happening has of view, these two decades have been been the divisiveness in the fishworker For me personally, the experiences as well worth it. organizations themselves, at a time a Member of ICSF have led to widen- when the world economy is converg- ing visions, on the one hand, but to But this does not preclude the fact that ing as never before. While ICSF spent great humility regarding the role of a these years have also been tumultuous. long years building bridges and under- support network, on the other. For this, While change is inevitable, I do not standing between fishworker organiza- I am most grateful to all those who think any of us foresaw the speed or tions of the North and the South, East have made this possible.

Nalini Nayak ([email protected]) is a Founding Member of ICSF

2 SAMUDRA for Fortaleza ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet this has happened in this last (post- developmental issues, mainly Sound Bites apartheid) period. integrated coastal area management.

There are many issues facing fishers in Much of Masifundise’s focus is on from South Africa South Africa, like enabling the building capacities in the coastal fishworkers to speak for themselves, communities. Another task is to On the workshop: supporting them in organizing their document the impact of the quota own groups so that their voices are systems on people’s rights and on We hope this could be an opportunity heard... The South African NGOs have traditional forms of harvesting and for representatives from fishworker often spoken for, and on behalf of, organizing, since quotas have already and other organizations to come communities and it is really important started to split the community. together and critically reflect on the that they advocate for their rights. gains that have been made for — These are excerpts from an artisanal and small-scale fishers since There are a number of other issues interview with Jackie Sunde of the Rome Conference. This is also an that have come up after the new Masifundise, by Neena Koshy opportunity to look at how the policy. The small group of fishers that organizations can network did get the right to fish, ironically, collaboratively to address some of include some women because of the from Thailand their concerns. It is also a chance to government’s commitment to gender enhance the general understanding equity. of fisheries, particularly in Latin On the workshop: America. Women were encouraged to apply for rights and they have done so. In some This conference has widened my On fisheries in South Africa: communities, where the man is the perspective on what is happening at traditional bona fide fisher, his partner the international level, which has Southern Africa is fairly complex, and is being offered the right, and he is been useful, since I have been mainly South Africa is fairly unique in now left out or excluded. The people concerned with issues facing fishing southern Africa. South Africa has a are now going to court against the communities at the local and national highly industrial and capitalized government because of the failure of level in Thailand. This meeting is an commercial fishery, while most of the the fisheries department to recognize ideal opportunity for all participants other countries are not as artisanal fishers. to articulate the key issues facing industrialized. The issues facing the small-scale fishing, and for ICSF to region do certainly differ, even The biggest challenge is to be aware advocate and lobby at the though all share some fish stocks. that the government does need to shift international level. This meeting has the racial profile of South African also been a good networking space The last 100 years saw the rapidly fisheries, which has, till now, been to engage with other NGOs in different industrializing fishery dominated by dominated by the whites. To that countries and continents. four large white-owned companies. extent, they have to bring in new Those companies managed a strong entrants, South African entrants. This is On fisheries in Thailand: stranglehold on the fisheries industry, often at the cost of those talented and, during the apartheid regime, artisanal fishers who have been there There are 412 fishing communities in they were able to consolidate their for many years. Therefore, the Thailand, and 60 per cent of the position. In that period, many government must do a very fine communities were affected by the artisanal fishers lost their rights in the balancing act. December 2004 Indian Ocean sense they were not allowed to fish tsunami. The organization I work for, on their own right. On Masifundise Development Trust: Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF), in co-operation with a network With the transition to democracy in Masifundise is a South African NGO of NGOs, has been working in the six 1994, there were lots of hopes and founded by a group of black activists, provinces along the Andaman Sea. expectations that the locals would be who started with adult education and given rights, but that did not adult literacy during the apartheid era, In these provinces, 40 fishing materialize at all. On the contrary, and who wanted to support and communities were severely affected they were left out of the legislation extend education to the blacks who by the tsunami, and SDF has seen the and are not legally recognized at all were denied tertiary education. post-tsunami rehabilitation process as as a sector. a means to establish an alternative to In 1994, after the opening up of the top-down approach. It has been Subsistence fishers are recognized, democracy, the organization went advocating the rights of the but this category involves those who through an effort to re-strategize, and communities in areas where the fish to put food on the table — they tried to focus on the poorest of the “middlemen”, in collaboration with are not supposed to sell the fish. poor, which then led them to the government officials, wanted to move Therefore, the key issue facing the coastal communities and the sector is the lack of recognition and fisherpeople living on the coast. Now (...contd. Page 5) the resulting exclusion. It is ironic that the focus is largely on coastal

3 SAMUDRA for Fortaleza ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet REFLECTIONS V. Vivekanandan 20 years of ICSF

986 was an eventful year for me. It Subsequently, I became a member of ICSF’s ing support to fledgling fishworker or- started with the completion of the Animation Team and my involvement ganizations. ICSF’s West Africa interven- 1painful restructuring of the South became more intense. The participation in tion seemed to be consistent with this Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies the FAO’s Code of Conduct process and course of action. Somehow, we were un- (SIFFS) as a three-tier co-operative. Soon visits to Brazil and Canada added to my able to stay the course, and West Africa after, I was struck by Bells Palsy and understanding of fishery issues. Still green remains an exception or even an aberra- needed to take a month off for physi- in my memory is the meeting I attended tion. otherapy. in the Maritimes with Mike Belliveau, in which wharf representatives of the Mari- Another area that we had great hopes Then came my first trip abroad to attend time Fishermen’s Union discussed the pros was in research that would help ICSF a workshop at FAO in Rome. It was some and cons of a six-inch escape hole for ju- play a prophetic role in the fisheries sec- kind of a consolation trip organized by venile lobsters in their lobster traps. This tor, setting the development agenda in Rolf as I had missed out on participat- was my first exposure to a co-management favour of the small-scale sector and sus- ing in the 1984 Rome Conference due to system. tainable fisheries. Shrimp aquaculture the unfortunate loss of my passport was still in its infancy as a global indus- while it was in transit for my Italian visa. I can safely say that ICSF has given me try and its negative impacts hardly un- great opportunities to learn and widen my derstood. ICSF decided to be an early The FAO visit led to an impromptu visit fisheries understanding, which influences entrant in this arena and provide sage to the UK at the invitation of ITDG. Brian my work in SIFFS and the Indian fishery advice that might have avoided all the organized a most interesting exposure in many ways. But for the international subsequent troubles. Unfortunately, the trip, including visits to the Grimsby fish- exposure I received through ICSF, I would early bird did not catch the worm! Very eries harbour and the Fisheries College have remained a frog in the well, incapa- obviously, we were naïve in assuming in Hull. The year end saw me saddled ble of relating to entirely different con- that an international organization could with new responsibilities. I got married! texts. ICSF has also given me a wide range be run just on the basis of voluntary To this list of important events in my life of contacts internationally and helped work by members who had their own needs to be added the meeting at open doors that I did not know even ex- jobs to do and lives to lead. Trivandrum in November that led to the isted. Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect formation of ICSF. By virtue of SIFFS be- of being an ICSF Member is the wonderful The areas that ICSF finally made a mark ing a co-sponsor of the meeting, I was comradeship that it automatically entitles in are in lobbying at the international an automatic invitee and became—by you to and the warm personal relation- level and providing valuable informa- default—a Founding Member of ICSF. ships you develop with individuals across tion on the fisheries sector. This is the the world. result of the change in the external envi- Looking back, I can say that my initial ronment and the skill profile and incli- career as an ICSF Member was somewhat ICSF has clearly developed over the years nations of the full-timers who joined the lackadaisical. With seniors like John into an organization with a strong pres- Madras office. When ICSF was set up, the Kurien and Nalini taking a keen inter- ence in the fisheries world, and has a issues facing small-scale fishermen were est in setting up the new organization, I larger-than-life image disproportionate to similar but the actions required were at was quite happy to be a passenger, fo- its small size and budget. This is clearly the national level. The vision was, there- cusing my energies on SIFFS, which was the result of the dedication and creativity fore, a network of members in the Third still struggling to establish itself. Still, my of many ICSF Members and the profes- World who were active at the national closeness to Nalini, John and Pierre Gillet sional staff who run the Brussels and Ma- and local level, supporting the ensured that I had a ringside view of the dras offices. Looking back, one can say fishworkers on these issues. The First development of ICSF from its early days. that ICSF has made an impact in areas that World Members would, in turn, support were not foreseen and hardly any in areas these local and national struggles in their The start of an exciting initiative in West that were the original priority. I had as- own way. However, the start of the Ma- Africa, the launch of SAMUDRA Report, sumed that ICSF would, in some way, dras office coincided with the fall of the the various international meetings and catalyze the growth of national organiza- Berlin wall and a new world regime studies, the setting up of the Madras of- tions of fishworkers across the globe. This based on entirely new principles started fice, etc. come to my mind. The 1990 would perhaps have been through provid- emerging. Bangkok meeting and the 1994 Cebu ing inspiration and critical support to in- meeting were part of my early exposures dividuals who worked with the fishing While national-level actions remain es- to international fishery issues. communities and through capacity-build- sential, action at the international level

V. Vivekanandan ([email protected]), Chief Executive of the South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies (SIFFS), is a Founding Member of ICSF

4 SAMUDRA for Fortaleza ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet to protect the interests of the small-scale forms of fisherfolk organizations are Enigmas fishermen (even if many are not so small also required, but not much consensus by Pablo Neruda anymore!) and fishing communities has exists on this. Despite useful contribu- become a new requirement. ICSF was best tions like Conversations (an ICSF publi- I want to tell you the ocean knows this, that life in placed to play this role and it has real- cation), conceptualising fishworker and its jewel boxes is endless as the sand, impossible to count, pure, ized its potential in this regard. Apex or- fishing community organizations re- and among the blood-colored grapes time has ganizations (structured as apex or oth- main a major weakness in ICSF. Our made the petal erwise) operating at higher levels have strength, largely based on the skill set hard and shiny, made the jellyfish full of light greater relevance in a globalized world. of the full-timers, is ‘sectoral’ rather than and untied its knot, letting its musical threads fall Local action increasingly needs to be sup- in ‘communities’ and ‘community or- from a horn of plenty made of infinite mother-of- ported at higher levels through network- ganizations’. The theme for the 1998 pearl. ing and federating. Providing timely in- Trivandrum General Body was chosen I am nothing but the empty net which has gone on formation on the decisions taken at the in recognition of this, but we could make ahead higher levels and equipping the local or- no headway in developing intellectual of human eyes, dead in those darknesses, ganizations to influence these decisions, capital on the theme of organizing of fingers accustomed to the triangle, longitudes as well as to prepare for their conse- fishworkers and communities. on the timid globe of an orange. quences, have become important. The I walked around as you do, investigating formation of the World Fishworkers Fo- While we can still discuss the best way the endless star, rum (WFF) and the World Forum of to promote fishing community organi- and in my net, during the night, I woke up naked, Fisher People (WFFP) need to be also zations, we should make the best use of the only thing caught, a fish trapped inside the seen in this light. As an organization of our strong points. Our international lob- wind. supporters, ICSF now has additional bying and the Documentation Centre — Translated by Robert Bly channels to reach the fishing communi- activities are best complemented by a ties and to enter into a dialogue with vigorous capacity-building programme them. Documentation and information for community leaders and potential (...contd. from Page 4) dissemination have obviously become NGO staff. Our limited foray into this Sound Bites key requirements, and ICSF is doing a territory has shown good results, and we the communities to establish resorts. great job in these areas. need to significantly scale up this activ- SDF intervened, believing that the ity, and hope it will result in more ac- community had the right to the land. The limited base of fishworker organi- tors at the grass roots taking up the chal- zations and the limitations in their form lenge. However, this will require signifi- On SDF: and functioning continue to limit the ef- cant scaling up in terms of human re- fectiveness of ICSF in bringing real sources, and one wonders about the The main goal of the organization is change at the grass-roots level, despite sustainability of ICSF at a higher level of to advocate for community rights in great successes in the international arena. overheads. This is something that re- the form of access and management Very clearly, the early vision of ICSF pro- quires creative thinking at the Fortaleza of natural resources. At the micro- moting fishworker organizations across General Body Meeting. level, it concentrates on awareness- the globe is not a feasible one. Now that raising campaigns, networking and the limitations of the ‘fishworker’ type My salute to all who have contributed presenting alternatives to managing of organization have been realized, other in making ICSF what it is today! natural resources. At the macro- level, it lobbies support from other organizations on emerging issues, and campaigns for these issues to be articulated in public policy. Some of the macro-level campaigns focus on aquaculture in coastal areas; a community right law, where communities are fully consulted in any decision-making process; the decentralization of the formal sector into the informal; and, in the post- tsunami phase, human-rights approach in rehabilitation. SDF has a strong gender perspective as it believes that women are often the most vulnerable in fishing communities.

— From an interview of Ravadee Prasertcharoensuk, Director of SDF, Thailand, by Moenieba Isaacs of the University of Cape Town, South Africa

5 SAMUDRA for Fortaleza ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet Gunnar’s Helpline

Conference Secretariat Salao de Eventos 2 (adjacent to w Album Conference hall) Registration/Travel SESC Reception (Tel: 55 85 3318 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 6000) Money Changing SADOC (Cambio e Tourismo, Fortaleza. Tel: 3219-7993)

Emergency Numbers Police 190 Ambulance 3433-7373

SESC Address Colônia Ecológica Sesc Iparana Praia de Iparana S/N Caucaia Ceará Cep: 61.605-600 Tel: 55 85 3318 6000 Embratur: 20.03.612.122/0004-70 Site: www.sesc-ce.com.br

“Conservation should be 80 per cent negotiation, 10 per cent common sense and 10 per cent science. — Antonio Carlos Diegues”

Samudra for Fortaleza is a special publication brought out by the SAMUDRA Team for ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet at Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

6 SAMUDRA for Fortaleza ICSF’s 20th Anniversary Meet Review served as the legally recognized Mison, and appropriate mitigating management authority. He highlights measures could have been introduced.” how in the local elections of May 2001, the This prepares the new practitioner for resource users used their voting power as possible eventualities. a form of people power and voted back to office the incumbent mayor, who had not Towards the end of the book, the author given in to the pressures of the illegal includes a series of appendices. Among fishers. them is one that gives a chronological overview of the entire process, which hat is even more educative is stretches from 1990, with the first contact the reflection both on the between the fisher/church workers from Wpositive and negative steps Baliangao and Pipuli Foundation through undertaken by the group, and how issues ecological awareness seminars, to 2001, that cropped up in the process were when the local government and Pipuli handled in reality. At the very start, staff are informed that the Baliangao Heinen writes: “Initially, the project fell Wetland Park had been declared a into the trap of presenting environmental national park by Congress. That was rehabilitation as the solution. Fortunately, when, for the first time in Baliangao, the the intervention became a venue for month leading to the elections was not learning. Learning from nature and marred by the intensive use of explosives human interaction, the change agents for fishing. That was a clear indication of climbed out of the trap and worked the slow but meticulous process of towards a more sustainable intervention.” community intervention and This assures good-intentioned organization that had taken place in practitioners that they undergo a process Danao Bay, which helped create both a of change themselves and clarify their sustainable coastal fishery and a sense of objectives as and when they genuinely pride among the people of their vocation respond to the people’s needs and the as fishers. The appendix that narrates the reality. While explaining how the Pipuli history of the use and status of the staff and a few fishers from Barangay set resource of the Bay situates the entire up a sanctuary and faced major resistance, experience in a context. and later analyzing why it happened, Heinen concludes: “Had the Pipuli Laudable effort programme analyzed the situation in this Having worked closely in coastal way, more attention could have been communities myself, I can only appreciate given to the difference in lifestyle between and applaud the effort and belief of both the people from Landing and those from the external agents and the community of

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 27 Danao Bay in restoring the fishery namely, to provide the reader useful through persistent community theory and experiences in CBCRM. To intervention. Arjan Heinen, who was engaged in the process and has taken the trouble to Review Review his was facilitated by the National document it so understandably, a big Fisheries Code that demarcated “Thank You!” Tthe municipal waters, without which such an involvement of the community could not have been legitimized. This again was the result of several years of action by fishworker organizations and their supporters.

What I missed was understanding how the community handled shore-based activity that relates to, and has impacts on, the fishery and the community—for example, the pollution of the water and the shore, the operation of the landing centre, and the disposal of the catches. Gender equity appears to have been present in the creation of the management plan and the management body.

However, we do not get to understand how the management of market mechanisms ensured that the final monetary returns went to the community, especially to its women, and were not siphoned off by middlemen and merchants, as generally happens.

To be sure, the focus of the book is on the management of fish resources, but one wonders how the other resources of the Bay, particularly the mangroves and marshland vegetation, were also used. For sustainable fisheries to lead to sustainable livelihoods and lifestyles, one would probably have to take into consideration the total biomass of the area, and how it is used and recycled. While I feel sure that several of these aspects must have been included in the Danao Bay programme, unfortunately, they are not covered in this book.

I had the opportunity to meet some of the people of the Danao Bay community and the Pipuli Foundation, and it was amazing to see how empowered they had become as a result of the CBCRM This review is by Nalini Nayak programme. Many a scientist and ([email protected]), a academic could learn effective skills of Member of ICSF applied science from them—not in a disjointed, specialized way, but in an integrated manner. The book does succeed in achieving what it set out to do,

28 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Brazil Lobster fishery Mining the gold of the sea

In their search for sustainability, artisanal fishing communities in Ceará, northeast Brazil, are combining tourism with fishing to enhance incomes

he artisanal fishery in Brazil governments, the fishermen did not learn contributes to over 50 per cent of how to become independent, and Tthe total capture of fish and continued to be exploited by middlemen crustaceans, and accounts for about 90 per and politicians. Even as the lobster fishery cent of the country’s fishers and fleet. and its potential for export was Artisanal fishing dates back to before the discovered around 1955 by an American European discovery of Brazil around called Morgan, fishermen continued to 1500, as indigenous peoples explored the work hard capturing lobsters without coastal areas for their subsistence, using getting a just price for their catches, as the rafts made of wooden logs tied together middlemen made sure they were kept with ropes. The rafts were called piperi or dependent on them for traps, bait and cash igapeba. When the Portuguese fleet landed advances. on the shores of Brazil in 1500, they christened the rafts jangada, after janga or A movement organized by fishermen jangadum, similar craft they had seen in from the north and northeast of Brazil in India, in the province of Goa. 1986 finally gave them their first victory on the way to independence, as the By the early 17th century, responding to revision of the Federal Constitution of the increasing need for fish from a 1988 recognized the right of fishermen to growing population, some ingenious organize in fisher colonies through boatbuilder added a sail, a centreboard democratic elections. However, many and other helpful accessories that allowed colony presidents managed to remain in the jangada to sail windward and start to power through pseudo-elections and plough the ocean. With the colonization of continued to enrich themselves at the Brazil, slaves began to be employed in expense of the fishermen they were fisheries. The prize of a slave fisherman supposed to represent. Only in 1992 did varied with specialization, depending on fishers start to speak up about their whether he was a shrimp fisher slave, a exclusion from fisheries management, shell collector or raft-builder, and so on. and started to mobilize to become part of By the 18th century, fishermen were the decision-making process of fishery obliged to the middlemen who controlled and coastal development. every aspect of capture (boats, fishing gear, fishing spots) and, of course, the sale Strange odyssey of the product. Around 1840, the Ten years have passed since the odyssey government discovered fishermen as of four men and two women from a small ideal inputs for the navy and began to fishing village, looking for answers for create “Fishing Districts” in a recruitment their artisanal fishery. The sail-raft named drive for warship crews. Almost 80 years Communitária (Community) left from the later, around 1919, the navy embarked on beach of Prainha do Canto Verde in the a military mission called the “Crusade of State of Ceará at high noon on 4 April 1993 José Bonifacio”, establishing colonias de with four fishermen (Edilson Fonseca pescadores, (fishermen’s colonies) along Fernandes, Mamede Dantes de Lima, the country’s coast to enlist fishermen and Francisco Abilio Pereira and Francisco da their sons for the navy and to tie them, Silva Valente) aboard, accompanied along once and for all, to the national defence the coast in a small car by two women system. Even after the navy turned over from the village: Marlene Fernandes de control of the fisher colonies to municipal Lima, then president of the village

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 29 association, and Michelle Schärer, a government representatives, to discuss graduate in marine biology from the the themes of the protest. Concrete University of Central Florida. proposals from the workshops for

Brazil Brazil solutions were subsequently sent to he girls were responsible for federal, State and municipal authorities, logistics and support services such and NGOs and fisher organization Tas food supplies, communications, throughout Brazil. press relations, medical service and the organization of meetings with fisher, Meanwhile, the fishermen and friends environmental and human-rights groups patiently made alliances with other along the route, with over 20 intermediate villages, NGOs and some fishery stops. Seventy-four days later, the brave managers. With two years gone by and no travellers arrived in Rio de Janeiro, where real government reaction to their they were welcomed by a large crowd, demands, the fishermen decided to representatives of NGOs, authorities, the protest once more. On 4 April 1995, 500 media and Doryval Cayimmi, an fishers, women and activists marched to immortal composer of Brazilian popular the seat of the State government and music, many of whose songs were about received the promise for action by the the romantic jangadas. Governor’s deputy. Shortly thereafter, the “State Fisheries Committee” was created The expedition was a spontaneous by a government decree and, for the first reaction and protest against predatory time in Ceará’s history, all fisheries fishing, real-estate speculation, exclusion stakeholders sat down at one table. The of the community from tourism NGO Instituto Terramar, founded in 1993 development, and the lack of support for as a result of the historic expedition, was artisanal fishermen. Fifty-two years now leading fishers’ organizations, and earlier, four fishermen from Fortaleza many of the subsequent developments had made a similar trip to Rio to claim were a direct or indirect result of that retirement benefits for fishers. That adventurous voyage. voyage, led by master Jacaré, was to gain worldwide fame, including coverage in After adding a sail and a centreboard to the 8 December 1941 issue of Time the jangada in the 17th century, few magazine, and because of the American modifications have been made to this movie director Orson Welles, who filmed remarkable craft. The major change has the story during a stay in Brazil, amid been to replace tree trunks with planks controversy about the tragic death of around 1950, which added comfort and Jacaré after the jangada Saint Peter was speed to the boat. turned over by a wave. The film was finally finished by another team from The jangada continues to be the ideal boat Paramount and released under the title for fisheries close to the coast (within 20 It’s All True in 1994. nautical miles, in the case of the coast of Ceará) as other boats are too costly to The expedition had been planned and build and operate. The Ceará fishery is carried out by a small group of essentially a day fishery or, at most, a community leaders, idealists and one-night fishery, where the technological volunteers from the Federal University of limitations of the craft are not an obstacle, Ceará who worked hard to make the trip as fishing spots are marked in the minds a success. Eight NGOs gave moral support of the fishermen. to the expedition, while government agencies’ staff and other fishery Technology problem stakeholders chose to stay away. Naval However, the jangada is used less in the authorities who had never envisioned fishery up to 60 miles out on the independent fishermen, tried to abort the continental shelf, due to the difficulty of trip at the last moment, but this time the unfurling the sails for 10 to 12 straight fishermen decided not to obey. During hours and spending four to five the 74-day trip, four workshops were uncomfortable days at sea, exposed to the held with the participation of civil elements. Without land in sight, the lack society, NGOs, fishery specialists, fisher of technology to locate and mark fishing community leaders and invited grounds becomes a real obstacle. So the

30 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Brazil

fishers of Prainha do Canto Verde, with a everything will be alright as long as they little help from friends, have adapted a sail follow instructions and leave the rest to catamaran for the fishery, with excellent God. The commonly used expression in results. Improved security, comfort and Portuguese “Deixa conmigo” ("Let me take stability, coupled with modern care of it") typifies the continued technology (everything except a motor), dependence that has led to extremely low easy maintenance and low operating costs self-esteem of small-scale fishers in Brazil. make this boat ideal for the multi-species But fishers have a good understanding of fishery. ecological processes and can talk hours on end about what fish do and eat and is the conomically too, the sail catamaran right time to catch them. Fishers beats motorboats by a wide margin. understand the concept of overfishing and EThe sail catamaran is, without any sustainability, but they cannot articulate doubt, the boat of the future to explore the their innate understanding in a written continental platform of Ceará and Rio form. Experiences in the lobster fishery Grande do Norte. Another advantage of along the eastern seaboard of Ceará over modernizing the fleet with catamarans is the last ten years have shown that the potential to create jobs for investments made in awareness and boatbuilders in the coastal communities. technical training lead to greater Substitution of motorboats in the coastal self-esteem and co-operation with fishing area with sail catamarans will reduce both regulators in enforcement actions. unemployment and fishing effort at the same time. This substitution with a ‘soft’ Predatory fishing technology will greatly increase food Some artisanal fishing communities in security for three reasons: (a) more Ceará have been actively involved in fishermen can be deployed per trap; (b) efforts to curb predatory fishing since new jobs can be generated for 1993, through community meetings, boat-builders; and (c) the overall fishing partnerships and financial contributions effort can be reduced. for enforcement trips. These efforts led to two major events in Ceará that discussed However, other obstacles exist that and promoted responsible fisheries. The prevent the development of small-scale first was in 1997, when Instituto Terramar, fisheries in Ceará. The main hurdles are together with the International Collective low literacy rates, lack of professional in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), training, little extension work of fisheries organized, the First International scientists in coastal communities, and the Conference on the FAO Code of Conduct historical perception of fishermen that for Responsible Fisheries, which brought

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 31 together over 300 participants and the fishing with other revenue-generating support of IBAMA (the Brazilian Institute activities like tourism and sport fishing. for the Environment, responsible for Thus, fishermen can quickly switch from

Brazil Brazil fisheries). lobster fishery to some other activity if there is a need to reduce the fishing effort. he second event occurred a year later, in the form of the “Lobster The continental shelf on the coast of Ceará TCaravan”, a two-month, and Rio Grande do Norte (a major lobster 20-community roadshow to raise fishing area, with many nurseries) is very awareness among fishers and their vulnerable to overfishing by the families of the need to preserve the lobster motorized fleet. The motorized fleet fishery. The caravan was a team effort, led explores only the lobster fishery, and by the Fisheries and Education many fish with illegal gear and techniques Departments of IBAMA and Instituto (like mechanized diving) in the coastal Terramar, with fishers and NGOs, along area. Boats of 12-15 m length, carrying 600 with promotional support from local to 1,000 traps, add more pressure on government and other stakeholders. In a lobster stocks and compete for space with recently inaugurated community fisher small jangadas fishing with 40 traps. school in the village of Prainha do Canto Verde, high school student fishers show Worse, the State finances this madness by self-confidence and are developing their subsidizing fuel for the lobster fleet. If own projects to construct fishing gear, subsidies are used, they should be applied artificial reefs or mounted structures for to reduce effort or explore other resources. seaweed farming. Rather then being the The money could be applied for cause of the problem—as fishing industry co-management education programmes officials are quick to point out—artisanal for the fishery or to encourage low-impact fishermen are becoming part of the craft and gear. There is also a need for solution for sustainable fisheries better control of the sail fleet in the coastal management. Unfortunately, the area and for better management and expectations awakened by the creation of enforcement of existing laws and the Special Secretariat for Aquaculture regulation, in co-operation with fishers. and Fishery at the ministerial level did Food security in the coastal area cannot be not fulfill the campaign promises made maintained at its present high level if by Brazil’s President, Luis Inácio da Silva, artisanal fishers are expelled from the popularly called “Lula”. Preference is still highly lucrative fishery. Stakeholders for for industrial fishing, big companies and the industrial and commercial fishery will unsustainable shrimp-farming need to sit down and look at their future operations, and the entrepreneurial lobby with a long-range vision for a sustainable is growing stronger. fishery. So far, there has not been much of an effort from industry and vessel owners There is agreement among all to do so. stakeholders that fishing effort is the number one problem in our lobster Gold of the sea fishery. But there is no agreement on how Lobster is popularly called the “gold of the to reduce the effort. As a matter of fact, sea”, because of its high value. Since the fishing industry points the finger once Ceará’s fishing communities have all but again at the artisanal fishers. eliminated intermediaries, the fishers receive about 90 per cent of the export As already shown above, the ideal craft to price of US$32 per kg of lobster tails in capture the great variety of fish and 2001. At the end of 2004, artisanal seafood in the coastal zone are sailboats fishermen would fetch around US$50 per (jangadas close to the shore and kg of lobster tail, half the value of the catamarans towards the end of the official monthly minimum salary of continental shelf). Their low operating US$100. Premium fish species, on the other cost and great economy, as well as the low hand, fetch US$2 to US$3 per kg. With fishing effort they expend and their lobster catches decreasing since 1991, versatility, make them ideal for a nobody fishing with traps has become multispecies fishery, and also offer the rich, since the cost to equip a motorboat opportunity for fishers to combine with legal fishing gear is very high. Thus

32 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Brazil more and more motorboat owners are Ceará’s fishers depended on middlemen either going out of business or turning to for various reasons: distances from ice illegal fishing. plants; lack of transport, working capital and administrative skills; as well as review of the chain of custody is mistrust and individualism. Finally, crucial to understand the realizing the increasing importance of Acontribution of fish trade to the income from the lobster fishery, several food security of the coastal population of communities on the eastern seaboard Brazil. The middleman is a figure that has already working together to fight haunted fishermen since the 17th century, predatory fishing, started to exchange and only in the last decade has this started experiences on how best to do away with to change. Under the command of the middlemen. Fish merchants have the navy, there were fixed percentages of the advantage of easy credit from lobster catch that had to be delivered to the exporters, who were very generous with president of the fishermen’s colony or the the millions of dollars they received in local co-operative, and to be distributed to government subsidies, which they used to dignitaries and government officials. provide lobster traps, bait and cash Only the leftovers were meant for the advances to the fishers who were fishermen to keep. chronically in debt. So while one community started to build their own Only in the 1970s did the Pastoral traps, another got some working capital, Fishermen’s Council (CPP) in Olinda, and this way, they slowly started to cut Pernambuco, make a first attempt to out the middleman. Communities, for the organize fishermen into co-operatives and first time, joined together to negotiate support their struggle for honest elections prices directly with exporters. in the fishermen’s colonies. This also led to the first attempt to train leaders of Price increases fishing communities to become informed For some communities, this meant an citizens. Some of these leaders are still part increase of up to 50 per cent or over US$10 of a network of fisher movements such as per kg of lobster tail. The same happened Movimento Nacional de Pescadores with the marketing of fish, with (MONAPE, the national fishermen’s substantial increases in the price of fish, in movement), Fishermen’s Forum of the the range of 50-70 per cent at the time of State of Ceará and groups of fisher breaking the monopoly of the fish buyers. colonies in the States of Pernambuco, The number of communities marketing Alagoas, Pará and Maranhão that have their own production is increasing close ties with the CPP. continually. They travel and meet to

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 33 Brazil Brazil

exchange knowhow on boat and fishing Boats equipped with rudimentary and gear technology and alternative income life-endangering diving gear, have the generation from other marine resources lowest investment cost and the highest such as seaweed and oysters. capture capacity. Divers who die or are paralyzed for the rest of their lives from he exchange of market diving accidents, are quickly replaced information, especially about from a waiting list of young men willing Tlobster prices, guarantees top to risk their lives. Due to poor enforcement market prices. On two occasions, at sea, the chances of getting caught are fishermen even threatened to pull their slim, and the likelihood of being traps, unless prices were adjusted for prosecuted for environmental crimes, increases in the exchange rate of the local even smaller. Two divers can easily haul currency. (Prices for lobster are quoted in in 600 kg worth US$ 18,000 in two days of US dollars.) Some leaders have contacted diving. Jangada fishers, however, will have exporters to discuss closer co-operation to work the whole year to catch that much in the handling of lobsters and control of in a good season. The average yearly catch their source of origin, in order to cater to for a motorboat with 400 traps is between quality-conscious niche markets. 1,500 and 2,000 kg for 11 trips of 14 days each. One community even went through a certification process. Lobsters fished by The other big business is the export of the artisanal fleet are landed live and are undersize lobsters to the US. According to of the best quality. The high value of calculations by an industry source, the lobster and some demersal fish from profit potential per container exported is artisanal fisheries has allowed many very high. fisher families to improve their living standards and food security. As only Special advantage lobster tails are exported, there are a great Illegal exporters thus enjoy considerable number of lobster heads available for advantage in deploying their profits to be local consumption, and it is quite normal more competitive and increase their for poor families from nearby villages to market share. NGOs have established a walk 10 km to the beach where they get working relationship with agents in the lobster heads to take home; solidarity still US, which is the principal market for works here and helps food security. The Brazilian lobster, and are working to same cannot be said for the motorized convince the government to negotiate an fleet, which discards a lot of lobster heads agreement for co-operation in the at sea. inspection of export shipments to the US.

34 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Brazil The Lacey Act allows the US Justice can harness fishermen’s instincts and take Department to prosecute offenders advantage of their traditional knowledge, against environmental laws in other we will be able to guarantee food security countries, such as importers of undersized for tens of thousands of coastal residents lobsters. of Ceará.

he Wall Street Journal wrote on November 1, 2001: “Fisheries Texperts here (in Brazil) say the US, as the biggest importer of Brazilian lobsters, is unwittingly contributing to the demise of the jangadeiros because of its appetite for small lobster tails. The US has created a market for really small tails, so back in Brazil they keep catching them,” says Paul Raymond, special law enforcement agent.

More efficient prosecution of illegal fishers and exporters will considerably improve food security by allowing artisanal fishers to capture more lobsters locally. Responsible exporters will also benefit.

Development of resort tourism presents risks to food security in the coastal areas of the state of Ceará. Due to the high value of beach property, real-estate speculation has displaced communities from their living spaces on the coast and has only marginally contributed to the income of fisher families.

In their search for sustainability, artisanal communities are combining tourism with fishing to enhance incomes. According to a case study published last year, two pilot projects in Prainha do Canto Verde and Ponta Grossa have proven that complementary income-generating tourism activities can be undertaken by communities while at the same time preserving the environment and valorizing the cultural identity of fisher families. This experience is now being extended to other communities.

Other activities that bring in additional income are agro-ecology, handicrafts and information and communication technology. Land tenure is, of course, necessary for coastal communities to This article is by René Schärer develop economically and is crucial for ([email protected]) of Instituto their survival. Terramar, Ceará, Brazil, a Member of ICSF Clearly, the survival of artisanal fishing communities is closely linked to the sustainability of marine fisheries. If we

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 35 Co-management No magic bullet Analysis Analysis

This piece discusses whether co-management is the solution to poverty alleviation in fisheries

n a 2004 report, the Food and I assume that most readers would nod in Agriculture Organization of the the affirmative to all these factors. Indeed, IUnited Nations (FAO) stated that poverty is a complex phenomenon. It has one-quarter of the world’s fish resources many reasons, and is both the cause and are overexploited or depleted, and that effect of resource and environmental this fraction has been increasing steadily problems. Small-scale fishing people are since the mid 1970s. In another document, poor for the same reasons that other FAO estimates that there are about 150 mn people are poor, but they have some people living in households that are additional factors to cope with. primarily dependent on small-scale Consequently, in order to alleviate fisheries and that, among them, about 23 poverty in fisheries-dependent mn have an income lower than US$1 per communities, it is necessary to secure the day. Globally, therefore, the world’s resource base that poor people live on, but fisheries are confronted with a problem of this will not be sufficient. Poverty must be both ecology and poverty that has confronted more broadly. The question of enormous proportions and that should whether co-management is the solution to give us cause for worry as well as action. poverty alleviation in fisheries is, therefore, easy to answer: However, the question that immediately Co-management will hardly eliminate comes to mind is: Could there be a poverty in fisheries-dependent connection between these two communities. Co-management is no phenomena? Is overfishing to be blamed magic bullet; much more is needed. for the poverty problem? Would we then automatically solve the latter if we solved The question, however, should be the former? If so, the challenge would be rephrased: Will co-management make a easier to handle, as we would have one, difference? Will it be a contribution? I rather than two things, to concentrate on. think the answer must be: Maybe, it all depends on how co-management is Perhaps, though, the situation is the designed. First, one must make reverse: Poverty drives overfishing. Poor co-management work as a tool, which is a people cannot afford to show restraint; challenging task in itself. Co-management they have to put food on the table every is a demanding project. Much can go day. If this is the case, we would need to wrong, and experience shows that success address the poverty problem is not guaranteed. And if one should independently of, and prior to, the succeed, there is no guarantee that overfishing problem. If not, we risk co-management would benefit poor exacerbating the poverty problem, at people. For this to happen, least in the short run, and poor people co-management must be designed with would pay the highest price. But maybe poor peoples’ interests in mind. But how the two problems are unrelated. Fishing does one do this? people are poor not because of overfishing but for entirely different Broad participation reasons. For instance, they are deprived Co-management is a way of ensuring because they happen to live in countries broad participation from user-groups and that are poor, because nobody cares about stakeholders who, together with them, or because richer and more government, knowledge and interest powerful people take advantage of them. organizations, form a kind of

36 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Analysis public-private partnership where manipulate. Co-management also builds resources are pooled, responsibilities on the principle of ‘communicative shared, and actions co-ordinated. rationality’ to borrow a concept from the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas— uch partnerships can assume where stakeholders talk to each other and different organizational forms. try to strike some consensus or SThere are no specific formulae, only compromise. For that, they would need to some organizational principles to build understand what other stakeholders and on. Co-management is now gaining experts say, and be able to argue well for popularity in many parts of the world, their own views and interests. partly for the reason that it is seen as a tool Furthermore, even if poor people are in fighting poverty in fisheries many, and thus potentially represent a communities. In the FAO note referred to powerful force, they are typically not well above, it is stated: “Pro-poor strategies organized. They do not have anyone to that include rights-based approaches, represent them or to speak for them. They co-management regimes and fishing are, in other words, ‘disempowered’, capacity reduction are essential to incapable of exercising their potential increased wealth from small-scale power because it requires collective action fisheries for poor communities.” This and discursive power. Poor fishers are quote clearly demonstrates the relevance much like the French smallholding of the question whether co-management peasants that Marx talked about in his The is the solution to poverty alleviation in Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte: As a fisheries. The answer, I would argue, is not social class they are nothing more than an necessarily in the affirmative. “acretion, much as potatoes in a sack form a sack of potatoes.” They do not form an With regard to co-management, the integrated whole, a united social class problem with poor people is not that they with a common identity and are materially poor but that they are consciousness, capable of acting “in politically poor. They lack the social and corpore”. cultural capital needed to function effectively and competently in Empowerment decision-making processes. If this comparison is valid, small-scale Co-management involves formal fishing people are not only poor because procedures. It requires stakeholders to be they overfish but because they are unable able to understand written documents, to break the chains that hold them back. and for that, they need to be literate. If not, As a consequence, co-management must they are vulnerable and easy to also involve empowerment and the

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 37 Analysis Analysis

redistribution of power which are not is obvious: Poverty alleviation among the entirely synonymous terms. Ramas must have an economic component. They definitely need more f not, the danger is that food security, and fish has traditionally co-management may lead to more been a staple diet and it is also a source of Idisempowerment and, thus, to more income. But they need more than that. In deprivation, since there is every reason to their case, poverty alleviation must also expect that already wealthy and powerful involve social, cultural and legal people know how to make dimensions. The Ramas need help co-management work in their own building their communities; they must interest. But even with a deliberate have their communal land and resource poverty profile, the question remains: Is rights secured; and they need assistance in co-management sufficient? Is revitalizing their culture and empowerment only an organizational strengthening their formal competency. issue? All these things are related; they are about empowerment; and if you should succeed My most intense confrontation with with one, it will be easier to succeed with poverty is with the Rama Indians on the the other. One thing should not be Caribbean coast of Nicaragua where for, forgotten though: The Ramas have had the last six years, I have been involved in lots of international donors sympathetic a collaborative project with one of the to their situation, and who have visited local universities. Nicaragua is one of the their communities. But after they leave, poorest countries in that region, and the things soon return to how they were. Rama people figure at the bottom end of Over the years, the Ramas have developed Nicaragua’s poverty scale. The Ramas are into a dependent culture of sorts; instead not only economically poor, they are poor of initiating development themselves, in almost every sense of the term: they are they passively wait for the next donor to about to lose their land and their natural appear. They have thus ended up in a resources; their traditional indigenous vicious cycle that has left them language is almost extinct, which makes increasingly disempowered. them lose their identity and self-esteem; their communities are ridden with Broad reform internal conflict; and they are in desperate The example of the Rama people serves to need of a more professional leadership, illustrate that poverty alleviation requires skilful at voicing their concerns and broad social reform and not just some representing their interests nationally technical fixes such as co-management. and internationally. Thus, the conclusion Co-management offers no direct solution

38 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Analysis to the poverty problem. Co-management scarcely offers even a solution to the problem of overfishing since it is primarily about how to make decisions— and not what decision to make. At best, co-management offers a partial solution to a problem that is a part of a bigger problem. Co-management may lead to empowerment if it is designed to redistribute power, address issues of equity, and stimulate participation and learning. This is a necessary condition for sustainable fisheries management, which is an essential but not complete condition for alleviating poverty in small-scale fisheries. But poor people must be allowed in; management cannot make them more dependent and, thus, turn them into passive clients. Instead, poor people must obtain control and real participation in the decision-making process, or else there is a danger of co-management making them even more marginalized.

This piece is by Svein Jentoft ([email protected]) of the Centre for Marine Resource Management, Norwegian College of Fishery Science, University of Tromsø, Norway

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 39 Driftnet fishing Other ways of fishing Europe Europe

The EU ban on driftnets has resulted in a fishing revival and points to the way forward for European fisheries

n 1998, the European Union banned Boats like these, 18-26 m long, catch, in a tuna driftnets in the Mediterranean good season, approximately 700 kg of Iand the Atlantic. While those using long-fin tuna each day. While these this type of equipment were hit hard, quantities may appear small, the tuna including the driftnetters from the island caught by line is top quality, in contrast to of Ile d’Yeu in Brittany, France, it opened the net- and trawl-caught tuna, which are the way for other types of fishing often damaged. operations for long-finned tuna stocks, notably in the Bay of Biscay. Line fishing of long-fin tuna provides well for both the crew and the boat. What is As a result, today there are around 200 more, the boats are not great fuel guzzlers: boats, half of them under 10 years old, pulling along a small number of lines out fishing for long-fin tuna with lines. This behind does not require too much seasonal fishing activity is carried out precious energy. In today’s world, this from the end of May until the end of counts high. October. The boats follow the long-fin tuna migrations: in the Azores at the In winter, when long-fin tuna swim under beginning of the season, then up towards distant skies, these boats use bolinche Ireland in September-October. (purse-seine) for anchovies or sardines. Some others have, for several years now, Landings also follow an east-west used a system of automated lines for pattern: starting in the Galician port of La mackerel, the results of which look very Coruña, where, like the swallows, the promising. long-finned tuna returns in spring. The landings then move to Gijón, Santander In the last couple of years, three or four and Bermeo, eventually ending in the boats from the island of Ile d’Yeu have Basque Country as the autumn leaves fall. started to fish long-fin tuna with troll lines. During the summer of 2005, Irish Long-finned tuna is fished with troll lines and French scientists did some fishing and hauled on board using hydraulic trials with gear similar to the ones used by reels. Each boat has four or five fishermen from the coast of North Spain, fishermen, mostly young, three of whom with very positive results. watch over the mechanical hauling of the lines, each fisherman being responsible The development of a fleet using selective for a number of lines. As soon as they see methods such as these is possible, if the a tuna hooked, it is immediately hauled pelagic trawlers stop their destructive aboard, gutted and chilled. fishing, which tends to flood the canning market with mediocre-quality long-fin This troll line fishery is not new, being tuna. based on an ancestral artisanal fishery. In the past, it was manual, with each tuna Fisheries like this—relatively low on hauled on board by hand. Today, the intensity and fuel consumption, and mechanization of the line hauling means based on traditional techniques that have that the work is less physically been improved upon yet retain their demanding, and this has attracted people selective features, all of which enables into the profession. top-quality products to be

40 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006

Europe

obtained—must surely point the way forward for European fisheries.

This article is based on an interview with Robert Alvarez, retired small-scale fisherman from Saint Jean de Luz, and member of Itsas Geroa (The Future of the Sea). The interview was done by Béatrice Gorez ([email protected]) of the Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 41 Ecosystem-based management Be participatory and consultative Document The following Statement was presented to the Seventh Meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (UNICPOLOS)

any delegations have referred been causing severe hardship to artisanal to managing human activities fishers by displacing them from, or Mas the key element in denying them access to, their traditional ecosystem-based management (EBM) of fishing grounds. It is, therefore, important the oceans and coastal areas. These to consider creating MPAs in a human activities could range from participatory and consultative manner, subsistence, artisanal and small-scale sensitive to the needs and aspirations of fishing to extraction of minerals from the coastal fishing communities, within a seabed. sustainable fisheries framework.

Given this range, EBM should consider An important hindrance to realizing EBM applying the proportionality principle. goals in many tropical marine ecosystems Human activities that are most would be the negative impact of bottom detrimental to the ecosystem should be trawling within national waters, dealt with on an urgent basis before especially in the nearshore areas, which taking up less threatening ones. are the spawning and nursery grounds for many fish species. EBM should also take into account how best to address the problems of poverty The efficiency of bottom trawls not only and lack of food security in many coastal has adverse implications for marine developing nations. There should be a biodiversity, but it also diminishes the strong impetus to meet the first benefits of fishing in coastal waters to Millennium Development Goal, namely, traditional fishing communities who eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. employ selective fishing gear and practices. It should further be ensured that moving towards an EBM does not exacerbate Phasing out bottom trawling in tropical social conflicts in coastal areas and that waters would be consistent with priority there are effective intra- and inter-sectoral setting in marine fishing to move towards conflict resolution mechanisms in place at EBM. In this context, the example set by different levels. Mauritius in proscribing bottom trawling in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is The implementation of marine protected worth emulating by other countries. areas (MPAs) has been mentioned by several delegations as an EBM measure in There should, simultaneously, be their coastal areas. attempts to minimize the social impact of such a measure by providing alternative While some MPAs are created in employment to fishers on board bottom consultation with coastal stakeholders, trawlers, and by developing social safety including traditional fishing nets for fishworkers. communities, and make provisions for their participation in sustainable fishing, Labour intensive there are others that are designed to The development of labour-intensive and exclude fishers from their fishing selective artisanal and small-scale grounds. Some of the no-take MPAs in fisheries in the EEZs and beyond, within an developing countries have, in particular, equitable and sustainable fisheries

42 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Document

framework, should be seen as an enabling factor in moving towards EBM.

This Statement was made on behalf of the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) at the Seventh Meeting of UNICPOLOS in New York on 16 June 2006

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 43 Fishers’ movement

Report Report Towards a global force

The following is based on an interview with Jose Alberto de Lima Ribeiro of Brazil’s national movement of fishers

ccording to Jose Alberto de Lima in favour of the sustainability of fishery Ribeiro, a fisherman from the resources. Typically, they may not think Acommunity of Prainha do Canto much about the future of the resources, Verde, the State of Ceará, Brazil, there are and would go out and capture everything several issues facing the Brazilian they can get. Therefore, they end up artisanal fisheries, which are also causing bringing in fish that is not the right size. the decline of fish resources. These are, They may not take the best care of the mainly, (1) poor fisheries management; habitats on which they will continue to (2) lack of scientific studies on various draw their livelihoods. This is species of commercial importance; and compounded by the incentives that they (3) lack of dissemination of the results of receive from commercial exporters for such research. exploiting fishery resources. The commercial exporters, whose motive is Ribeiro feels that Brazilian fishers are still only production to make more profits, using craft and gear that are not the most finance the fishers to take everything from appropriate for the capture of the the sea, irrespective of the season and size predominant species. They would like to and quality of the resource. Such find a way to improve the technology of incentives force the fishermen to fish in a their fishing vessels and gear so that they more exploitative manner, even if they are become more efficient, both in terms of basically content to catch for subsistence. environmental sustainability and in terms of fish catch. Brazil’s national movement of fishers, Movimento Nacional de Pescadores Some of the gear that they currently use (MONAPE), is demanding from the are not environment friendly, says government, effective enforcement of the Ribeiro. For example, lobsters can be fisheries laws that already exist in Brazil, caught both by bottom-set gillnets, which says Ribeiro. This would strengthen the harm benthic organisms and substrata, artisanal fishers’ situation and allow them and by lobster traps, which are to continue their way of fishing. MONAPE environmentally friendlier and probably is also demanding assistance for fishers give the fishers and consumers a who are ready to move to a more selective better-quality final product. type of gear that is environmentally sound and less damaging to habitats and However, the market makes no resources. distinction between lobsters caught by these two capture techniques, and the MONAPE is also looking at the prospect of fishermen get almost the same price for establishing marine protected areas for both. This lack of incentive to use sustainable exploitation, in which selective fishing methods should be fishermen become part of the design and addressed, Ribeiro feels. There should be implementation, and benefit from the efforts to improve gear to give more value results of better protection of resources. to the catch, while ensuring less of a harmful environmental impact. Better protection Another critical problem faced by Importantly, says Ribeiro, it has to be artisanal fisheries in Brazil is the lack of borne in mind that the culture of the organized groups of fishermen and typical Brazilian fisherman is not always fisherwomen. There are several separate

44 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Report efforts, and a great deal of energy is artisanal fishery sector. Even though there wasted in these separate efforts. are only a few women who actually go out and fish, most of the post-harvest f such individual efforts could be processing and preparation of gear are consolidated, Ribeiro feels, it would carried out by women. MONAPE would Igive the fishers more power to enter like to flag this issue and make people into sustained and meaningful dialogue aware of women’s role in fisheries. with the government, which will be forced to listen to their concerns and address On the value and strength of international them. Such an organization of fisher meetings like the one on “Emerging movements is critical, and MONAPE is Concerns of Fishing Communities” leaving no stone unturned to gather all conducted by ICSF at Fortaleza, Brazil, in these different initiatives under one July 2006, Ribeiro felt that sharing of umbrella so as to make the fishers and the issues and common concerns result in communities they represent, strong lessons and experiences that are valuable enough to face the government. for fishing communities.

One area where the fishing community Ribeiro feels that such collaborations are has been found completely lacking is improving every day and there will be education. As a consequence, MONAPE is more joint efforts with some of these planning to take up educational organizations to deal with these issues. campaigns for fishers and their families. According to Ribeiro, for all its work, The primary objective is to make the MONAPE seeks support primarily from the community aware of the linkage between government. It is represented in various the nature and health of the ecosystem and councils of the government. It also seeks their own livelihoods. This would help local State-level support to carry out its them understand the necessity to protect campaigns. It has already benefited from the resources and habitats on which they co-operation with the government in depend. MONAPE’s campaign will aim for some campaigns. Much depends on how better educational and training material well-organized the movement is, and how for capacity building, information strongly it can put up its case for gathering, and dissemination of related co-operation and support. knowledge. Existing realities Another huge challenge that MONAPE MONAPE, says Ribeiro, is keen to know, in faces is to create awareness about the more detail, about the existing realities in importance of the role women play in the the fisheries of other parts of the world. It

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 45 would also like to discuss the pros and cons of different ideas and proposals that have been brought out at the ICSF

Report Report Fortaleza meeting, to analyze various aspects of the issues, and see how MONAPE can join hands with kindred organizations from different parts of the world, who face similar problems, so that they can constitute a global initiative and force.

This interview with Jose Alberto de Lima Ribeiro was done in Fortaleza, Brazil, by Neena Koshy ([email protected]), Programme Associate, ICSF

46 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Documentation Child labour Fun, duty or sheer hazard?

This a listing of some useful reports and documents relating to child labour (see also pgs 1 and 8), available for free download from the Internet

A Future Without Child Labour: Report of place at night, these boys make poor the Director General, Global Report under daytime pupils, and high school dropout the Follow-up to the ILO Declaration on rates are a feature of fishing communities. Fundamental Principles and Rights at Girls and women are engaged in Work, International Labour Conference, marketing as well as fish processing, Geneva 2002, ISBN 92-2-112416-9(Revised which can cause cuts and skin damage. Edition) Fishing is a particularly hazardous Available at: http://www.ilo.org/dyn/ occupation, even for adults. In the declaris/DECLARATIONWEB. DOWNLOAD_ small-scale sector, which accounts for BLOB?Var_DocumentID=1568 over half the world’s seafood catch and millions of small fishing craft, health and Safety and Health in the Fishing Industry: safety problems are endemic for all age Report for Discussion at the Tripartite groups. The contribution of children is Meeting on Safety and Health in the Fishing most widespread in small-scale fishing Industry, Geneva, 13-17 December 1999, where it can be critical for the profitability International Labour Office, Geneva, 2000, of the enterprise. In El Salvador, children ISBN 92-2-111829-0 work in small-scale, family-based or This report has been prepared by the private enterprises in which boys and girls International Labour Office as the basis for harvest shellfish, and girls also market the discussions at the Tripartite Meeting on product. For both sexes, this work begins Safety and Health in the Fishing Industry. well before the age of 10. Some child The contribution of children is most labour in fishing occurs outside the family widespread in fishing throughout the or traditional sector. For example, world either as members of a fishing muro-ami fishing (named after the net family or working for others. This report used) in the Philippines takes place on provide illustrative examples of children large vessels, and the profits are reaped by working as fish sorters, factory workers the group that monopolizes the business. and fishing vessel crew in Thailand, Children are engaged as swimmers and muro-ami fishing swimmers in Philippines divers for catching reef fishextremely reef fishing, deep-sea pearl diving fishing dangerous work. In southern Thailand, and child labour in fishing on jermals in children work as fish sorters, factory Indonesia, and children in the lobster workers and as crew on fishing boats. fishery in United States, etc. They carry out a wide range of tasks on board, and may be away at sea for several Available at: http://www.ilo.org/ months at a time. In central Java, work public/english/dialogue/sector/techm undertaken by children in fishing includes eet/tmfi99/tmfir.htm handling and repairing nets, diving, draining boats and cooking. El Salvador Child Labour in Fishing: A Rapid Assessment, by Oscar Godoy, Inter- As in agriculture, gender issues are national Labour Office, Geneva, March important in fishing. A strong connection 2002 in general between fishing and cultural This report contains the findings of an perceptions of masculinity, as well as investigation into the worst forms of child income that looks high to boys, labour in fishing. The report assesses the encourages them to go to sea as early as extent to which children are involved in they can. As a good deal of fishing takes this activity in El Salvador. It argues that

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 47 there is an inverse relationship between Alu toutai-Na laki qoli: Fun or Duty: the children’s level of education and their Schoolchildren’s Involvement in Subsis- involvement in fishing; that is, the higher tence Fisheries in Tonga and Fiji, by Mecki the level of education, the lower is their Kronen, Women in Fisheries, Number 14, participation in fishing. Fishing is carried September 2004 out on the shores of lakes, bays, estuaries This article focuses on certain practices in and gulfs located in the towns of: Tejutla, some Pacific societies (for example, Fiji), Acajutla, Puerto de la Libertad, Puerto El where women and men share equitable Documentation Documentation Triunfo, Jiquilisco and La Unión. In some access to marine resources and fishing areas such as bays, estuaries and rivers, techniques. The results of the study crustaceans (such as crabs) are manually indicate that, regardless of gender, extracted, but only on a small scale. children first learn about fishing techniques from their mothers or Available at: http://www.ilo.org/public guardians. Findings indicate that /english/standards/ipec/simpoc/elsal participation and fishing strategies vador/ra/domestic.pdf employed by children follow the patterns of their respective communities. Gender Freeing the Fishing Children of Ghana, by roles were found not to be imposed at an Dr. Ernest Taylor early stage, but were presumably a This article looks at the situation in Volta product of socialization within the Lake and opines that hard work under community they live in. punishing conditions had robbed the children of the joy and vitality that lights Available at: http://www.spc.org.nc/ the faces of healthy, happy children. coastfish/News/WIF/WIF14/Kronen.pdf Called the “placement of children”, it has been a long-accepted practice in Africa. Vulnerabilities and Visibility: Thailand’s For generations, parents have placed Management of Female Domestic Workers their children for rearing in the home of a from Burma, by Sirithon Thanasombat, relative or a trusted friend. Most of the Journal of Public and International Af- time, the bonds of trust in the community fairs,Volume 15, Spring 2004 assured that the child would be cared for This article examines the difficulties of and raised decently. In the last 40 years or managing the migration of domestic so, however, traffickers seeking only workers from Burma to Thailand. profits have exploited the crushing Following farming and fishery-related poverty of the region and corrupted this sectors, domestic work employs the traditional practice. third-highest number of registered migrant workers in registered female Available at: http://www.ciaonet.org/ migrant workers. The 2001 registration olj/gli/gli_jun2003f.pdf indicated that nearly a third of all female migrant workers registered in Thailand Saving the Victims, One by One: An Inter- work in domestic service, followed by view by Marco Gramegna, Global Issues, work in the farming and fishery-related Volume 8, Number 2, June 2003 sectors. Many industries in Thailand, The International Organization for including fishing, canning, garment Migration in partnership with local production, rubber, fruit orchards, and non-governmental organizations has domestic work, depend on high growth, been working for months to free these but also enjoy the profits made by boys from forced and gruelling labour employing cheap, unprotected labour. serving “slave masters” on board fishing vessels plying the waters of Lake Volta. Available at: http://www.ciaonet.org/ The aim of this project is to liberate more olj/jpia/v15_2004/v15_2004m.pdf or than 1,200 boys from harsh conditions in http://www.princeton.edu/~jpia/pdf2 which they receive poor nutrition, no 004/Chapter%2012.pdf education, and no family nurturing. Tanzania Child Labour in the Informal Available at: http://usinfo.state.gov/ Sector: A Rapid Assessment, by C. journals/itgic/0603/ijge/gj05.htm Kadonya, M. Madihi and S. Mtwana, ILO, January 2002, Geneva

48 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 Documentation This report is a result of a rapid assessment sector, and 30 per cent of these child study conducted in Arusha, Dar es Salaam workers are girls. They work in processing and Mwanza regions to investigate shrimps, shellfish, crabs and fish. As a activities performed by working children signatory to the ILO Worst Forms of Child in the informal sector. Four main activities Labour Convention, the Indonesian were studied. They included scavenging government is obliged to give attention to in Arusha municipality and the city of Dar the all child workers, including those in es Salaam, quarrying in Dar es Salaam, the fisheries sector. garage work in Arusha and Mwanza, and fishing and fish processing in Mwanza. Available at: http://www.cwa.tnet.co.th The purpose of the study was to find out /Publications/Newsletters/vol16_2/v1 the causes that push children to involve 6_2_chaniago.html themselves in the informal sector activities, particularly in scavenging, Plunging into the Depths of the Sea, by quarrying, garage and fishing and fish Alejandro W. Apit, Child Workers in Asia, processing activities. On average, children Vol. 13, No. 4, Oct.-Dec. 1997 worked for nine hours per day in all As pearl farm workers, the girl children informal sector activities. When broken are brought by a motorboat to the rafts down by activity, however, children that are stationed in certain parts of the sea working in garages worked for 10 hours, surrounding the Ikulong Island in the and children engaged in quarrying, Philippines. And there they are exposed to fishing and fish processing and the heat of the sun or to the rain. They dive scavenging activities worked on average into the sea to collect shells, descending to for nine hours, eight hours, and seven as deep as 60 m in the water. They bring hours per day, respectively. This denotes the shells to the rafts where they clean or that children were exposed to long hours scrub them, bore holes in them and tie a of work, which is detrimental to their string on each so that each can be hung normal growth and development at such from the “boya” or “palutang”. Then they a tender age. tie each to the “boya” and plant a piece of plastic inside each shell. They work eight Available at: http://www.ilo.org/ hours daily, but there are times when they public/english/standards/ipec/simpo are told to work overtime, for which they c/tanzania/ra/infosec.pdf#search=%22 are not compensated. Their wages are Tanzania%20Child%20Labour%20in%2 already very low. They receive their 0the%20Informal%20Sector%3A%20A% monthly wages only after several days or 20Rapid%20%22 even after a month. The hazardous part of their work is plunging into the depths of Girl Workers in the Fisheries Sector of the sea for gathering and collecting shells Belawan, by R. Chairil Chaniago, Child or for retrieving fallen shells. They are Workers in Asia, vol.16, No.2, May-August, provided with insufficient and unreliable 2000 safety devices. A field worker is equipped The Belawan region is a fisheries area that with just a pair of underwater eyeglasses lies along the north Sumatra coast, and is and a hose that is connected to a a part of Medan, Indonesia. Most of the compressor, which sends air or oxygen to people living in the fishing villages are of the field worker under the water. the Malay and Banjar ethnic groups. They work as traditional fishermen with no Available at: http://www.cwa.tnet.co.th boats of their own. Profits from the catch /Publications/Newsletters/vol13_4/v1 are divided between the fisherman and 3_4_apit.html the boatowners in a system called “taukay.” The traditional fishermen’s boats commonly use single-layer nets or simple fishhooks. Their income is very low compared to the fishing ships that use This listing has been compiled by modern technology. N. Venugopalan ([email protected]) of ICSF’s Documentation Centre A study of the eight fishing villages by Yayasan Pondok Rakyat Kreatif (YPRK) found that 400 children work in this

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 49 can show where and when it was taken.

The researchers took News Round-up monthly bacteria samples for more Subscribe free to SAMUDRA News Alerts at http://www.icsf.net than four years in the Pacific Ocean near Coastal damage “These villagers are models of ocean also hit by change. the USC Wrigley increasingly frequent Institute’s marine No point in boasting floods. In 2003 alone, Scientists have long laboratory on of a long coastline if it some 12,000 villages endorsed the concept Catalina Island. They is getting were inundated, of a unique biological used statistical incrementally which is a sharp niche for most methods to correlate degraded year after increase from 1999, animals and plants the bacteria counts year. That’s what when 7,000 villages —a shark, for with the Wrigley Indonesia is were affected by example, has a Institute’s monthly discovering. floods,” he said. different role than a measurements of dolphin. Bacteria water temperature, Though it has the A study by Walhi instead have been salinity, nutrient world’s second showed that 90 relegated to an content, plant matter longest coastline, percent of the also-ran world of and other variables. coastal areas are disaster-hit villages “functional being rapidly were located in areas redundancy” in The findings have degraded. where coral reefs and which few species are immediate relevance mangrove forests considered unique, for scientists Environmental were damaged. said Jed Fuhrman, attempting to activists in Indonesia holder of the understand how the are calling on the The 2005 State of the McCulloch-Crosby oceans are changing, government and the Environment report Chair in Marine Fuhrman said. If says that of the Biology in the USC bacteria behave country’s 51,000 sq College of Letters, predictably, they can km of coral areas, Arts and Sciences. be used to improve only 5.8 per cent are models for ocean well-preserved, a In The Proceedings of change. By including decrease from 2004 the National bacteria, which make when 6.8 per cent Academy of Sciences’ up the vast majority were in good Early Edition, of species on land condition. Fuhrman and and sea, “we have colleagues from USC some hope of Meanwhile, about 57 and Columbia predicting how public to halt the per cent of the University show that changes are going to degradation of country’s 9.2 mn ha most kinds of happen,” Fuhrman marine resources in of mangrove forests bacteria are not said. order to prevent the are in critical interchangeable and kinds of disasters that condition. Experts that each thrives Home again have already caused say mangrove trees suffering for millions could halt erosion Australia has of people. and mitigate the perhaps the world’s negative impacts of record for jailing Riza Damanik, large sea waves on “illegal” fishers, campaign manager coastal areas, where mostly from for marine and some 16 mn Indonesia. coastal areas at Indonesians live. Walhi, the Indonesian The Australian Forum for the Ocean change government has since Environment, said January deported the rapid damage to Every creature has its under predictable more than 1,600 coastal areas has left conditions and at fishermen from 750 villages along place and role in the predictable times. Indonesia’s East some 81,000 sq km of oceans— even the smallest microbe, Conversely, the kinds Nusa Tenggara the country’s and numbers of province after they coastline subject to according to a new bacteria in a sample were charged with chronic erosion. study that may lead to more accurate

50 SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 trespassing into three-year to river sand mining, his wife’s uncle.He Australian waters. imprisonment in which destroys the said he came across Australia. aquatic habitat and several bodies that The fishermen were disrupts the had drifted ashore returned home on Oil spill ecosystems of the but not the one he chartered planes river channels. was looking for. funded by the Oil spills in Nigeria Fishing communities Australian have greatly polluted suffer as a resulton “The bodies had government, a the creeks of the top of the destruction become so bloated in provincial official Niger Delta. The 1991 caused by the oil the hot weather that was quoted by the Environmental industry. Fishing has they were impossible Guidelines and become less to recognize,” he told Standards for the productive and AFP by telephone, Petroleum Industry profitable in many asking not to be in Nigeria (revised in areas of the Delta, named. “We could 2002) outlines in Part with reduced catches only tell people apart VIIIB Sections 4 and 8 and lower incomes, from the clothes they what should be done compared to income were wearing.” The for any mystery oil from oil-related Southern spill, including in activities. Many Metropolitan Daily terms of swamps, rivers and reported from compensation. The creeks where fish Shacheng that many Antara news agency guidelines state that a spawn have been fishing vessels had as saying. spiller shall be liable destroyed or disappeared, with for damages. If more polluted. The efforts families desperate to “The fishermen were than one person is of local fishermen to know what happened treated humanely responsible, liability maintain or improve to their sons, and they even got should be joint. upon their income husbands and new clothes during levels result in brothers. Saomai detention,” said overfishing, say caused Shacheng to Fransiskus Salem, environmentalists. lose a staggering head of the office for 1,000 fishing boats, social affairs in East Typhoon victims while half its 8,000 Nusa Tenggara. “It is families were made based on their own Typhoon Saomai homeless when the words. I even had to killed at least 134 storm flattened their tell them not to Chinese and left over houses. illegally re-enter 163 missing, Australian waters to according to the get caught and official Chinese State receive those facilities media. Reports have again,” he said. However, activists emerged of fishing Another 100 say that victims of villages crushed by Indonesian fishermen pollution have been the strongest storm to are currently facing poorly compensated make landfall in legal proceedings in and several cases China for half a Australia, he said. have dragged on for many years. The century. An Australian courts are located unknown number of Ambassador to only in State capitals, fishermen were at sea Fuding also saw Indonesia Bill Farmer putting them out of when Saomai arrived horrific damage, said earlier most of the easy reach of in southeast China’s reporting 41 killed, the captured fishing most rural Fujian province, 107 missing and 1,350 boats had entered inhabitants. The leaving anxious people injured as Australian territories litigation process is families with no news hundreds of houses within the distance of fraught with many of their loved ones. collapsed, according 12 miles. In several technicalities, to Xinhua. The city’s One local resident cases, those boats requiring the services Ziguo Temple, a described how he landed on Australia’s of legal practitioners priceless relic of walked along the main island. that most people Buddhist architecture coastline in the north According to the new cannot afford. more than 1,000 years of the province, near immigration law, old, was also severely the fishing town of trespassing is The other problem in damaged, Xinhua Shacheng, trying to punishable by the Niger Delta is due said. identify the body of

SAMUDRA Report No. 44 July 2006 51

Empty cadences of sea-water licking its own wounds, sulking along the mouths of the delta, boiling upon those deserted beaches—empty, forever empty under the gulls; white scribble on the grey, munched by clouds. If there are ever sails here they die before the land shadows them. Wreckage washed up on the pediments of islands, the last crust, eroded by the weather, stuck in the blue maw of watergone!

— from Justine by Lawrence Durrell

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Published by ICSF is an international NGO Chandrika Sharma lor working on issues mat concern Intematiollill CoIIec1ive in SUppBelgium Status "";lh FAO. Rl!9istered J1 Telephone (32) 2 -652 5201 Fascimile {32) 2·6540407 Geneva. ICSF has offices in Email: tlriaoo@tiscalLbe Chennal, India and Brussels. Belgium, As a global ne!Wlrt 0( community cfganizcrs. Edited by leachers, technicians, re­ KG Kumar searchers and sciefltists, ICSrs activities encompass monitor­ ing and research, exchange DeSigned by and I!llining. campaigns and $aUS/1 Babu action. as well as commlll1ica· 1i000S.SAMUIlRA Report invites Cover conuibUlions and Icsponses. lagOOtl Moonrise, luar l!e lagoa, Prainha do Canto Verde. Cear~, Ilfazil Correspondence stIould be ad­ Photoby M.T.ScMrer dressed to the Cheonai oIfK:c. Pholographs courtesy of Andrew Baird, Chandrika Sharma, Cornelie Quist. Masifundise, KG Kumar The opinions and positions CBNRM learning Centre. Philippines, Brian O'Riordan expressed in the anictes are those of the authoo concerne

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