Wednesday August 16, 2023
Global Seafood Alliance —
Organizing traditionally excluded artisanal squid fishers and processors from coastal states improves science-based fisheries management on the high seas, a new study has found.
The study, which was published in Ocean and Coastal Management, was conducted by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) – a United States-based non-profit that operates globally to rebuild depleted fish stocks and reduce the environmental and social impacts of fishing and fish farming.
The research analyzed the formation of CALAMASUR (Committee for the Sustainable Management of the Jumbo Flying Squid in the South Pacific) and its engagement over the past five years in the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO).
The study found that participatory governance schemes, as demonstrated by the efforts implemented by CALAMASUR with the SPRFMO, can result in better-informed and more equitable outcomes for artisanal and small-scale fisheries. Specifically, it can enable their participation in Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), and by doing so, leads RFMOs to become more sustainable, evidence-based and equitable fisheries management.