Enabling the collective voices of small-scale fishers (SSFs) to drive new, locally-managed marine areas (LMMAs) towards 30×30.
From small scale to industrial fleets
Our Fishing for Change (F4C) program monitors fisheries catch rates both at sea and port side. Working with local fishers in some of the world’s most biodiverse marine areas, we monitor their catch-rates (number, weight, length), including non-target species and by-catch.
We track boat movements using state of the art GPS technology, map coral reefs and other fish aggregation sites, and work towards identifying opportunities for co-management sustainability plans between all users – from small-scale fishers to industrial fleets, with the long-term goal of developing India’s first well-resourced, properly managed Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA).
Fishing for Change represents an exciting, multi-faceted and unique program getting to the heart of coastal fisheries sustainability challenges, while exploring mechanisms for a transition to conservation-focused employment, and well managed long-term livelihoods that balance sustainability with traditional practices.
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Local women are at the heart of Fishing for Change!
Our team is on a mission to understand the evolving dynamics of fisheries in Vizhinjam’s coastal region, which lies within one of the world’s 10 Marine Biodiversity Hotspots.
We recently employed 11 women from the community to lead the ongoing monitoring aspects of the program. These women have been working in the Small-Scale Fishing (SSF) industry for most of their lives and are very adept with the fish species being caught in the region.
They will provide insights into catch (including non-target species) numbers, sizes and weight; fish aggregation sites and areas of high importance for biodiversity, as well as rates of decline.
Engaging women from SSFs in our programs not only helps us to achieve our goal of developing community-led fisheries models (which effectively balance conservation outcomes with economic returns), it also ensures that our programs shift gender dynamics, creating healthier, safer and more accepting communities.
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