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DocumentTowards an Integrated Shark Conservation and Management Measure for the Western and Central Pacific Ocean 2013
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No results found.The WCPFC has recently initiated a Shark Research Plan and adopted three conservation and magement measures (CMMs) requiring controls on finning, encouragement of live release and data provision (CMM 2010?07); no?retention of oceanic whitetip sharks (CMM 2011?04); and a prohibition on deliberately setting purse seines on whale sharks (CMM 2012?04). In parallel with these WCPFC?led shark activities, some members (CCMs) have instituted shark catch limits, established rules for no?retention of any sharks whether dead or alive, and/or banned the use of wire leaders. This current situation represents a patchwork of controls and the net benefit in terms of reduced shark mortality is yet to be determined. This paper examines three existing WCPFC shark measures in terms of their implementation and effectiveness. This alysis is complicated by a lack of specific objectives in each measure as well as a lack of verification data and review processes. Current implementation of CMM requirements appe ars to be at best ~60% and in several cases considerably lower. This is partially due to ambiguities in interpretation of the CMMs such that opposite outcomes can both be considered compliant. Extremely low regiol observer program coverage (<2%) in the longline fishery, which catches over ten times as many of the key shark species as the purse seine fishery does, further hampers assessment of effectiveness. Nevertheless, it appears that the Commission’s finning controls provide only a negligible benefit to shark survival. Lack of consistent recording of shark discards/releases will similarly impede a future assessment of the effectiveness of the oceanic whitetip and whale shark measures. It is thus concluded that although WCPO assessments have demonstrated the need for shark mortality reductions, these are not yet being delivered by the WCPFC CMMs. Protectionistic measures (e.g. no?retention whether dead or alive) adopted by some CCMs for tiol waters are fundamentally different from th e “full utilization” approach outlined in the Intertiol Plan of Action?Sharks (the basis of the cornerstone WCPFC CMM) and highlight the need for a new, integrated regiol framework in the form of a comprehensive shark CMM. By using shark fishing mortality as a single “currency”, such a framework can help to find common ground between measures adopted in different tiol jurisdictions and extend these principles into high seas areas. It can also avoid decision?making stalemates arising from one?siz e?fits?all proposals which suit some fisheries but not others. An approach similar to that used for tropical tus is proposed whereby a fishing mortality magement goal is set based on assessment results, and a package of mitigation measures designed to reach the goal is negotiated and implemented on an interim basis. Verification data are generated and retrospective alysis leads to periodic revisiting of the measure. The paper concludes with recommendations for a) improving the Commission’s abili ty to confirm compliance with the existing measures; b) maximizing the effectiveness of the existing measures; and c) creating a framework within which the effectiveness of all measures (existing or proposed) can be judged on their ability to control fishing mortality for overfished shark stocks. The WCPFC has the opportunity and the responsibility to mage highly migratory shark stocks in a comprehensive and integrated manner across the Convention Area, and must therefore take actions which are not only expedient, but also meaningful and effective. -
Book (series)A Review of Women's Access to Fish in Small-Scale Fisheries 2015
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No results found.Women play a critical role in every link of the value chain in small-scale fisheries, although their best-known roles are in processing and marketing of fish and other fishery products. This perception of the highly gender-segregated division of labour (men fishing / women processing) has shaped the generalized approach in supporting development initiatives for small-scale fisheries. More often than not, this approach targets men as fishers, and women as processors and marketers of fishery produ cts. However, this generalization has also made fisheries governance blind to women’s other valuable inputs to the sector. In fact, their roles can and should go beyond post-harvest and marketing. However, the lack of utilization of their additional contribution has deterred, for example, women’s participation in fisheries resource management and policy decision-making. The present review aims to move policy attention beyond the generalized, and perhaps limited, perception of women as fish proc essors and marketers and in this way enhance their participation in fisheries resource management and decision-making. The study describes the different ways women have access to fish in small-scale fisheries: as primary users (when they fish by themselves or they finance fishery operations), secondary users (when they access fish through kinship or other close relationships), and tertiary users (when they use capital to buy fish directly from fishers or traders). The review provides case studie s to illustrate some of the issues that tend to keep women in marginalized positions along the value chain. Factors and processes that can contribute to improve women’s participation and decision-making in small-scale fisheries, such as those that challenge conventional approaches based on traditional or “typical” gender roles and obsolete institutional arrangements, are also given. The document also discusses how participation can be improved by raising awareness on gender equality issues along the value chain through applying a gender lens, by providing appropriate support to women’s organizations, including formal recognition of their professional activities, by understanding the socioeconomic context and the particular needs of small-scale fisheries, by giving due attention to power and power relationships, and by taking greater account of the contribution of women in fisheries. As neither women nor men form homogenous groups, the challenge is even greater for women to have access to productive tools and services, which if secured can give them a greater say and control over fisheries resources, thereby increasing their social capital and financial capital. These reflections can be introduced in existing resource management arrangements such as co-management or community-based management, and can probably empower women and improve their participation in fishery resource management decision-making. The reflections in this review can and should be used as guidance and discu ssion material to develop interventions under the Global Assistance Programme in support of the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication. -
Book (series)Report of workshop on the harmonization of fisheries information systems in the South West Indian Ocean (SWIO) region
Flic en Flac (Mauritius), 2–4 July 2012
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No results found.The SmartFish harmonization workshop has been conceived as a response to the SWIOFC 4th Scientific Committee (SC) meeting (December 2010) which recommended the development of an action plan towards the creation of a Regional Information System for the South West Indian Ocean region. The workshop was held at Pearle Beach Hotel, Flic en Flac, Mauritius from the 2nd to 5th July 2012. As agreed, this workshop brought together experts from three relevant existing information systems in the re gion (StatBase, WIOFish and FIRMS) and the FishCode-STF approach to data collection. Each system/approach was represented by two experts. Thanks to good preparatory work during the preceding month, including two web-conferences and three working documents, and very lively contributions of all participants, the workshop achieved its objectives: a technical option agreed upon for the development of the prototype of a harmonized information system, a working methodology, and a road map towa rds the presentation of the prototype together with sustainability assessment considerations to regional decision-makers during the course of the second quarter of 2013. The option retained for the prototype includes the following components: A regional portal which could either build on the SWIOFP created capacity at KMFRI (Kenya) or the FAO SWIOFC website. This portal will organize access to the data and information available in the relevant systems, focusing on target user expec tations (e.g. resource status, fishery management, sector policy making). A web-based fishery ontology organizing all concepts and reference data across the concerned systems and their mapping. This ontology will be stored in FAO/FI’s FLOD knowledge base, and will be maintained through the FAO/FI Code List Manager/Mapper built under iMarine. Web-based search services (building on tools developed in iMarine), which will be exploited by the portal to enable relevant linking and navig ation across the concerned systems. This option is the less intrusive with regards to the existing systems and essentially builds on an agreement on how to link concepts and reference data utilized under each constituent system. The sustainability and regional ownership concerns will require focus on StatBase, check the most appropriate solution for the maintenance of the Portal, and confirm the role of FAO/FI in maintaining Code lists manager/mapper and FLOD services.
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