Implementing the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines for Gender-Equitable and Climate-Resilient Food Systems and Livelihoods - Phase 2

The two-year subprogramme with a total budget of USD 1.5 million is conceived as a Phase 2 of project FMM/GLO/155/MUL and also takes recommendations of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) 2022 into account. It will support small-scale fisheries communities with a view to contribute to more sustainable and climate resilient livelihoods and food systems through the implementation of the SSF Guidelines, with a particular focus on women and the post-harvest segment.

Recognizing the role of fish in food security, and acknowledging that capacity development is central to the sustainability of food systems and small-scale fisheries and relates to participation, skills development, local ownership and partnerships, the subprogramme will support global, regional, national and sub-national small-scale fisheries organizations and actors to improve their organizational functions and technical skills, and strengthen women participation and representation. Building on achievements of the first phase of this subprogramme and the related global project GCP/GLO/965/SWE, “Creating an enabling environment for securing sustainable small-scale fisheries”, activities will take place in the context of and contribute to further develop and implement National Plans of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOAs-SSF), which provide participatory frameworks for action.

The subprogramme will create opportunities for global sharing of experiences through workshops, learning exchange visits, etc., and build knowledge and skills with the aim to generate inclusive, enabling environments. Realizing the often under-recognized role of women, this will include in particular support to women in the small-scale fisheries value chain and innovative approaches to climate smart technologies and ways of working. The subprogramme will also include the production and dissemination of global knowledge and communication products on the SSF Guidelines, based also on FMM/GLO/155/MUL-related assessments and results.

Through its activities the subprogramme aims to contribute to:

1. Responsible and climate smart practices as well as better working conditions in small-scale fisheries, in particular in the postharvest segment. This will include building on good practices for post-harvest practices identified under the first phase as well as on training/use of equipment for post-harvest processing provided under the first phase.
2. Strengthened small-scale fisheries organizations through collaboration and experience sharing, with improved participation and representation in decision-making processes and value chains, in particular for women. This will focus in particular on capacity development for women of national and regional small-scale fisheries organizations, such as national chapters of AWFISHNET.
3. Supportive policies through initiation, development and implementation of National Plans of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries at national level as agreed frameworks for action. This will be achieved through regular meetings of the national task teams and the development and implementation of priority activities in each country.

Strengthening the global knowledge, collective learning and capacity for implementing the SSF Guidelines. This will include bringing country experiences from the project into relevant global events and processes, and vice versa; as well as the development and sharing of related knowledge, information and communication materials, to inform processes beyond the African and Asia regions.