10th anniversary of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines)
2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the endorsement of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines).
The SSF Guidelines are the first international instrument dedicated entirely to the immensely important small-scale fisheries sector. More than 4000 voices from fishers, fish workers and others in over 120 countries have described how they would want to make livelihoods along the small-scale fisheries value chain sustainable for people and the planet. Their recommendations have been summarized into a concise set of principles, namely the SSF Guidelines.
The final text of the SSF Guidelines was negotiated by FAO Members and endorsed by the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in 2014, confirming a strong commitment from both governments and civil society to bring about positive change in small-scale fisheries.
The principles in the SSF Guidelines address policies, strategies and legal frameworks concerning small-scale fisheries, but also other matters affecting lives and livelihoods in fishing communities. The SSF Guidelines are global in scope, and they guide dialogue, policy processes and actions at national, regional and international level, contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Key issues addressed in the SSF Guidelines are:
- securing tenure rights and managing resources responsibly;
- supporting social development and decent work;
- improving value chains from catching through processing to trading fish;
- promoting gender equality; and
- taking into account climate change and disaster risk.
Aware, informed, empowered, capacitated
To achieve the recommendations in the SSF Guidelines, one must know about, understand and apply them. Efforts to implement the SSF Guidelines include: (i) Raising awareness; (ii) Strengthening the science-policy interface; (iii) Empowering stakeholder, and; (iv) Supporting implementation.
It is also important to understand the situation, challenges and opportunities facing small-scale fisheries around the world, and to use this knowledge to inform policies and decisions to support sustainable fisheries and community livelihoods.
Change has to happen at national and local levels. For that, fishers and fish workers need to know their rights and responsibilities and have ways to realize them. Organisations that carry the voice of fishers and fish workers to policy- and decision-makers must be supported and empowered. Likewise, policy- and decision-makers need the tools and capacity to engage with small-scale fishers.
All actors need supporting partnerships and arrangements that makes it easy for them to exchange ideas and concerns, and collaborate to make a difference. There is also a need to measure and keep track of progress.
The implementation of the SSF Guidelines is both challenging and promising. The International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) in 2022 has shown that actions to raise awareness on the small-scale fisheries subsector can generate positive results. Two countries have already launched National Plans of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF) and other countries have started the process of developing an NPOA-SSF or have demonstrated interest in doing so.
On the SSF Guidelines website you can find more information about the SSF Guidelines, including related projects, tools and resources.
Tell us what you think and do!
Share your experience on the implementation of the SSF Guidelines
This call is an important stock taking opportunity for all and the results are expected to further inform FAO, governments, SSF organizations, NGOs development partners, CSOs, research and other partners initiatives to implement the SSF Guidelines at national, regional or global level.
The FAO SSF Guidelines team invite stakeholders to:
1. |
Share experiences, lessons learned and good practices on the implementation of the SSF Guidelines. |
2. |
Point out gaps, constraints and challenges encountered in raising awareness and implementing the SSF Guidelines. |
3. |
Suggest recommendations for improvements in implementing the SSF Guidelines. |
4. |
Share concrete plans to (further) use and implement the SSF Guidelines. |
5. |
Tell us why the SSF Guidelines are important. |
Your contributions will support celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the SSF Guidelines, for example during the 36th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries and during the 2024 SSF Summit and inform future implementation.
How to take part in this Call for Submissions:
Submissions can be made in any of the three languages (English, French or Spanish). Please keep the length of submissions limited to 1,000 words. You can download and upload the completed form on this webpage or, alternatively, send it to [email protected].
The Call for Submissions is open until 11 December 2023.
We engage you for an active participation and thank you for sharing your experience!
Co-facilitators:
Nicole Franz, Fishery Officer, Equitable Livelihoods Team Lead, Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, FAO
Mele Tauati, Fishery Officer (Small-Scale Fisheries), Equitable Livelihoods Team, Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, FAO
References:
FAO. 2015. Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication. Rome. https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/I4356EN
FAO. 2021. SSF Guidelines uptake and influence. A pathway to impact. Rome. https://www.fao.org/3/cb7657en/cb7657en.pdf
FAO. 2020. Legislating for Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries – A guide on how to align national fisheries legislation to the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication. Rome. https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/CB0885EN
FAO. 2023. International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 – Final report. Rome. https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en?details=cc5034en
United Republic of Tanzania. 2021. NPOA National Plan of Action For Implementation of Voluntary Guidelines on Securing Sustainable Small- scale fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (NPoA-SSF GUIDELINES). Dodoma, Tanzania. https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ssf/documents/Tanzania_National_Plan_of_Action_Book.pdf
Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR). 2022. National Plan of Action for small-scale fisheries. 2022-2026. Government of Namibia. https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ssf/documents/Namibias_National_Plan_of_Action_for_Small_Scale_Fisheries_2022_to_2026.pdf
For learning more about the FAO publications on this topic, please read the article here.
- Read 64 contributions
Ms. GIULIA LECCHI
Hello !
Let me to congratulate the possibility of including and analyzing the
importance of Small Aquaculture and Sustainable Fisheries in terms of food
security and poverty eradication in the Millennium 3 world.
Univ. Prof. Dr. Benone PASARIN
ROMANIA
Dr. Seyed Aminollah Taghavimotlagh
It is believed that clarifying the real role of small-scale fisheries in livelihood, income, employment and economic activities for coastal communities, can convince governments to adequately support this activity. Therefore, one of the activities that was carried out in Iran (by Iranian Fisheries Science Reseach Institute) during the last few years and in the initial stage with the financial support and guidance of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,, was, collecting and analyzing, the socio-economic information of different types of small - Scale fisheries. During these projects, 75 pieces of information on each fishery were collected and all social and economic indicators including, the number of jobs created by each fishery, the amount of income and profit of each fisherman from fishing, the cost structure of each fishery, the number fishermen families and their level of dependence on fishing, the age structure of fishermen, the way of paying wages (remuneration) to crews (are they paid a fixed wage or do they receive a share of the amount of catch as wages) and many other indicators.
Certainly, if these information and analyzes are done carefully and provided to the governments, their attention to the role and importance of small-scale-fisheries will increase and they will have more support for small-scale-fisheries. In addition, providing this accurate information to governments can ensure the sustainability of harvesting by small-scale-fisheries and the preservation of genetic stocks. Therefore, it is suggested that the collection and analysis of information for each small-scale fisheries be considered and supported by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as one of the important agendas.
One of the advantages of this action, is clarifying the real and hidden role of small-scale fisheries in the world, and because it is done in the form of small projects, it will be highly accurate, and it will help the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and governments to organize and support sustainable small -scale fisheries.
BR. Amin
Seyed Aminollah Taghavimotlagh (Associate professor)
Fish Stock assessment & Fisheries Management
Head of Fish Biology and Stock assessment Department
Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Teharn, Iran.
A la atención de:
Nicole Franz, Oficial de pesca, Jefe de Equipo de Medios de vida equitativos, División de Pesca y Acuicultura, FAO
Mele Tauati, Oficial de pesca, (Pesca en pequeña escala), Equipo de Medios de vida equitativos, División de Pesca y Acuicultura, FAO
Adjunto envío las consideraciones que realiza la "Red Iberoamericana de Pesca Artesanal de Pequeña Escala" RIPAPE al objeto de contribuir gracias a esta oportunidad a seguir trabajando en la mejora de las condiciones de pesca y vida de las comunidades costeras que han construido un modo de vida y una economía basada en la gestión sostenible de la mar.
NICOLÁS FERNÁNDEZ MUÑOZ
PRESIDENTE DE RIPAPE
Nicolás Fernández Muñoz
Nicole Franz, Oficial de pesca, Jefe de Equipo de Medios de vida equitativos, División de Pesca y Acuicultura, FAO
Mele Tauati, Oficial de pesca, (Pesca en pequeña escala), Equipo de Medios de vida equitativos, División de Pesca y Acuicultura, FAO
Adjunto envío las consideraciones que realiza la ORGANIZACIÓN DE PRODUCTORES PESQUEROS ARTESANALES LONJA DE CONIL /LA ATUNARA (OPP72) en la provincia de Cádiz, España, al objeto de contribuir gracias a esta oportunidad a seguir trabajando en la mejora de las condiciones de pesca y vida de las comunidades costeras que se han construido y se han forjado alrededor de la actividad pesquera artesanal de pequeña escala.
Nicolás Fernández Muñoz
Please find attached a contribution from the USAID Women Shellfishers and Food Security project.
With Best Regards,
Karen Kent
Coastal Resources Center, University of Rhode Island
Buen día.
Con gran entusiasmo les compartimos nuestras experiencias desde México, somos Comunidad y Biodiversidad A.C. una organización de la sociedad civil que busca lograr comunidades resilientes y océanos saludables. Contamos con diversos esfuerzos para promover la difusión, el reconocimiento y la implementación de las Directrices PPE, colaborando estrechamente con comunidades pesqueras y otros grupos de actores.
Quedamos a su disposición.
Saludos.
Ana Campa
Especialista en Justicia Social
Nous avons l'honneur de vous envoyer notre appel à contribution sur la pêche artisanale.
Pour la Fondation Alimasi pour la charité
Ngwena Alimasi
Dear Nicole, dear Colleagues,
Following the call for submission by FAO on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the endorsement of the SSF Guidelines, please, find herewith the European Union contribution.
I am of course available in case you or a member of your team would like to discuss this, and I thank you very much in advance for all the consideration FAO will give to this contribution.
Best regards,
Marc RICHIR
European Commission
Directorate Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
Unit B.1 – Ocean Governance, Law of the Sea, Arctic Policy
Brussels/Belgium
La pêche artisanale produit autant de captures pour la consommation humaine que la pêche industrielle en utilisant un huitième du carburant brûlé par la grande pêche. La petite pêche utilise des méthodes de pêche sélectives et rejette très peu de poissons. La pêche artisanale recouvre des réalités différentes selon les définitions retenues. Une étude globale des « petites pêches » dans le monde 1 a permis d'identifier les dénominateurs communs de caractérisation de la pêche artisanale. Ainsi 65% des pays la fréquentent selon la taille des bateaux avec des embarcations allant de 5 à 15m, d'autres se basent sur le tonnage de jauge brute, la puissance motrice ou encore le type d'engins utilisés.
Pour l'Union européenne, comme pour la plupart des 140 pays sondés dans l'estimation mondiale de la petite pêche, la pêche artisanale correspond aux navires de moins de 12m, sans art traînant .
Pour la France néanmoins, la pêche artisanale désigne tout navire de moins de 25m avec armateur embarqué. 2 Cette définition place la France dans une catégorie tout à fait singulière qui rend ses normes uniques et difficilement compatibles avec les normes globalement acceptées (navires ne dépassant pas 15m de longueur).
This activity is now closed. Please contact [email protected] for any further information.