Achieving Sustainability in Global Small-scale Fisheries

Much of the world’s population depends on protein from fisheries species captured in small-scale marine and freshwater fisheries.  Although the amount of food secured by these activities is small in comparison to large-scale industrial fisheries, they support significant numbers of people and often dominate the commerce of local communities.  However, due to many factors, small scale and artisanal fisheries are often overfished and/or have negative impacts on habitat. While many of the world’s large scale fisheries are certified as sustainable, or are under action plans or fisheries improvement projects that will advance their management to meet sustainable fisheries criteria, most small-scale fisheries are not. This symposium will focus on the variety of technical, social, and economic challenges facing small-scale fishermen and fishing communities throughout the world. Case examples of fisheries either needing or desiring sustainable certification will be featured, as well as presentations on success stories and promising techniques and progress. Topics will include (1) Working With Governments, Stakeholders, and Local Communities to Identify; (2) Opportunities for Fisheries Sustainability Certification; (3) Ecologically and Culturally-Sensitive Approaches to Providing Technological Assistance for Advancing Certification; (4) Defining “Well-Managed Fisheries” in the Context of Fisheries management and Environmental Sustainability, and (5) Case Programs/Projects/Lessons Learned.