Goa small-scale and traditional fishers engage in fisheries community consultation; provides vital inputs towards finalising the national plan of action to secure livelihoods
Goa’s small-scale and traditional fishing community held the first consultation in the state for the development of the national plan of action (NPOA) to secure sustainable fisheries. Held in Cavelossim, Salcete on the 17th of October, the consultation convened small-scale fishers from in South Goa district. Fishing communities whose livelihoods are engaged in estuarine and marine waters participated with representation from fishers using rampons (shore seines), gill-nets, stake nets, as well as those involved in fish vending and auctioning. Fisherwomen involved in fishing, fish processing and fish vending also participated in large numbers. This consultation is one of the most important steps in developing the national plan to secure livelihoods rights and security for small-scale fishers. This consultation is part of the process to implement the Voluntary Guidelines for Small Scale Fishers (VG-SSF) which began in 2014, as a bottom-up process by fishers to implement regionally sensitive policies and rules to protect fish resources and livelihoods.
The consultation was divided into three thematic session. Session 1 focussed on defining who is a small-scale fisher, that is, to include community views on who should be included in the development plan. This would determine whose livelihoods would be protected under the NPOA. In this session, there was unanimous opinion that mechanised boats like trawlers and purse-seiners should not be included in the small-scale category. It was also clear that primarily those who were engaged in the direct act of fishing and allied activities should be the ones included in the scope of the NPOA.
Session 2 focussed on identifying key issues affecting fish resources and livelihoods and suggesting ways to resolve them. A first theme focussed on the right of small-scale fishers to have legally defined secure access to fisheries resources and legal protections to prevent ongoing and future displacement. The second theme focussed on resolving conflicts in resource management, instituting community-based fisheries management plans and in turn, restoring the environment and fisheries habitats. In this session, fishers were vocal that violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone notification (CRZ) and the non-finalisation of the CZMPs were the two primary reasons for displacement and threats to livelihoods. As a result, the expansion of tourism, development projects and ports on the shore is squeezing fishers on land, while bottom trawling in no-go zones, dredging, water sport boats and effluent discharge is affecting fish resources at sea. The discussion during the day provides a clear path to achieve livelihood security: rolling back the dilutions of the CRZ process, curbs on destructive mechanised fishing, enforcement of fisheries regulations, preferential access to resources at sea and demarcation of post-harvest spaces on land. Together these point to an urgent need to implement a ‘Fishers Rights Act’ to achieve the aims and objective of the SSF guidelines.
Session 3 was subdivided into four themes focussed on: social development, value chain, gender and climate crisis impacts. Social development focussed on health, education, housing, social protection and occupational safety of small-scale fishers. Market linkages focussed on ways to improve the freshness of fish to provide economic boost to fishers livelihoods, including a focus on finance and organisations. The gender theme focussed on bringing the invisbilised labour and crucial roles of women in fishing and inside households to the forefront, in order to improve access to schemes and finance and strengthen their participation in leadership. Finally, climate crisis focussed on tackling the impacts of and improving the ability of small-scale fishers to cope with climate events.
The discussions once again provide insights from fishers that show the importance of the VG-SSF process since they call for a paradigm shift away from the way fisheries are currently managed. At fish landing centres, fish markets and in net making and fish processing areas, access to hygienic and sanitation facilities is urgently needed, especially for women. To be able to access markets appropriately, issues of resource management and secure tenure must be ensured first. It is only after securing these that fishers will be able to catch the appropriate fish and sell them in markets, bringing into spotlight the interconnectedness of SSF livelihoods issues. The women provided their views on a series of challenges and solutions: improving working conditions in post-harvest activities, ensuring nutritional security within households, creating leadership opportunities within organisations, crafting new womens’ collectives and upskilling in value-addition and marketing skills. There is also an urgent need to sensitise and change the views of society which stigmatise fisherwomen when they commute on public transport. Finally, climate crisis related changes call for an urgent range of interventions. While fishers provided inputs on early warning systems and insurance schemes, they were firmly of the opinion that protection and restoration of the ecology takes precedence as the first line of action.
The consultation was locally facilitated by the National Federation of Small Scale Fishworkers with support from the FAO-BOBP and ICAR-CIFE institutions. Representatives from the Goa state Department of Fisheries were also present at the consultation. Goa’s traditional fishworkers union representatives from Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) also participated in the consultation. The next consultation for North Goa district is scheduled next week on the 24th of October.
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