top of page
REGIONAL SYNTHESIS REPORTS
On 'Action Day', the final day of 3WSFC, five regional roundtable discussions started with an overview of the Too Big To Ignore (TBTI) Regional Synthesis Reports, which present a global picture of the small-scale fisheries characteristics, challenges, threats and opportunities. The regional reports on Africa, Asia and Oceania, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and North America were developed by TBTI with inputs from academics and experts from all five regions. With these reports, TBTI aims to put small-scale fisheries on the map and in the right perspective, such that small-scale fisheries sustainability can be improved through policies that maximize their contribution to the regional and national social and economic development. The regional synthesis reports provide an informed baseline for actions through policy changes that can transform the way small-scale fisheries are recognized, managed and governed. If you would like to contribute, download the reports below and send your comments to toobigtoignore@mun.ca by January 15, 2019. All comments will be taken into consideration during the revision of the draft and consolidation of the final reports.
"The Asia and Oceania region encompasses the world’s major fish producing countries with small-scale fisheries generating over a half of the global small-scale fisheries production. It is estimated that the 90 percent of the region’s small-scale fisheries landings are retained locally for human food consumption, indicating an important role for food security and poverty alleviation. In all reality, the actual importance of small-scale fisheries for the Asia and Oceania region is even greater, when we take into account that these numbers are likely underestimates."
"Small-scale fisheries in Africa are important for the food security of more than 200 million people, and for the employment of around 2.3 million fishers targeting fisheries in the various marine, brackish and freshwater environments. As one of the world’s richest regions in terms of biodiversity and species exploited for livelihood and subsistence purposes, Africa has a long history of catching, trade and consumption of fish with fishing practices and know-how transferred from one generation to another."
"Although representing only 8 percent of the global small-scale fisheries catch, small-scale fisheries in Europe are of vital importance, particularly in terms of social and cultural heritage. For centuries, not only has fishing been a main source of food and income but it also represents a way of life for people living along the coastline. Traditional knowledge, fishing practices, and rituals are inseparable elements of small-scale fisheries. A long history of catching, trade and consumption of fish has molded a rich heritage that oftentimes transcends national borders and connects distant communities."
"Small-scale fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean support livelihoods, employment and food security of more than 2.3 million people in marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. Small-scale fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean are characterized as multi-gear and multi-species, accounting for about 16% of the global small-scale fisheries catches, and almost 20% of the total landed value. Compared to the global average, small-scale fisheries in this region receives a relatively high proportion of beneficial subsidies."
"Small-scale fisheries in North America make up a small percent of global small-scale fisheries but have great social and economic benefits to the areas in which they are located, as well as contributing to regional identities. The waters off of North America are highly productive, particularly in the Northwest Atlantic and Northeast Pacific. North American small-scale fisheries are not easily defined, with vessels and methods ranging greatly. Small-scale in North America can compose commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishing, although there is great heterogeneity in the fishers that compose these groups."
bottom of page