Deep Roots

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Through community dialogues, the community members

come together to discuss issues related to governance and the

use of natural resources in the community, as well as possi-

ble solutions. However, it has been observed that most of the

challenges of access to natural resources cannot be solved by

the community members alone, since the outside community

such as national and international policies contribute to the

emergence of these challenges. Therefore the participation of

all parties is important in these initiatives.

Community theatre has proven to be an important tool to

gather communities through public meetings at village and

ward levels. It enables them to reflect, internalize and analyse

their situations and challenges, but also to come up with

action plans on how to improve the situation.

Disseminating relevant national and international policies

that are related to fisheries, to create awareness and form a

strong foundation for advocacy and lobbying for improved

services in the community, is essential in order to protect

family fishing activities worldwide.

With a steady increase in the demand for fisheries resources,

many local communities must consider aquaculture as a

potential way to provide an alternative source of fish to

support families, especially women in fish farming activities.

There is a need to improve access to fisheries resources

for fisher communities as advocated for by WFF during its

engagement in the intergovernmental negotiations on the

International Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small Scale

Fisheries (IG SSF) of the FAO Committee of Fisheries. Access

to fisheries resources is vital to enhance food security and thus

promote family fisheries.

Actions like increasing the amount of fish available for

trading locally will not only combat production for export

but also guide nations to make trade policies that will

achieve national food security. Harvesting and trade in

juvenile fish is a thriving alternative in many rural fisher

communities which cannot be reached by enforcement offic-

ers, due to decreasing access to fish for those communities.

This, however, is exacerbating the problem of sustaining

fisheries resources in the lake.

Making and reviewing policies with the active participation

and engagement of local communities and their organizations

is key to transforming both the policies and their implemen-

tation. Seven members of WFF from Africa, Asia and Latin

America were engaged in a national consultation on what they

would like to see included in the IG SSF.

Evidence reveals that women engaged in fishing do so for

reasons directly related to food security at the family level.

According to the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security

and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security

(2014), while women’s financial remuneration for their work

in small-scale fisheries is often insubstantial compared to

that of men, their contributions to family nutritional needs

is thought to be integral to their households’ food security.

Developments in the sector should explore solutions that

will minimize women’s vulnerability and increase their active

participation in the governance of fisheries resources.

The concept of family fisheries must trickle down to

the country level if it is to be appreciated, understood and

given substantial implementation structures on the ground.

To enable long-term investment in fisheries at the family

level, land ownership needs to be addressed coupled with

increasing access to expertise and support in fish farming,

access to credit especially for women, and development of

the rural infrastructure.

Improving infrastructure was cited as a major challenge during the exchange

visit to Mbour by WFF members from six African countries

KWDT supports family fish farming to meet the increasing demand for fish,

ensure food security and create household incomes

Image: KWDT

Image: KWDT 2013

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