Progress report for
Promote information and Implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for the sustainability of small scale fisheries in the context of food security and poverty eradication.
Achievement at a glance
The First National Congress of Small scale fishers and mollusk gatherers was organized in Costa Rica. Called by the Marine Responsible Fishing Areas Network and CoopeSoliDar R.L, with the support of the Costa Rican Pastoral of the Sea and CANEPP (National Chamber for Fish Export), INAMU (National Institute of Women), INFOCOOP (National Cooperative Institute) and INCOPESCA (National Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture) with the financial support of Fauna and Flora International, CoopeSoliDar R.L and FAO, Puntarenas Province received more than 100 small scale fishers from rivers and coastal areas and mollusk gatherers from the Pacific and Caribbean Coasts of Costa Rica. The objectives of the Congress supported the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for the Sustainability of small-scale fisheries in the context of food security and poverty eradication.\\r\\nSessions were very lively and full of knowledge, tradition, laugh and happiness for being able by the first time to recognized themselves as a unify sector and one that had similar problems even though has a very high diversity in terms of ways of fishing, what they fish, how they have organized themselves and a variety of different ecosystems use for their survival. In the discussions, it was very clear that join efforts between marine conservation and sustainable use of fish resources and not seeing them as two separate goals but supporting the country to comply with the SSF Guidelines and the SDGs. Fishers agreed that still more efforts need to be develop to inform everyone on the existence of the guidelines and the need to support the project of law now in the Congress to back up the importance of its contents for the improvement of the livelihoods of thousands of people.Challenges faced in implementation
The meeting made clear the evidence that SSF is still a very marginalized group that is not been considered for decision-making on issues related to marine conservation and other related to fisheries. Fishers realized that within their sector there is a need to work with a rights base approach to conservation with very marginalized sectors such as the continental fishing communities, indigenous people and women.\\r\\nFishers recognized that the use of their knowledge has been important for the conservation and sustainable use of the resource, opposite to most of the scientific information that has very few times returned back to the management aspects of there territories, so the need to bridge both knowledges to work towards better informed management actions in their territories.\\r\\nClimate change impacts primarily SSF fisheries and the need to consider the sector when analyzing the impacts of this phenomenon strongly felt by the fishers was also discussed.\\r\\nThe recognition of fisherwomen that work along the whole value chain was analyzed and admire by the fishers present. Some have not realized the enormous efforts of women with three and/or four labors during the day including the family care and family elders responsibilities. \\r\\nBeneficiaries
Small scale fishing communities, Responsible fishing marine areas.