Viewing: small-scale fisheries

Versión en Español a abajo Bycatch is inevitable wherever commercial fishing happens. This incidental capture and discarding of non-targeted species and undersized fish without commercial value can be extremely damaging to biodiversity, especially when it’s unmonitored and unregulated. To help improve bycatch and discard monitoring, Future of Fish partnered with Chile’s National Fisheries Service (SERNAPESCA) starting in 2018, assisting with the selection and installation of image recording devices (IRD) on industrial fleets in order to identify and track any instances of these practices onboard.…

In Peru, small scale fisheries play a critical role in food security and the national economy, supplying approximately 95% of the seafood consumed domestically and producing $902 million (USD) in revenue annually. Not surprisingly, then, fishers are considered essential workers. But in villages such as La Islilla — where deficient medical infrastructure means that COVID spread is an ongoing concern — even essential fishing is too risky without proper PPE (personal protective equipment). But sourcing of PPE and sanitation resources for businesses to open…

(Artículo originalmente publicado en inglés) Cuando se trata de abordar los problemas sociales y medioambientales de nuestro tiempo, ninguna organización tiene toda la experiencia y la capacidad necesarias para resolver por sí sola estos complejos retos. Pero juntos podemos mover montañas — o, en el caso de la sobrepesca, cambiar las mareas. Un reciente acuerdo de asociación entre Future of Fish y ABALOBI se basa en este espíritu y pretende impulsar un cambio de sistemas a gran escala en beneficio de las comunidades costeras…

When it comes to tackling the social and environmental issues of our time, no one organization has all the expertise and capacity needed to solve these complex challenges alone. But together, we can move mountains—or, in the case of overfishing, turn the tide. A recent Partnership Agreement between Future of Fish and ABALOBI builds on this ethos, and seeks to drive large-scale systems change to benefit coastal communities and ocean ecosystems. Together, we hope to combine our strengths across technology, creative financing, systems design,…

Historias de pesca: René Jara (Versión en Español más abajo) René Jara, also known as "Patolín", was born in Duao, a fishing cove in the Maule region of Chile.  He began fishing when he was 15, and now — at 28 — he’s an expert in the art, catching hake, squid, crab, and elephant fish among other species. For René, fishing runs in the family: he credits his father for teaching him everything he knows. In time, René's entrepreneurial spirit led him to own…

“Fish is the perfect protein” says Oceana Chief Policy Officer, Jacqueline Savitz. We couldn’t agree more. And nothing makes us happier than seeing this, and the rationale for why, shared in a recent article in Forbes — a publication primarily focused on business, finance, and investment. It’s not your typical environmental magazine. And that’s because empowering sustainable fisheries is as much an effort to address food security and livelihoods as it is about environmental protection. Globally, over 3 billion people rely on fish as their primary source of…

Historias de pesca: Pedro (Versión en Español más abajo) Pedro is a fisher from Chorrillos, a coastal area on the Southern outskirts of Lima in Peru. For Pedro, fishing is a lifestyle: his dad taught him how to fish at age 13, and he started fishing with his uncles at age 14, almost thirty years ago. He has made his living from the ocean ever since. Fishing for swordfish, mahi mahi, and other species up to one hundred miles from the coast, Pedro is…

(Versión en Español más abajo) As part of Future or Fish’s response to COVID-19 in Peru, two things became clear: mobility restrictions were severely hindering logistics, and demand had dropped significantly. In a matter of weeks, COVID-19 had changed the way people access and consume seafood in Peru — a pattern experienced by seafood supply chains globally. After some rapid brainstorming, one immediate initiative Future of Fish identified was a campaign to address the demand issue in Peru (read more about FoF’s other initiatives in the…

Future of Fish announces a new campaign to get PPE to fishing villages in Peru. June 4, 2020 For Immediate Release Fishers are essential workers, but what happens when they don’t have the gear they need to work safely in a pandemic? This week, Future of Fish launches a new campaign in partnership with fishers from La Islilla, Peru, to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to the fishers and seafood workers who need it most. In Peru, small scale fisheries play a critical role…

Workers in small scale fisheries make up over 90% of all seafood employees. These small fisheries, spread from Chile to Belize to Vietnam, catch 50% of the seafood eaten around the world. Small scale fishing can be a hard life — long days on the water, stock fluctuations due to climate change or overfishing, and often low prices. Still: fishing is a lifestyle, a living, a tradition, and a way to support families and communities. For small scale fishers who want to improve their…

Historias de pesca: Patricia Purizaca (Versión en Español más abajo) Máncora is a seaside town in the Piura region of northern Peru. With a population of 12,899 inhabitants, it is a beautiful resort town as well as a bustling fisherman's cove. In recent years, it has become a popular beach destination visited by Peruvian and foreign surfers alike due to its great waves, which has led to high tourism demand in the region. It is here that we find Patricia, a merchant and cook.…

Historias de pesca: Luis Solís (Versión en Español más abajo) Luis Solís, born and raised in the commune of Renca, is a tireless worker and champion for his community, dedicated to working with small scale producers and businesses to improve food supply chains and access to nutritious food for all Chileans. Over the course of his career in both the private and public sectors, he observed a lack of connection and organization between workers causing inefficiencies in the food supply system, as well as…