Report of the Final Session of SSF Regional Conference: Securing Small Scale Fishers-Rights Based Approach

Among the 3 regional WSs, WFFP delegation attended the Bangkok ws too.
From Mohommed Ali Sha of PFF, Pakistan, Saranapala De Silva of United Fishers & Fish Workers Congress[UFFC], Suraji Sudiratmija of Serikat Nelayan of Indonesia, Gerard Corpuz of PAMALAKAYA, Philippines, Geetha Lakmini of NAFSO, Sri Lanka, WICHOKSAK RONNARONGPAIREE, The Federation of Southern Fisher Folk, Thailand had attended from WFFP. Some of our members attended with the support of WFF as they wanted WFFP to fill up their slots too.

The Bangkok Regional workshop report of Small Scale Fishers organized by Food & Agriculture Organization[FAO] has been circulated.

I would like to add this for your information as this will help you to understand what has happened at Bangkok during 6-8 October.

Herman Kumara

Rights – of fishers, fishing communities and small-scale fishers
• Right to life and livelihood.
• Right to access resources.
• Rights to manage coastal and inland fisheries resources.
• Right to food.
• Right to decent work
• Right to safety at sea and in the work place.
• Right to be protected by Law.
• Right to participate in local governance.
• Right to information.
• Right to politics.
• Right of users to be involved in management.
• Right to participate in local governance.
• Right to advocacy.
• Right to basic amenities.
• Rights to make rules/regulations on fishing/fishery management.
• Right to participate in decision making.
• Right to social protection, security and access to social services.
• Right of women to participate in decision making.
• Recognition of community and customary rights.
• (Guarantee of social protection, decent working and living conditions and social security for SSF).
• Guaranteed release and repatriation of all fishers detained for trans-boundary trespass and/or drifting.
• Right to rehabilitation after natural disasters.
• Right of representation of fisheries associations in stakeholder/sectoral dialogue and decision making.
• Right to access/area/tenure rights.
• Coastal protection (either infrastructure or natural barriers).
• Rights to tenure or use of coastal land (also to promote habitat conservation).
• Access to fisheries, fishing areas (linked to zoning, and can also include territorial use rights TURF).
• Responsible and sustainable SSF as a right for future generations.
• The rights of men, women and children in SSF to an equitable, safer and sustainable livelihood are ensured.

Principles
• Appropriate consultation mechanisms.
• Prior and informed consent.
• Transparency and accountability.
• Principle of Subsidiarity.
• Formal integration of SSF into coastal, riverine and rural development policies.
• Respect for traditional/indigenous knowledge and local wisdom.
• SSF have specific needs reflecting the dependency, complexity and vulnerability of their livelihoods.
• Policies and interventions associated with disaster risk management (DRM) and climate change (CC) should take into account and respond to the specific needs of the SSF sector.
• Consensus should be built on approaches, systems and strategies to address the needs of SSF in relation to disaster preparedness (including prevention and mitigation), response and rehabilitation.
• Engagement and consultation with NGO’s and CBO in support of SSF.
• These approaches, systems and strategies should reflect the needs and requirements of different stakeholders in small scale fisheries, including men, women and children involved in capture, post harvest and ancillary work.
• Principle of gender equality.
• Recognition of the importance of ensuring the involvement of participants in SSF in decision making processes regarding DRM and CC approaches, systems and strategies.
• Fisheries policies and strategies should include DRM and CC considerations and fully reflect the specific needs of small-scale fisheries.
• NGO’s concerned with SSF should be afforded the opportunity to fully participate in planning and implementation of relevant legislation, policies and programmes.
• Policies and interventions associated with DRM and CC take into account and respond to the specific needs of the SSF sector

Goals

• Goals in SSF should be informed by the MDGs.
• Security from external threats (pollution, industrial fishing, displacement).
• Reduce conflict with other resource users.
• Enable secured access to markets for SSF products.
• Products of SSF meet food hygiene requirement.
• Elimination of child labour.
• Promotion of decent and safe work and employment.
• Reduced vulnerability of fishing communities to natural disasters and climate change.
• Diversifying livelihoods to reduce dependency.
• Increasing the voice, choice and capacity of SSF to take up alternative livelihood opportunities.
• Ensure equitable benefits to SSF from development of tourism, aquaculture and conservation efforts etc.
• Ensure that larger-scale operations do not undermine SSF and respects the human rights based approach and gender dimension.
• Enhanced capacity of SSF communities with regard to climate change adaption.
• Reducing the carbon footprint and negative environmental impacts of SSF.
• Management of SSF ensures that human well-being is balanced with ecological well-being.
• Ensuring that the benefits of the fishery trade lead to human development.
• The promotion of local and domestic trade ??? See the CCRF 11.2.15 on international fish trade
• Insuring that fisheries trade promotes human development.

Actions
• Define or characterize SSF.
• Institutional/administration reform.
• Legal reform.
• Policy development.
• Human capacity building.
• Information and communications.
• Institutional linkages and strengthened partnerships.
• Provision of social services and social protection.
• Provision of, and access to, financial services including micro-finance.
• Collaboration, institutional linkages and strengthened partnerships including regional agencies, INGO’s, NGO’s etc.
• Research and knowledge generation.
• Infrastructure and technology.
• Monitoring and evaluation.

Type of instrument

• Something that is quickly available for use.
• Global programme informed by a code or guideline that is developed by international consensus.
• This can then form the basis for the development of regional, national and local guidelines and plans of action for SSF.