Global Farmers Forum 2014 pay attention on Small Scal Fisheries

The Global Farmers Forum of IFAD is being held in Rome, Italy now. I attended both the IG-SSF guidelines at FAO and 5th FAFO at IFAD within this two weeks. It is important to see the recognition and visibility of Small Scale Fisher groups through the mediation of WFF and WFFP which the biggest fisher folk organizations in the International Planning Committee on food sovereignty. The following statement came out from the special session organized by IFAD on 8th February, 2014. This statement was read out at the opening session of the IFAD FAFO on 17th February, 2014. I would like to share this with my colleagues and all those who are concern small scale fishers well being in the world. Herman Synthesis of Deliberations of the special session on FAFO 2014 on small-scale fishery Rome, 08 February 2014 1. We the participants in the 5th global meeting of the Farmers’ Forum special event on Small Scale fishery, The World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fishworkers, The World form of Fisher People and some observers representing millions of small and artisanal fishers including fisherwomen, indigenous groups and rural youth, appreciate the Farmers’ Forum process and its contribution to bringing the voice of smallholder food producers into the country strategies and programs of IFAD. Reflecting on our past experiences, werecognise the fact that there is considerable potential for IFAD to work more intensively with small scale fishers and build upon what has been achieved so far. 2. Small scale fishers constitute almost 96% of fishing community across the world and contribute immensely towards food and nutrition security of the growing world population. This sector accommodates more than 50 million fishers all over the world. However, small scale fishery has yet to get appropriate recognition and importance in policies and practices of the nationstates and other actors. The sector faces plethora of challenges like increasing competition fornatural resources resulting into fierce conflicts often leading to land/sea grabbing, depletion and pollution of aquatic resources, climate change shocks and lack of opportunities for youth and women to engage in gainful self-employment in small scale fishery tolive a life with rights and dignity. 3. Small scale fishery must be considered as one of the foundation pillars of food security, poverty reduction and sustainable management of natural resources. 4. We appreciate the support extended by IFAD to ensure SSF’s participation in IG SSF technical negotiation and we hope to receive continuous support from IFAD to engage in important regional and international policy dialogues in future. We welcome the initiative of IFAD to appoint a dedicated staff for dealing with SSF issues.We sincerely hope in coming months and years, small scale fishery will draw due attention of IFAD in terms of resource allocation and cooperation with nation states, small scale fisher’s associations and larger civil society networks. We call upon IFAD to: 1. Recognise small scale fishery’s potentiality for poverty eradication and inclusive developmentall over the world. The small scale fishers in developed nations and among indigenous communities and the fact that they face severe challenges for sustenanceshould be acknowledged in IFAD policies 2. Strengthen small scale fisheries across globe through its engagements with various Governmentsand ensure any such engagement should refrain from undermining rights of small scale fishers 3. Directcountry teams to systematically and actively engage the participation of Small scale Fishers in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Country Strategic Opportunities Program (COSOPs)and projects. IFAD should support initiatives for the creation and the strengthening of existing spaces for dialogue between SSF’s and governments at regional levels. 4. We strongly recommend that Governing body of IFAD should adopt the international guidelines on securing sustainable small scale fisheries and voluntary guidelines on responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests and use the same as one of its guiding instruments for engagement in all future projects related to SSF. 5. Establish, together with other development partners (such as European Commission and bilateral donors), a dedicated grant window,to provide direct and inclusive support to the organizations representing small and artisanal fishers. IFAD should integrate small scale fishery in its ongoinggrant programs with civil society organisations. 6. Support small scale fisher’s capacity for knowledge management to enhance their organizational and professional capacity for better service provision and income generation. Identify good practices carried out by small scale fishers and their organizations and increase investments (finance, technology, capacity building) in their up-scaling and replication. 7. Support small scale fishers better linkage with markets and help them to move up the value chain as elaborated in IG SSF We Call Upon Governments to: 1. Recognize the importance of small scale fishery by mainstreaming it in the entire policy and programming framework of the country. 2. Increase and uphold public investments in small scale fishery sector in order to ensure development of entrepreneurial capacities of small scale fishers, particularly youth and women, and creating viable and sustainable livelihood opportunities in the rural areas. Develop policies and programs to provide small scale fishers with secure access to land and aquatic resources, long-term finance, markets and vocational and entrepreneurial training. 3. Immediately take steps to check land/sea grabbing, threats of evictions and/or loss of livelihoods of small scale fishers in the name of development and due to human induced disasters, including aquatic pollution. 4. Put in place and strengthen existing mechanisms for effective participation of SSF as legitimate stakeholders in development decisions and their adequate representation in the development and evaluation of policies and programs.Toimplement the Internationalguidelines on securing sustainable small scale fisheries and implement voluntary guideline on responsible governance of tenure of land fisheries and forests. We Call Upon our Organisations to: 1. Commit ourselves to work together, in solidarity and mutual trust, to promote our common agenda and reinforce our influence at all levels. 2. Continuously strengthen our engagements with national governments and other actors who support small scale fishery.Enhance our institutional capacity, with participatory monitoring and evaluation systems, to assess and report on our impact and effectiveness to our members and partners. 3. Support, document and replicate good practices in small scale fishery, and further empower small scale fishers, in particular fisherwomen to attain and exercise their rights and duties as elaborated in IG SSF, VG GT and other relevant international instruments. 4. Ensure small scale fishery is central to solutions to poverty and hunger and establish a mechanism through which adequate representation of small scale fishers in various global platformsshould be guaranteed. The special session on Small scale fishery of Farmers forum that brought together, here in Rome, small scale fishers, both men and women, from all continents of the globe has generated great enthusiasm for their potential to contribute to new and better rural realities in developing world.