Small Scale Fisheries Negotiatons are over: Fisherfolk Communities are back home with Frustrations

The resumed sessions of the Technical Consultation on International Guidelines on securing sustainable small scale Fisheries [IG-SSF] has been concluded without a negotiated text. The resumed negotiations on Guidelines were held at FAO head quarters at Rome, Italy from 3-7 February which has been a long process beginning from Bangkok in 2008. The Civil Society Organizations, including World Forum of Fisher Peoples.[WFFP], World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers[WFF], International Collective in Support of Fishworkers [ICSF] and International Planning Committee on Food Sovereignty[IPC] played a crucial role to make sure the IG-SSF to make a reality. However, this was not successful as the Canadian delegation objected to include the "Situations of Occupation" in the following text of Sub Heading Social Development, Employment and Decent work and the chapter 6.18. of the draft text. It says as follows; 6.18 "All parties should protect the human rights and dignity of small scale fisheries stakeholders in situations of occupation to allow them to pursue their traditional livelihoods, to have access to customary fishing grounds and to preserve their culture and way of life. Their effective participation in decision making on matters that impact them should be facilitated". The main reservation of the Canadian delegation was the "Politically Sensitiveness" of the issue. There were several compromise texts were proposed by USA, Ecuador and Argentinian delegations which did not acceptable to either Canadian delegation or many of the Arab World delegations alternately. Finally, the proposed two texts were bracketed and decided to send to 31st COFI session which will be held in July 2014. However, Dr. Fabio Hazin, Associate Professor and Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture department of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Brazil, the chair person of the Negotiations expressed his deep frustration and the danger once we submit the document to decide at COFI mentioning the time allocated will not help COFI to negotiate and adopt the IG-SSF. Kairo, co-chair of the WFF, a Fisher leader from Nicaragua appealed to all the delegates mentioning, "Millions of small scale fisher people across the globe are awaiting to receive the good news of the IG-SSF. I urge all of the delegates to reconsider your decision before take any decision to submit it to COFI to decide/" There was no positive response from both the camps. Civil Society leaders who engaged in the process since 2008 October, even during the Bangkok 4SSF conference were highly disturbed. Naseegh Jaffer, the Co-coordinator of the WFFP, the Director of Masifundise, South Africa shared his frustration in the forum. "We are desperate as there is no flexibility among delegates to arrive at a decision on IG-SSF. Our commitment, our efforts and the energy we spent for the process is in vain. We are helpless as we can not tell our fisher people, the delegates are not consider the plight of the fisher people." However, at the CSO sponsored side event Mr. Lahesan Ababouch, the director, fisheries and aquaculture policy division, prior to the final session, expressed his commitment to implement the IG-SSF once get adopted. "We are exploring possibilities how to mobilize resources for implementing SSF guidelines. FAO can implement IG-SSF under it's 5 strategic objectives set up." At the same side event,in my presentation though it was for sharing the CSO views of implementation of IG-SSF, representing WFFP, I urged from all the delegates to consider to come to consensus on the last chapter to be negotiated[6.18] ahead in the afternoon. " We, the small scale fisher communities are desperately expect to adopt the IG-SSF though this is not the exactly what we expected. However, in 1984 when there was a global summit on fisheries there was no any space for voice out SSF views. There was no recognition of SSF in that time and after 3 decades the situation changed and we are negotiating on IG-SSF. This is a big achievement for us. We urge, all of the delegates to support capacity building of the small scale fisher community leaders and fisheries organizations to take part the effective implementation of the IG-SSF." However, all these efforts are on hold now as there is no final negotiated text in hand. So, the fisher leaders, CSO supporters, Researchers and many more who expected to adopt IG-SSF are getting back home with frustration and desperation. However, the last hope is to make it happen at the coming 31st COFI meeting in June, 2014. At the CSO review meeting tomorrow, we need to discuss the way forward to address the situation. Till then, we are awaiting in empty hands. Herman