WSFC :: World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress

The conference themes are organized based on key issues faced in small-scale fisheries around the world (including inland, coastal and marine, capture and culture, indigenous and non-indigenous) as identified by fisher groups, community members, researchers and practitioners working on the ground. An issue scan exercise was conducted to solicit what these issues are.

Issues in this theme include SSF ecology, SSF stock assessment, effects of ecosystem processes on SSF, bycatch, habitat degradation, impacts of fishing gears, interaction between SSF and aquaculture, adaptation to and mitigation of climate change, resilience thinking, and other environmental factors and concerns related to and affecting SSF.

Overexploitation and overcapacity are on-going issues in fisheries. Coupled with gear conflicts and resource and space competition within and between SSF, large-scale fishing sector and aquaculture, they have direct effect on resources and livelihoods. This theme deals with these issues, along with subsidies, enforcement, compliance and IUU.

Many debates in this theme include the merits and misfortunes of open-access, resource allocation, quota systems, and rights-based fishing, also in the context of MPAs and aquaculture, as well as other related mechanisms such as population pressure and migration. Principles underlying the various governance arrangements will be explored under this theme.

Highly complex in nature, this theme explores the interconnecting issues of poverty, marginalization and vulnerability in all dimensions, through taking account of various aspects including community empowerment, power contestation and gender relationships, noting specifically the relevance of subsistent, family-oriented fishing enterprises. As well, it examines the perceptions and measurement of value of small-scale fisheries that affect the priority they are given on national and international agendas.

Re-thinking fisheries management from a livelihood and wellbeing perspective offers much promise. Initiatives such as aquaculture and tourism development are promoted, for example, as alternative livelihood strategies, but they are not always well integrated in terms of policy and planning. This theme explores livelihoods and wellbeing approaches, and integration of development activities that consider topics such as social and cultural capital, local knowledge, organizational aspects such as cooperatives, entrepreneurship, and innovation, along with job satisfaction and psychology of happiness.

This theme explores questions such as what are the appropriate value-added processes and how are they incorporated into SSF? How can the globalizing market work for SSF and what are the implications? Specific topics include certification schemes, post-harvest technology, food safety, access to markets, relationship with middle-persons, and prices and trade rules.

This theme focuses on SSF representation and participation in governance through various arrangements such as community-based management, co-management and other integrated efforts. The theme also seeks to draw attention to the diversity of interests within SSF (including women and future generations), multiple geographical and organizational scales and linkages among scale levels, legal pluralism, and the diverse governance visions and values within the sector.

A series of plenary panel sessions will be organized to discuss the issues involved in each theme and to explore ways to address them. Panelists, selected based on their knowledge, expertise and familiarity with the issues, will include researchers, practitioners, policy makers, community groups, and other relevant public and private sectors. Panelists are expected to not only describe the issues but also suggest feasible solutions, which will then be open for discussion. In addition to the plenary panel sessions, the conference will feature concurrent sessions, speed and poster presentations. Concurrent and speed presentations will be given 15 and 7-10 minutes each.

A one-day excursion to visit coastal areas of Thailand will also be organized as part of the congress.


		Conference Theme The conference themes are organized based on key issues faced in small-scale fisheries around the world (including inland, coastal and marine, capture and culture, indigenous and non-indigenous) as identified by fisher groups, community members, researchers and practitioners working on the ground. An issue scan exercise was conducted to solicit what these issues are. 1. Ecosystem complexity, dynamics and interactions Issues in this theme include SSF ecology, SSF stock assessment, effects of ecosystem processes on SSF, bycatch, habitat degradation, impacts of fishing gears, interaction between SSF and aquaculture, adaptation to and mitigation of climate change, resilience thinking, and other environmental factors and concerns related to and affecting SSF. 2. Gear conflict, resource/space competition and rule compliance Overexploitation and overcapacity are on-going issues in fisheries. Coupled with gear conflicts and resource and space competition within and between SSF, large-scale fishing sector and aquaculture, they have direct effect on resources and livelihoods. This theme deals with these issues, along with subsidies, enforcement, compliance and IUU. 3. Access, rights and responsibility Many debates in this theme include the merits and misfortunes of open-access, resource allocation, quota systems, and rights-based fishing, also in the context of MPAs and aquaculture, as well as other related mechanisms such as population pressure and migration. Principles underlying the various governance arrangements will be explored under this theme. 4. Poverty, marginalization, vulnerability and value Highly complex in nature, this theme explores the interconnecting issues of poverty, marginalization and vulnerability in all dimensions, through taking account of various aspects including community empowerment, power contestation and gender relationships, noting specifically the relevance of subsistent, family-oriented fishing enterprises. As well, it examines the perceptions and measurement of value of small-scale fisheries that affect the priority they are given on national and international agendas. 5. Livelihoods, wellbeing and integration Re-thinking fisheries management from a livelihood and wellbeing perspective offers much promise. Initiatives such as aquaculture and tourism development are promoted, for example, as alternative livelihood strategies, but they are not always well integrated in terms of policy and planning. This theme explores livelihoods and wellbeing approaches, and integration of development activities that consider topics such as social and cultural capital, local knowledge, organizational aspects such as cooperatives, entrepreneurship, and innovation, along with job satisfaction and psychology of happiness. 6. Post-harvest processes and globalizing markets This theme explores questions such as what are the appropriate value-added processes and how are they incorporated into SSF? How can the globalizing market work for SSF and what are the implications? Specific topics include certification schemes, post-harvest technology, food safety, access to markets, relationship with middle-persons, and prices and trade rules. 7. Governance challenges This theme focuses on SSF representation and participation in governance through various arrangements such as community-based management, co-management and other integrated efforts. The theme also seeks to draw attention to the diversity of interests within SSF (including women and future generations), multiple geographical and organizational scales and linkages among scale levels, legal pluralism, and the diverse governance visions and values within the sector. Conference Format A series of plenary panel sessions will be organized to discuss the issues involved in each theme and to explore ways to address them. Panelists, selected based on their knowledge, expertise and familiarity with the issues, will include researchers, practitioners, policy makers, community groups, and other relevant public and private sectors. Panelists are expected to not only describe the issues but also suggest feasible solutions, which will then be open for discussion. In addition to the plenary panel sessions, the conference will feature concurrent sessions, speed and poster presentations. Concurrent and speed presentations will be given 15 and 7-10 minutes each. A one-day excursion to visit coastal areas of Thailand will also be organized as part of the congress. Please note that English is the official language in this conference.