Fisheries
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12348/3
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- This report evaluates fish and aquatic food processing training activities delivered by DG-PAGRA and its partner across Timor-Leste between 2011 and 2024. Over this period, at least 62 training events reached 1,324 participants across all municipalities. The evaluation drew on past training records, trainer discussions, and interviews with 135 past participants across 18 locations. While participants reported high satisfaction, uptake of newly introduced products remained limited. Most continued practitioners focused on familiar products, particularly dried fish and fish baked in palm leaves (saboko), rather than new recipes. Key barriers included lack of capital, equipment, time, and access to fresh fish. Participants expressed strong demand for future training on fresh fish handling, business skills, and quality improvement of traditional products, preferring hands-on, multi-day sessions with printed support materials. The report recommends developing a structured national post-harvest fisheries training program with standardised modules, strengthened institutional. capacity, expanded training content, systematic monitoring, and deliberate promotion of gender equity and youth inclusion.
- This article presents insights from a pioneering workshop on disability inclusion in coastal fisheries management in Solomon Islands, 26 August 2024, highlighting key barriers, solutions, and recommendations for practitioners and policymakers.
- This study was conducted as part of the Pacific Community (SPC) Regional CBFM Scaling-up workshop in Suva, Fiji from 21 October to 1 November 2024. The aim of the study was to highlight the challenges of tracking CBFM, and to identify ways to improve it in Solomon Islands. The outcome of this study should help MFMR and its partners to work together to ensure the tracking tool is regularly updated with CBFM information. The three objectives of this study were to identify: critical information that needs to be captured in the CBRM tracking tool; challenges relating to the lack of data submissions and better mechanisms to report data to the CBRM database; and ways to sustain the CBRM tracking tool in the future.
- Expanding knowledge about key species, biology and community-based resource management (CBRM) practices is often the work of government and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs). However, on Malaita Day in 2024, youth became CBRM teachers. During four days of “awareness in action” at the Malaita Day celebrations in Solomon Islands, six youth facilitators engaged with 295 youth and children.
- Institutional networks for coordinating CBRM have been through different iterations in Solomon Islands. However, all intended to create a platform for information sharing and exchanging lessons learned, while creating a communication link between stakeholders working in the coastal fisheries field in Solomon Islands. The newly established National CBRM Partners Network brings in old and new partners, and now has a strong foundation in the CBRM scaling strategy, which as a government document helps ensure ongoing support and commitment. The establishment of resource management networks in Solomon Islands is a gradual process that requires thorough planning and collaboration among various stakeholders. Efforts to strengthen such networks requires time to foster trusted relationships and depends on effective communication and coordination systems between communities, government ministries, partners and stakeholders.
- Training material to make Fish Powder Seasoning based on recipe made by Beacou women's group (Tetum language version).
- Training material to make Fish Powder Seasoning based on recipe made by Beacou women's group.
- This brief reports on a series of two-day PCMs held in 10 communities throughout Timor-Leste between December 2023 and April 2024. The meetings were conducted to perform bottom-up assessments of community strengths in terms of livelihoods, identify local climate stressors, and prioritize the development of climate change adaptation plans. IkanAdapt’s premises are described first, following a brief report on the project’s methods and community engagement, and a discussion of the findings. In the final sections, the brief reflects on the strengths of IkanAdapt’s approach, as well as the way forward.
- Small-scale fisheries (SSF) in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region are vital for biodiversity conservation and the livelihoods of millions, particularly vulnerable coastal communities. Yet, due to persistent challenges in reporting and visualising SSF, decision-making is not sufficiently based on the latest data and knowledge. Multiple agencies now collect SSF data, but these efforts are inconsistent and unstandardised. Data fragmentation, inconsistent methodologies, and limited accessibility hinder effective governance. Efforts to manage SSF sustainably are further hampered by a lack of reliable scientific data, limited analytical capacity, and inadequate policy support.
- This brief summarizes follow-up research conducted in 2022 and 2023 about two community-based rural livelihoods development initiatives using aquatic foods that took place from 2017 to 2020 in coastal communities in Timor-Leste. The research sought to understand how the community members involved perceived the effects of the initiatives on their lives, what benefits and challenges women and men experienced, and how the initiatives interacted with local community economies. The lessons learned from these two case studies offer insights that can help future coastal communities livelihoods initiatives to generate sustainable benefits for communities.
- This brief summarizes follow-up research conducted in 2022 and 2023 about two community-based rural livelihoods development initiatives using aquatic foods that took place from 2017 to 2020 in coastal communities in Timor-Leste. The research sought to understand how the community members involved perceived the effects of the initiatives on their lives, what benefits and challenges women and men experienced, and how the initiatives interacted with local community economies. The lessons learned from these two case studies offer insights that can help future coastal communities livelihoods initiatives to generate sustainable benefits for communities.
- This report presents a practical, data-driven framework for assessing climate risks in fisheries and aquaculture, with a focus on Bangladesh, Kenya, and Zambia, where aquatic food systems are critical to food security, livelihoods, and economic development but increasingly exposed to climate stressors. It consolidates and evaluates available climate, hydrological, ecological, production, and socioeconomic datasets, and compares predictive, statistical, and integrated risk-based analytical approaches to identify those most viable under current data constraints. The report adopts an IPCC AR6–aligned integrated risk framework that combines climate hazards, exposure, and vulnerability to generate comparative insights without relying on precise outcome predictions. These methods provide the analytical foundation for developing country-level climate-risk profiles to inform adaptation planning, sectoral strategies, and climate investment in aquatic food systems.
- Climate change poses growing risks to aquatic food systems, particularly in vulnerable regions. At the same time, aquatic foods offer potential for climate adaptation and mitigation because of their relatively low environmental footprints and contributions to livelihoods and nutrition. Despite this dual role, however, the extent to which climate policies and aquatic foods policies are aligned is seldomly considered. This report assesses the coherence between climate policy and aquatic foods policy in Kenya and Zambia. The analysis focuses on sectoral fisheries and aquaculture policies and national-level climate frameworks, specifically Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and climate action strategies. Using a structured analytical framework, coherence was assessed across objectives, measures, policy instruments, implementation arrangements, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and horizontal and vertical coordination. Thirteen national-level policy documents were analyzed: seven from Kenya and six from Zambia. Documents were systematically coded using keyword searches and a deductive codebook, and each was scored using a coherence index (scale 1–10) that weighted objectives, instruments, implementation, M&E, coordination, and aquatic foods specificity. Overall, the results show a fragmented but evolving policy landscape in both countries. Climate frameworks tend to integrate aquatic food systems more consistently than fisheries and aquaculture policies integrate climate considerations. In Kenya, the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAPIII) and the country’s NAP demonstrate strong coherence, with clear objectives, multiple instruments, quantified targets, budget allocations, and defined institutional responsibilities. In Zambia, coherence is strongest in the National Aquaculture Trade Development Strategy, which operationalizes climate-smart aquaculture as part of an economic growth and diversification agenda. In contrast, older fisheries legislation and sectoral implementation plans in both countries show little or no reference to climate risks, adaptation, or mitigation. These documents score lowest on coherence, highlighting a lag between rapidly evolving climate policy agendas and slower sectoral and legal reform processes. A key finding is that alignment at the level of objectives alone is insufficient. High coherence is associated with concrete instruments, implementation pathways, budget lines, and M&E frameworks. Where climate–aquatic foods linkages remain largely aspirational, such as in some NDCs and high- level policies, coherence is considerably weaker. Common gaps across both countries include limited M&E systems, weak vertical coherence between national and subnational levels, and a lack of formal cross-referencing between climate and aquatic foods policies. The findings suggest that strengthening coherence requires aligning and updating existing policies rather than creating and layering new ones. Key entry points include revising fisheries and aquaculture policies to embed climate resilience, strengthening M&E systems, and improving coordination across climate, fisheries, and planning institutions. The analytical framework used in this study is lightweight and replicable, offering potential for broader application to support climate-responsive governance of aquatic food systems in other countries.
- PESKAS is an open-source digital toolkit for small-scale fisheries monitoring and decision support developed by WorldFish. It provides independent but interoperable components that users can adapt, extend or plug into to support fisheries management. Originally created in Timor-Leste, it is now supporting governments and fishers in 6 countries across Asia and Africa.
- Digital and data systems are increasingly essential for strengthening decision-making, coordination, and sustainability across aquatic food systems. However, in many low- and middle-income contexts, these systems remain fragmented, under-resourced, or inaccessible to the very actors who depend on them. Fish farmers, fisherfolk, traders, processors, extension officers, regulators, and private-sector partners often face significant challenges in accessing timely, accurate, and interoperable information. Data is frequently incomplete, delayed, siloed across institutions, or locked behind systems that are difficult to use. Weak infrastructure, uneven digital literacy, and gender- and age-based disparities further limit the ability of women, youth, and small-scale producers to benefit from emerging digital innovations. This protocol provides a structured, participatory methodology for diagnosing and addressing digital and data needs within aquaculture and capture fisheries value chains. Building on systems thinking principles, it integrates focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs), and feedback and reflection workshops to capture both lived experiences at community level and institutional perspectives at system level. The approach moves beyond isolated analysis of tools or datasets, instead examining how people, technologies, and institutions interact, and where breakdowns occur across the aquatic food ecosystem. The protocol is organized around eight core stages: (i) setting systems boundaries, including the development of research tools, participant selection, and facilitator training; (ii) understanding digital and data needs including related infrastructure at each value chain stage; (iii) identifying existing tools and access pathways and assessing their usefulness, reliability, and accessibility; (iv) documenting missing data and digital tools, and understanding how these gaps constrain productivity, safety, coordination, and sustainability; (v) uncovering system-level barriers such as inadequate connectivity, weak interoperability, institutional fragmentation, and governance challenges; (vi) collective envisioning of solutions, enabling participants to articulate realistic innovations and enabling conditions; (vii) in-depth KIIs, which provide policy, governance, and institutional insights that complement FGD findings; and (viii) synthesis, visualization, and participatory validation, where results are integrated into analytic narratives, simple system maps, and presented back to stakeholders through workshops for accuracy and collective ownership. Across FGDs, participants are grouped by value chain stage, including fish farmers, fisherfolk, small-scale processors, traders, input providers, and local aquaculture/fisheries officers to ensure focused discussions that reflect shared roles and experiences. 108–144 FGD participants and 33 key informants will be engaged, with a minimum inclusion target of 40% women and youth (<35 years). The expected outcome is a comprehensive, stakeholder-validated understanding of existing digital and data practices, key operational and institutional constraints, and priority opportunities for innovation. The findings will inform the development of actionable recommendations for policy. By rooting the assessment process in participatory systems thinking, this protocol supports the co-design of context-specific, inclusive, and sustainable digital solutions capable of strengthening resilience and performance across aquatic food systems.
- Fishing collectives in Homa Bay and Migori counties are vital social and economic institutions. Yet challenges remain for maximizing profits, managing leadership disputes and adopting climate-smart innovations at scale. We worked with fishing groups to understand how both women and men benefit from collective action. Our study also revealed important lessons in how to conduct respectful and effective field research in fishing communities. This blog shares our insights.
- The ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) has been widely promoted as a framework for fisheries management, integrating ecological, social and governance dimensions. This publication compiles ten case studies of diverse fisheries from South and Southeast Asia to showcase ongoing efforts to manage fisheries under EAF principles and synthesize lessons learned from its implementation in the region. The findings highlight several key factors driving the transition to EAF, including ecological crises such as stock depletion and habitat loss, socioeconomic challenges like declining fisher incomes, and governance reforms promoting co-management and stakeholder participation. Enabling conditions – such as strong community leadership, regional policy support, and financial incentives – have facilitated EAF adoption. However, persistent barriers – such as weak enforcement, limited scientific data, and socioeconomic pressures – continue to hinder long-term sustainability. EAF implementation faces compounding challenges, particularly in socioeconomically depressed, resource-dependent communities, where environmental and economic vulnerabilities create self-reinforcing cycles. While EAF adoption has grown globally, its partial success often stems from localized, species-specific efforts that fail to address broader ecological complexities and cross-scale environmental stressors. Sustainable financing remains a critical barrier to full implementation. For long-term success, EAF must be embedded within a comprehensive, multi-scale governance framework that aligns ecological sustainability with socioeconomic resilience.
- Timor-Leste, a country of 1.3 million people in Southeast Asia’s Coral Triangle, has made significant progress towards development objectives since its independence in 2002. The fisheries sector is almost exclusively small-scale and informal and has been prioritized as an effective contributor to improving the diets of inland communities and tackling chronic malnutrition. As a geologically young island, Timor-Leste’s bathymetry is extreme, restricting reefs to a thin fringing area, which poses sustainability challenges to the expansion of the sector predominantly focused on reef fishing. However, key technological and policy innovations are building the foundations for an ecosystem approach to fisheries, including a near-real-time monitoring system for small-scale fisheries (called “Peskas”), a draft National Fisheries Strategy (2018), a revised fisheries law, co-management guidelines, and research on nearshore fish aggregating devices. Successes are drawn from strong external agencies partnering with government, and self- mobilized communities and individuals promoting quasi-customary forms of communal management like tara bandu. However, challenges and obstacles persist, with limited governance and technical capacity and the lack of effective institutional frameworks being the primary hinderances to implementation of an effective ecosystem approach to fisheries.
- The proposed research protocol aims to evaluate the effects of digital information on behavior change in small-scale reef fisheries. The study addresses the challenges of sustainable fisheries management, particularly in environments where collective action is necessary but difficult to achieve due to diverse stakeholder behaviors and preferences. Utilizing the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice framework, the study will implement and test the WorldFish Peskas digital monitoring system across various Beach Management Units (BMUs) in Kenya. The experimental design includes five intervention levels, ranging from a control group with minimal information feedback to treatments providing increasingly localized and disaggregated. These interventions will be assessed using a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) approach. The study will test three heuristic models of human behavior: the information deficit model, the self-interested actor model, and the neighborhood interested actor model. These models will guide the interpretation of outcomes, which include changes in fishing practices, governance participation, and socio-economic benefits. The research will run over a 2-year period, with data collection on variables such as fishing patterns, compliance with regulations, and community well-being. Ultimately, this study seeks to inform policy on the effectiveness of digital tools in promoting sustainable fishing practices and improving livelihoods in coastal communities. The findings will provide governments and conservation organizations with a communication framework to better balance ecological sustainability with community needs.
- This brief explains how WorldFish and KGA combine fisheries and agriculture expertise to promote sustainable diets, Indigenous food practices, and climate-resilient island food systems through joint training and knowledge sharing. The partnership empowers rural communities— especially women and youth—through hands-on training and advocacy, leading to improved farming practices, stronger local food security, and culturally grounded food sovereignty.