-
Africa: African Fishers 'Ignored' Despite Vital Role
SciDev.Net, 7 February 2025
Africa's small-scale fishers are being overlooked in policymaking, despite providing the most stock and nutritional value of any region, according to new analysis. Read more »
-
South Africa: Government Increases Fish Allocation By 36 Percent
SAnews.gov.za, 21 January 2025
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has announced a 36% increase in the allocation of certain key fish species. Read more »
-
Africa: Voices From the Margins - Small-Scale Fishers Demand Rights, Recognition At COP16
IPS, 5 November 2024
Small-scale fishers play a fundamental role in feeding people--they use sustainable methods of catching and processing fish products and are a significant force in the employment… Read more »
-
South Africa: Cape Fishers Worried About Declining Fish Populations
GroundUp, 24 January 2024
"The South African story has already been written in Namibia" where there was a three-year moratorium on sardine and anchovy catch because stocks were so low Read more »
-
Africa: Trapped and Trafficked - Fishers Tell of Forced Labor Horror
IPS, 19 January 2024
"The thing is that when you come from an African country, they know that you're basically trapped," says Noel Adabblah. Read more »
Africa's Small-Scale Fishers Neglected in Policy Decisions
Africa's small-scale fishers, who play a vital role in providing food security and livelihoods, are being systematically ignored in policymaking, according to a Nature study.
The fishers, particularly in inland and marine fisheries, contribute significantly to the region's diet, supporting nearly 146 million people and supplying a third of their micronutrient needs. They also sustain around 60 million livelihoods, with 2.6 million women directly employed in the sector. Despite their critical contributions, many lack formal rights to manage resources or participate in decision-making processes, leaving them marginalized.
Researchers warn that overlooking this sector jeopardizes the achievement of global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as poverty alleviation, zero hunger, and gender equality. Experts call this a "wake-up call" for policymakers to prioritize inclusive governance and better management of this essential sector.
InFocus
-
As a new report lays bare the massive financial costs to developing states of illegal fishing, campaigners are hoping that drawing attention to the practice's devastating economic ... Read more »
-
As Africa's population continues its rapid growth, finding sustainable sources of food will becoming increasingly difficult but the continent's coastline may hold some answers. Read more »
-
Despite 3,850 fishers in the Western Cape being granted 15-year fishing rights, some have criticized the Department of of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment's decision to ... Read more »
A fisherman comes in with his boat to Bossaso's fishing beach in northern Somalia in late March 2018.
