Category: Fisher Voices
Worldwide, 500 million people depend on small-scale fisheries for their livelihoods, food security and cultural identities. This global community is made up of thousands of smaller communities, each different from one another with a diversity of experiences of living with the ocean. Yet one thing connects them all: the deepening environmental crisis that is impacting their way of life and further marginalising their communities.
Despite being on the frontlines of this crisis, small-scale fishers’ voices are rarely heard in discussions on how to tackle it. Shedding light on their deep traditional knowledge of the sea and the life that lives within it, as well as their first-hand experience of how the ocean is changing, is vital for understanding climate breakdown and learning how to respond to it.
We believe that small-scale fishers are the unsung heroes of marine conservation and that their stories must be heard. In this blog series, we celebrate the diversity of the world’s fishers, learn about their lives and communities, appreciate their understanding of the ocean, and most importantly, we listen.
Comoros to Kenya: A trip to learn from fellow fishers in Kenya
The sea around Comoros has been the source of livelihood for Bahati Anli, and many like her in Comoros. She comes from a fishing community and is part of Maecha Bora, an all-women fishers association that leads conservation efforts. When...
Meet the communities using data to transform fisheries management
Blue Ventures and partner COMRED held the first community data feedback meeting with people from Kwale County in Kenya to validate fisheries catch and landing data collected from fisheries over three months. The activity was an eye-opener on how communities...
Voices from COP15
The end of the year brought two major events to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, and to decide the fate of humanity, and the future of all life on earth. After Egypt hosted the climate COP27...
A song of change in Madagascar brings goosebumps and tears
As a marine ecologist and self-acclaimed nerd, I get excited when I see a graph, especially one charting fish abundance or coral cover. But there are myriad ways to share tales of change beyond data, especially where numbers don’t convey...
Community conservation offers hope for sustainable fisheries on the Kenyan coast
The situation It used to be easy for fishing communities on the Kenyan coast to know when the seasons would change, the winds would peak, and the sea would be safe to access because the weather forecasts were more stable....
Madam Mwanatumu: taking action and advocating for equality
Through action and change for equality The role of women in the fisheries sector cannot be further emphasized as they are key actors and players in forging connections between fishers and the market. While a fisherman’s role may mainly involve...
Mama Hamisi: an inspiration for women in Kenya’s small-scale fisheries
Once a pastry seller, Mama Hamisi is now an octopus gleaner, seaweed farmer, closure area patroller and community steward in Kibuyuni
Voices from Tsimipaika Bay: local solutions to community management
Fisher voices: Madame Véronique and Franklin Velotody share local solutions to marine conservation and explain why it’s so important for their village