Small-scale fisheries are a key source of income, poverty relief and food security for millions of people across the globe. With increased pressure on coastal and fisheries resources, conflicts exist in finding the balance between economic efficiency, social equity and environmental sustainability. The conflicts are particularly glaring in developing countries, and clear examples exist in both South Africa and Chile. The project provides an opportunity to assess, through an inter-disciplinary perspective, the transition from a centralised fisheries management system to a more integrated and participatory approach, highlighting challenges, opportunities and lessons learned between the two countries. The research focuses on small-scale fisheries, a fisheries sector that has been marginalised worldwide. Small-scale fisheries play a critical role in the provision of employment and in the livelihoods of the poor in the developing world, contributing to poverty alleviation, food security and the development of local economies. Thus, there is a critical need to protect these livelihoods, as well as the ecological system upon which they depend. This project aims to develop inter-disciplinary research on small-scale fisheries governance in Chile and South Africa. Both of these countries have undergone fisheries reform over the past two decades and have grappled with, and experimented with, new policies and management systems that involve resource users in fisheries management. These approaches have had varying degrees of success, and research is required to better understand the processes involved in moving from a centralised, top-down fisheries management system to a more integrated and participatory approach. Both Chile and South Africa have undergone significant political changes during the 1990’s, leading to different outcomes in their attempts at fisheries reform. The joint research nature of the project thus aims to examine the challenges, possibilities and benefits of novel approaches to small-scale fisheries governance. The collaboration will draw on, and feed into, the small-scale fisheries policy process underway in South Africa and it will further draw on, and dovetail, other research being conducted in Chile by Chilean and Swedish researchers respectively to assess fisheries production and management. The research aims to influence policies and implementation on the ground, at the same time as contributing to the broader, international debate on small-scale fisheries governance.

Phase 1: Planning

The initial planning stage has recently resulted in researchers from Chile and Sweden coming to South Africa in order to more specifically to lay out the focal points of future collaborative research. A fruitful week of discussions with the team in Cape Town resulted in greatly clarifying research areas, questions and common interests. The week of planning in South Africa was made possible by planning grants from SANORD and Swedish Research Links.

Planning Grants

SANORD

The focus of this grant is on small-scale fisheries, a fisheries sector that has been marginalised worldwide. Small-scale fisheries play a critical role in the provision of employment and in the livelihoods of the poor in the developing world, contributing to poverty alleviation, food security and the development of local economies. Thus, there is a critical need to protect these livelihoods, as well as the ecological system upon which they depend. The grant received is used to develop an inter-disciplinary research programme on small-scale fisheries governance in Chile and South Africa. Both of these countries have undergone fisheries reform over the past two decades and have grappled with, and experimented with, new policies and management systems that involve resource users in fisheries management. These approaches have had varying degrees of success, and research is required to better understand the processes involved in moving from a centralised, top-down fisheries management system to a more integrated and participatory approach.

A comparative study between South Africa and Chile is particularly important as South Africa embarks on a new national policy process for small-scale fisheries. This policy process is engaging with key fisheries management issues that have been embraced and implemented in Chile following the new fisheries legislation of 1991. With the South African government’s decision to close a small-scale fishery (abalone fishery) in February 2008, despite its impact on the livelihoods of abalone fishers, important lessons can be learned and assessed from Chile’s innovative approach to fisheries governance. A joint academic paper between Swedish and South African partners will begin to outline the key issues and challenges that a joint research project will need to tackle.

In addition to an academic paper, a key output of the grant will be the development of an in-depth research programme between Sweden, South Africa and Chile to conduct inter-disciplinary research on artisanal fisheries, share lessons learned and inform policy and legal processes in both countries. The expertise of Swedish researchers on Chilean fisheries is integral to this process. A workshop to this end was conducted in South Africa with the participation of researchers, across disciplines, from each of these countries. A joint research proposal will after the workshop be developed and submitted to appropriate funding agencies and donors.

Swedish Research Links

This international planning grant will be used to develop an inter-disciplinary research programme on small-scale fisheries governance in Chile and South Africa. Both of these countries have undergone significant fisheries reform over the past two decades, with varying degrees of success. Through this proposed collaboration between researchers in Sweden, South Africa and Chile, the opportunity exists to highlight the challenges, possibilities and benefits of exploring new approaches to small-scale fisheries governance.

Lessons learned in Chile are particularly significant for South Africa, as the country engages in the development of a new small-scale fisheries policy. Joint research would also provide the opportunity for much-needed research in Chile to assess the outcomes, and impacts, of participatory approaches to fisheries management, and to explore the processes that have been instrumental to a shift in management approach. This planning grant will facilitate research partnerships in each of these countries, in order to develop a joint research programme that has the potential to influence policies and implementation on the ground, at the same time as contributing to the broader, international debate on small-scale fisheries management.