Increasing the visibility of artisanal small-scale fishers, fish farmers and fish workers

Small-scale fisheries and aquaculture are crucial to people’s nutrition, food security, sustainable livelihoods and wellbeing worldwide.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that 40 million people are directly engaged in small-scale fishing globally, mostly in low and middle-income countries, and another 20 million are directly involved in small-scale aquaculture, with hundreds of million more engaged indirectly.

The United Nations declared 2022 the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) with the objective of increasing global understanding of the role that small-scale fishers, fish farmers and fish workers play in food security, nutrition, poverty eradication and sustainable natural resource use.

IYAFA 2022 also sought to develop actions that support small-scale fishers, fish farmers and fish workers, and enhance dialogue between different actors.

What is IIED doing

IIED aims to contribute to the achievement of IYAFA 2022 objectives by focusing its actions on three fronts: connecting, communicating and influencing.

The institute will bring together researchers, NGOs, governments, regional and international organisations, fish workers’ collectives, associations and networks to amplify scientific evidence and the voices of small-scale fishers, fish farmers and fish workers.

A series of dialogue meetings (workshops) and 'Fish Night' events will take place in order to connect the diversity of stakeholders.

In collaboration with universities, research institutes, NGOs, regional and international organisations, collectives, associations and networks from around the globe, IIED will co-create a series of infographics and animations to raise awareness on the importance of small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture, the problems and concerns affecting small-scale fishers, fish farmers and fish workers, as well as opportunities for a more sustainable future.

The events and the information produced will amplify scientific evidence and draw attention to artisanal fisheries and aquaculture, and to the role played by small-scale fishers, fish farmers and fish workers. It also aims to increase the visibility of the sector to the public, as well as policymakers and decision-makers at local and international levels.