Small-scale fisheries contribute over half of the world’s marine and inland fish catch, nearly all of which is used for direct human consumption. They employ over 90 per cent of the world’s fishers and support another approximately 84 million people employed in jobs associated with fish processing, distribution and marketing. At least half of the people employed in small-scale fisheries are women.

Despite the important contribution of small-scale, artsianal and indigenous fisheries to economic and social development, nutritional well-being and societal and cultural values, their communities often face precarious and vulnerable living and working conditions, due to a range of factors, including insecure rights to land and fishery resources, unfair and unsafe working conditions, and inadequate or absent health and educational services and social safety nets. Women fishworkers experience particular discrimination.

The Members of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) have been invited to, among other things, give guidance on the desirability, scope and nature of a dedicated international instrument on small-scale fisheries and comment on the principles and thematic areas identified by the global and regional consultative processes that would inform the contents of the instrument as well as prioritize the areas of a global assistance programme for small-scale fisheries.

WFFP, WFF and ICSF are of the view that it is vital to develop a negotiated international instrument on small-scale fisheries to complement the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) that can guide regional and national plans of action, as well as legislation and policy at appropriate levels. Such an instrument should be global in scope and, building on the principles identified during the regional workshops organized by FAO in October 2010, should recognize the social, economic, cultural, political and civil rights of small-scale, artisanal and indigenous fishing communities. It is equally important that COFI supports a global programme of assistance on small-scale fisheries,
developed and implemented through a consultative process.

This will go a long way in ensuring that the small-scale fisheries sector realizes its full potential to significantly contribute to sustainable development and to the attainment of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) dealing with eradication of extreme poverty and hunger and ensuring environmental sustainability.