A comparative study of small-scale fishery supply chains’ vulnerability and resilience to COVID-19

Hannah R Bassett,Sahir Advani,Christopher Giordano,Sonia Sharan,Sharon K Suri

doi:10.1007/s40152-021-00231-4

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and response has significantly disrupted fishery supply chains, creating shortages of essential foods and constraining livelihoods globally. Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) are responding to the pandemic in a variety of ways. Together, disruptions from and responses to COVID-19 illuminate existing vulnerabilities in the fish distribution paradigm and possible means of reducing system and actor sensitivity and exposure and increasing adaptive capacity. Integrating concepts from literature on supply chain disruptions, social-ecological systems, human wellbeing, vulnerability, and SSFs, we synthesize preliminary lessons from six case studies from Indonesia, the Philippines, Peru, Canada, and the United States. The SSF supply chains examined employ different distribution strategies and operate in different geographic, political, social, economic, and cultural contexts. Specifically, we ask (a) how resilient have different SSF supply chains been to COVID-19 impacts; (b) what do these initial outcomes indicate about the role of distribution strategies in determining the vulnerability of SSF supply chains to macroeconomic shocks; and (c) what key factors have shaped this vulnerability? Based on our findings, systemic changes that may reduce SSF vulnerability to future macroeconomic shocks include: diversification of distribution strategies, livelihoods, and products; development of local and domestic markets and distribution channels; reduced reliance on international markets; establishment of effective communication channels; and preparation for providing aid to directly assist supply chains and support consumer purchasing power.

Highlights

Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) are important contributors to the global seafood system and crucial components of food and nutrition systems
Direct impacts were reduced in Peru through already distanced activities or strong sanitary practices, and existing cultural norms or health and sanitation policies helped in Canada, the U.S, and Indonesia
We present the analysis according to these dimensions, and summarize resilience and vulnerability implications

Summary

Introduction

Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) are important contributors to the global seafood system and crucial components of food and nutrition systems. COVID-19 and associated mitigation measures are disrupting global supply chain functions and the roles of supply chain actors. In this study we consider the impacts of COVID-19 disruptions on SSF supply chain functions and the responses of actors through comparison of case studies in Indonesia, the Philippines, Peru, Canada, and the United States. While global seafood trade is economically valuable, generating USD 277 billion in 2016 (FAO 2018), existing approaches to understanding shocks and disruptions in seafood supply chains overlook important, and increasingly recognized, wellbeing considerations of the estimated 158 million people in production and distribution (World Bank 2012; HLPE 2017). Seafood supply chains can be subjected to a variety of shocks or disruptions impacting production or distribution (Gephart et al 2017); the field of supply chain disruption studies focuses predominantly on management of disruptions to continue provisioning Seafood supply chains can be subjected to a variety of shocks or disruptions impacting production or distribution (Gephart et al 2017); the field of supply chain disruption studies focuses predominantly on management of disruptions to continue provisioning (Xu et al. Vol.:(0123456789)

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