Engaging artisanal fishers and processors from coastal states into RFMO discussions lead to agenda shifts toward science-based management. The case of the Jumbo Flying Squid fishery and the role of CALAMASUR

Abstract

Artisanal and small-scale fisheries and the livelihoods of entire fishery dependent communities often rely on the catch and processing of straddling fish stocks. These stocks, as they expand to Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ), are usually subject to different management regimes —within Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) by coastal states and by Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) in the high seas. While RFMO decisions can impact the livelihoods of entire coastal communities, artisanal and small-scale fishers are rarely engaged in regional decision-making fora. The South Pacific Jumbo Flying Squid (JFS), is mainly fished by artisanal operators in Chile, Peru and Ecuador, along with a growing Distant Water Fleet operating within ABNJ. In view of the lack of attention placed by the South Pacific RFMO (SPRFMO) to JFS management in the high seas, in 2018, the most important artisanal fishing cooperatives and processors from Chile, Peru and Ecuador, joined together to promote improvements in RFMO policies towards a sustainable use of the resource. In this paper we review the impact of the Committee for the Sustainable Management of the JFS in the South Pacific (CALAMASUR) in influencing the RFMO agenda. We conclude that CALAMASUR has influenced the SPRFMO agenda by triggering an increased focus on squid as well as by driving attention to the group's 5 priority improvement areas. Results suggests that resource users' engagement in RFMO governance can help advance RFMOs towards meeting the objectives set in their founding arrangements. The paper calls for improving RFMO governance by developing co-management mechanisms that enable effective participation of artisanal and small-scale fishers from coastal states in decisions affecting their livelihoods.