Migrant Fishers Research Articles

Small Pelagics in West Africa face the multiple challenges of food security, wealth creation and regional governance

The aim of this article is to present the multidimensional challenges associated with the exploitation of small pelagic fish in the West Africa region. The method involved collecting statistical data on the production and trade of these fish from research centres located in countries along the West African coastline. Field surveys were also conducted with experts and key stakeholders in fisheries to gather qualitative information on fisheries resource governance and working conditions within the value chain. These empirical data are enriched by a narrative review of scientific literature. Our results show an average annual production of small pelagic fish estimated at 1.3 million tonnes. Although this performance has improved over the past decade, primarily due to increased catches in Mauritania, it remains insufficient to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population. Indeed, per capita consumption of small pelagic fish has decreased by two kilograms over the past decade, currently standing at five kilograms per individual per year. The trade deficit in pelagic fish is increasing. This situation is set to worsen in the coming years due to various factors such as the current state of overexploitation of pelagic stocks, degradation of marine ecosystems, and climate change. Additionally, the emergence of fishmeal and fish oil industries, as well as the lack of adequate port infrastructure, hampers the value addition of the small pelagic fish value chain for human consumption. On the governance front, several challenges remain. Current public policies are often directive and ineffective, particularly concerning artisanal fisheries. The management of migrant fishers also remains problematic, exacerbating the pressure on already vulnerable stocks. Despite the establishment of regional institutions, interviews with experts highlight a lack of integration and synergy in fisheries resource governance. In a context where issues of food security and climate change are becoming increasingly urgent, it is imperative to design and implement robust regional strategies to address these critical challenges.Haut du formulaire Bas du formulaire

Migrant fishers from Southeast Asia are increasingly subject to forced labour and human trafficking

Migrant fishers from Southeast Asia are increasingly subject to forced labour and human trafficking

Social reproduction, migration and labour control regimes: understanding Filipino crew experiences in the UK fishing fleet

The notion of a labour control regime provides a conceptual framework for understanding the web of actors, institutions and norms that shape disciplinary mechanisms in the labour process. While labour regime approaches have drawn in multiple scales and diverse processes, this paper argues that international migration, and social reproduction in migrant source areas, must also be understood as part of the regime. Focusing on the case of Filipino migrants in the UK fishing industry, we use qualitative interviews conducted in the port of Fraserburgh, Scotland, and a migrant sending community in the province of Cebu, Philippines. We argue that the reproductive processes of workers’ lives in their home communities are an important underpinning of the labour regime they participate in when working on contracts overseas. We identify three sets of reproductive processes in particular: the trajectories of household poverty and debt that propel labour migration; the socialisation and social networks, as well as zones of recuperation, provided by home communities; and, the long-term temporalities of previous investments in fishery migration, as well as future aspirations for financial stability and intergenerational social mobility. While reproductive spaces and processes are not controlling mechanisms in themselves, they do represent an important part of the labour regime and they begin to explain migrant fishers’ forbearance in the face of a disciplinary labour regime.

When outsiders are resource users: Fishers’ migration in Southwest Panay, Philippines, and its impact on small-scale fisheries

This paper examined the fishers’ migration in Southwest Panay, Philippines, how it has shaped the small-scale fisheries management in the receiving area, influenced local resource access and utilization, and the potential impacts of the phenomenon on fishing technology and practices. The study was conducted in two municipalities in the province of Iloilo (Miagao and San Joaquin) and two in the province of Antique (Anini-y and San Jose de Buenavista). It utilized household surveys, key informant interviews (KII), and focus group discussion (FGD) as research methodologies. Results show that there are various push and pull factors that influence the migrant fishers (locally known as pangayaw) to migrate to other areas. The most common reason cited is the presence of a richer fishing ground or better livelihood opportunities in their host community.Migrant fishers play a vital role in the local fishing economy as sources of new fishing technology. However, results revealed that most of the technologies that they introduced were either more efficient gears (e.g., use of purse seine and gill nets) or modifications (e.g., use of kati or decoy) that would increase the efficiency of the fishing gears. This may have a consequent negative impact on the sustainability of the fishery resources in the host community.It is evident from the available data of the local government units and the observations of the participants through their local ecological knowledge that migration has a potential impact on local resource access and utilization patterns, and may influence the socio-cultural landscape of the receiving area. It poses a challenge to the sustainable utilization of the resources, and exerts additional pressure on the social services of the receiving local governments. Instead of treating them as “outsiders”, they should be treated as partners of the local community and must share the responsibilities of sustainable utilization and management of the fisheries resources.

Migrant Fishers’ Cultural Funds of Knowledge and Translanguaging Praxis for the Development of Contextualized Instructional Material: A Narrative Ethnography

Fishing is a flourishing industry in Antique, Philippines, which led to the mushrooming settlement of Cebuano-speaking migrant fishers in the coastal villages. With the implementation of the K to 12, pressing concerns about the lack of contextualized instructional materials (IM) in these trans-local spaces emerged. This study aimed to generate the cultural funds of knowledge and translanguaging praxis of migrant fishers as bases for developing contextualized instructional material. Under the lens of narrative ethnography and cultural memory banking as a mediational tool, various “seeds” about the knowledge, beliefs, and practices of migrant fishers were documented in memory bank charts. Translingual narratives were analyzed. Participants were purposively chosen and all qualitative data were analyzed qualitatively using manual coding and QDA Lite Miner software processing. Cultural beliefs and practices in fishing were presented in memory bank charts and analyzed adapting Polkinghorne’s analysis of narratives. Contextualized storybooks accompanied by a teacher’s guide were developed, validated, evaluated, and pilot-tested. It resulted in a “very acceptable” for the storybook and an “excellent” rating for the teacher’s guide. The study recommends that school heads create opportunities to involve teachers, parents, and other people in the coastal community to interact beyond the classroom setting. Contextualizing community resources and indigenous knowledge as inputs in the lessons and the IM across other subject areas may be explored.

Influence of migrant Western Regional shark fishers on shark fishing practices along the eastern coastline of Ghana

Sharks have formed an integral part of Ghana’s fisheries for many years, although in many areas outside the Western Region, they are often captured as bycatch. The shark fishery in the Dangme communities along the eastern coastline of Ghana has, however, over the last decade, acquired a commercial character that is believed to have been influenced by migrant fishers from the Western Region. This study thus sought to characterise the influence of the migrant fishers in the development of the thriving shark fishery in Dangme communities. Data collection was through key informant interviews, questionnaire administration to 180 randomly selected native and migrant fishers from the selected communities, and observations of fishing practices. Until the mid-2000 s, only the migrant fishers carried out targeted shark fishing along the Dangme coastline. Presently, however, a significant number of native fishers have redirected their fishing efforts towards shark fishing in the face of dwindling catches from the small pelagic fisheries, which were the primary target of the fisheries. Accounts 75 % of native fishers indicated that the declines in small pelagic fish stocks coupled with the influence of the migrant shark fishers have acted synergistically to influence the shark fisheries dynamics along the Dangme coastline. Despite the average ages of the native and migrant fishers being fairly the same (∼36 years), the migrants possessed a more profound understanding of the marine ecosystem where they operated based on historical antecedents and their longer interactions with the shark fishing zones. Presently, this new fishery, like shark fishing in other shark fishing hotspots in Ghana, is unregulated, but it will be imperative for national fisheries authorities to implement some management measures to reduce fishing pressure on the most vulnerable species.

Regulating recruitment and contracting of migrant fishers from Indonesia

Historically, the processes in place to govern the recruitment and contracting of Indonesian migrant fishers have fostered situations of labor abuse and exploitation. The Indonesian government has introduced a new regulatory framework designed to meet international expectations that it creates rules and systems for recruiting migrant fishers in its territory. This article analyzes the state of play immediately before this new regulatory framework was operationalized, generating insights into practices around recruitment and contracting, and providing a baseline for future analysis of the new framework’s impact.

Precarity and social protection of migrant fishers in Thailand: Case studies of death and disappearance at sea

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of policies related to the social protection of migrant fishers. It does so by examining Thailand’s progress in promoting a legal framework for the social protection of fishers. The following three instruments are analysed: the Social Security Act 1990, the Workmen’s Compensation Act 1994 revised 2018 and the Labour Protection in Fishing Work Act 2019, with a focus on death and the disappearance of migrant fishers at sea. The assessment of these instruments is based on meetings and interviews with Thai employers and Thai and Myanmarese fishing employees. The paper concludes by providing recommendations to enhance the protection of migrant fishers in the Thai fishing industry.

Emerging port infrastructure and advocacy networks for migrant fishers in Taiwan

As the nation with the most significant number of foreign fishers employed in its domestic and distant water fishing industries, Taiwan often comes under scrutiny due to numerous reports of poor working conditions, maltreatment and human rights abuses onboard fishing vessels. During employment, migrant fishers face the constant threat of food shortages on the high seas, lack of drinking water, unpaid salaries, long working hours and other human and labor rights abuses. The fishers’ journey often ends with unilateral contract termination and forced deportation. This paper argues that the opportunity for the migrant fishers to improve their working conditions depends on the social networks and connection to people or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that could offer know-how and resources to advocate for their rights. Focusing on the networking between Stella Maris International Seafarers’ Center in Kaohsiung (also known as Stella Maris Kaohsiung or SMK) and migrant-led organizations in Taiwan, this research note proposes the notion of “port infrastructure” to refer to networked support organization, promotes the rights of fishers, and the improvement of their living and working conditions.

Fishers’ Cultural Funds of Knowledge and Translanguaging Praxis for the Development of Contextualized Instructional Material: A Narrative Ethnography

The implementation of K to 12 curriculum in coastal villages in the Philippines posed a pressing concern on the dearth of contextualized instructional materials (IM). This study aimed to generate the cultural funds of knowledge and translanguaging praxis of migrant fishers as bases for the development of contextualized IM. Under the lens of narrative ethnography, knowledge, beliefs, and practices of migrant fishers were documented in memory bank charts from six months of immersion in the coastal villages. Translingual narratives of purposively chosen participants were analyzed in the QDA Lite Miner software. Three translingual storybooks and teacher’s guides were developed, validated, evaluated, and pilot tested. It resulted to “very acceptable” for the storybooks and “excellent” rating for the teacher’s guides. The study recommends that school heads, teachers, and parents in the coastal villages may interact beyond the classroom setting and their indigenous knowledge will be used in the development of IM.

Contribution of small-scale migrant fishing to the emergence of the fishmeal industry in West Africa: Cases of Mauritania, Senegal and the Gambia

The objective of this article is to present the contribution of migrant fishers to the supply of fishmeal factories in Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania. The method consisted first of identifying migrant fishers and then quantifying the volumes of small pelagic fish they catch in the three countries studied. Then, an interview guide was submitted to more than 250 actors (migrant fishers and fishmongers) met in Banjul and Serrekunda in the Gambia, in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou in Mauritania, and in the fishing, centers located on the small Senegalese coast. These individual and collective interviews made it possible to estimate and determine the share of migrant fishers’ catches allocated to the fishmeal industry. Overall, the four groups of migrant fishers (3 Senegalese and 1 Guinean) identified in Mauritania and The Gambia catch on average more than 305,000 tonnes of pelagic fish per year over the period 2015 - 2018. Analysis of the marketing of their catches shows that almost 63% of the 305,000 tonnes, i.e. 192,000 tonnes of pelagic fish, are destined to supply the fishmeal factories of the three countries studied, while only 113,000 tonnes are distributed on the national consumer markets (fresh and artisanal processed). Of the 192,000 tonnes destined for fishmeal factories, two-thirds are sent to Mauritanian factories, with Senegal and The Gambia sharing the remaining third. Thus, important collaborations have been established in recent years between migrant fishers and the fishmeal industries. Indeed, the fishmeal industries improve the operating accounts of migrant fishers by ensuring the sale of their catches at more remunerative prices than on the local market at the micro level. However, when analyzed on a large scale, fishmeal industries exert a real pressure on the nutritional security of West African countries, as pelagic fish are the main source of animal protein in Senegal and The Gambia and have been over exploited in recent years. In addition, they prevent access to artisanal processing of their raw material. All these elements raise the question of the urgency of regulating migrant fishers catches on a regional scale and drastically reducing the share allocated to fishmeal processing in favor of local consumption.

Fishers’ lives matter: social issues in small-scale fisheries migration of Ghana

Migration is a common feature of most small-scale fisheries (SSF) across the globe. To enhance fisheries resources sustainability and management, we examined the social issues in the SSF from the perspective of fishers, Chief Fishermen, and Fisheries Technical Officers who are actively involved in SSF migration and fisheries management along the coast of Ghana. We conducted in-depth interviews in six important migrant fishers’ communities and analysed documents on the socio-economic conditions of migrant fishers, conflicts among migrant fishers, rights of migrant fishers and the role of government in managing fishers’ migration. Findings showed that the successful integration of migrant fishers in the host communities resulted in minimal conflictual incidents that are resolved through dialogue. Furthermore, both the Fisheries Technical Officers and Chief Fishermen are involved in conflict resolution depending on the nature of the dispute. Also, most migrant fishers (over 50%) have the same rights as the local fishers, though they are marginalized during the distribution of premix fuel. Migrant fishers with prominent status played key role during decision-making process in the host communities. Overall, the study showed that migrant fishers have aided in the progress of fishing technology, food security, and small-scale business in the host fishing communities. To avert any form of marginalization during the distribution of premix fuel, it is prudent for authorities to develop relevant policies that will ensure that migrant fishers receive enough fuel for their fishing activities in the host communities.

The plight of the fishers and the management of IUU fishing

It is now four decades since the conclusion of the Law of the Sea Convention, which came into force in 1994, and an appropriate point to review the human dimension of the development of global fisheries during this period, with special reference to the widespread exploitation especially of migrant fishers. The scale of global fisheries activity is reviewed with reference to statistics on the catch of wild fisheries, followed by a focus on the small-scale fisheries characteristic of the developing world on the one hand, and the industrial distant water fisheries operated largely by regions within the developed world on the other. The plight of the fishers is then considered in terms of both their living and working conditions and the management system which applies to their circumstances. The legal basis provided by the Law of the Sea Convention and related legal enactments are noted, including the several agreements concluded under the aegis of United Nations agencies. Finally, the world of enforcement in the context of emerging polycentric management is discussed, underlining the long-term nature of the extreme difficulties which must be faced to mitigate the plight of the fishers.

An assessment of Wellbeing Priorities of Small-scale Migratory Fishing Communities in the West Coast, Sri Lanka

Identification of wellbeing priorities is a pre-requisite for successful development programs. Wellbeing assessment has become ever-challenging yet crucial in development studies, especially in achieving macroeconomic goals. This paper presents a descriptive assessment method to identify unmet wellbeing priorities, which may provide valuable and meaningful insights on development needs and frustrations. Assessment has been conducted assuming the perceiving wellbeing as a gap between an individual’s necessities (aspiration) and level of satisfaction. There, development frustrations and goal achievements have been explored with respect to the small-scale migratory fishers in the west coast, Sri Lanka. A sample of 142 fishers (25% of the migrant fishing population in the west coast) was drawn randomly from the lists of fisheries associations in Negombo and Chilaw, who are migrating to Mannar, in the North. The necessities and satisfactions were assessed based on a 3-point and 4-point Likert scale and the mean scores were calculated and ranked. Differences between the mean score rank of the wellbeing necessities and mean score rank of satisfaction were calculated. The negative difference indicates development frustrations, and the positives are goal achievements. Indian trawling issue, illegal fishing, financial uncertainty, cost of fishing, fish pricing mechanism, patience, conflicts, and physical health are the unmet wellbeing priorities with negative ranks. Migration has enabled easy access to sea, smooth consumption, diversified livelihood opportunities, good family relationships, and a few others with a positive difference – the goal achievements. Implementation of rules and regulations encouraging sustainable fishing techniques, regulations against poaching, adequate market linkages and effective pricing mechanism to control unhealthy price fluctuations, an interactive governance system including locals and migrant fishers, and frequent health clinics are recommended.

Migration of artisanal fishers targeting small pelagics in West Africa: current trends and development

This study sought to present the evolutions and new trends of migrant fishing targeting small pelagics in West Africa from fishing to consumption stage. The work involved the characterization of migrant fishers targeting small pelagics in West Africa (country of origin, fishing gear and target species), modalities of access to resources, estimation of their catches and finally the assessment of the impact in the host countries. This work was useful to analyse changes in terms of the actors involved, the volumes and values of catches, and forms of valorisation and marketing of products from the migrant sectors over the period 2008-2018. Overall, the quantities of pelagic fish caught by migrant fishermen were increasing. The production of small pelagic by migrant fisheries has almost doubled over a decade, from an estimated of 180,000 t over the period 2008-2012, to a current estimated production of almost 324,500 t. More than 50% of this production was sold on the market in fresh or frozen form. More than 75,000 t (22%) and 94,000 t (28%) were destined for artisanal and industrial processing, respectively. Migrant fisheries thus supply more to industrial processing than to artisanal processing. Indeed, migrant fisheries have contributed over the last ten years to the emergence of fishmeal factories in West Africa. However, despite their significant evolution in terms of catch volumes and values, migrant fisheries still operate outside of legislative frameworks and without being explicitly accounted for in national statistics. Moreover, conflicts are increasingly important given the current tensions and issues surrounding the exploitation of small pelagic fish in West Africa. This work recommends the development of a common management plan for migrant fishers in the countries of the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) and the West Central Gulf of Guinea Fisheries Committees (WCGC).

Workers’ Perspectives on State-Constructed Vulnerability to Labour Exploitation: Experiences of Migrant Fishers in Ireland

This article examines migrant workers’ experiences of state-constructed vulnerability to labour exploitation, through the case study of non-European Economic Area (EEA) migrant fishers in Ireland. It draws on the findings of interviews with 24 migrant fishers, together with information obtained from public bodies and legal analysis. Building on the work of Mantouvalou, Zou, and others, we demonstrate that the Irish legal and policy framework – most importantly, immigration law – places migrant fishers in a position of ‘hyper-dependency’ and ‘hyper-precarity’ in their work relations. We outline how this state-constructed vulnerability to labour exploitation is experienced in practice through an in-depth account of the interviewees’ experiences of working conditions; immigration status; and racism and discrimination at work. In particular, the interviews reveal the work permit scheme for non-EEA fishers to be a powerful structure of exploitation, within which workers have little bargaining power and protective employment mechanisms are rendered ineffective.

Fisher relevant wellbeing indicators of migrant fishers in Sri Lanka

Tropical Agricultural Research and Extension is a peer-reviewed international scientific journal covering a wide range of subject areas in tropical and subtropical agriculture published quarterly by the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka. The journal is also available on the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna website https://www.agri.ruh.ac.lk/tare/index.htm .

Fishers’ migration in the small pelagic fishery of Ghana: A case of small-scale fisheries management

Ghana is a fishing nation with a long tradition of active fishing industry in the West Africa sub-region. However, continuous decline in catches, coupled with other socio-economic conditions has resulted in unprecedented migration of fishers. This study aims to better understand migration in the small-scale fisheries sector of Ghana in order to ensure fisheries resources sustainability and secure fishers' livelihoods. We investigated the sources and demographic characteristics of migrant fishers, the patterns of migration (internal and international), accessibility of fishery resources in the host communities, and management and conservation of fishery resources in the host communities.We employed a mixed method in collecting information from local fishers, Chief Fishermen and Fisheries Technical Officers and analysed documents on fishers migration. Our findings revealed that Sekondi, Tema and Apam were the most important internal destinations for migrant fishers while Togo, Benin and Ivory Coast were the most visited transboundary destinations. The main driver for migration to other fishing communities was the desire to catch more fish with information for migration mostly gained through personal experience, friends and relatives. Migrant fishers in host communities have unlimited access to the resources, provided they go through the required protocols (such as payment of landing fee token, and obtaining the necessary documentation). The most common types of gears used by migrant fishers were set nets (35%), poli-watsa (19%) and drift gillnets (46%). The incidence of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing methods such as light fishing, blast fishing and the use of small mesh-sized fishing gears were minimal among migrant fishers in the host communities. In conclusion, the activities of Ghanaian migrant fishers in both internal and transboundary communities are essential to the socio-economic development and food security requirements of the host communities as well as the wellbeing of dependent households. Therefore, there is the need to formulate policies for managing the activities of these migrant fishers for sustainable management of the small pelagic fisheries resources.

Characteristics and sociocultural impacts of small pelagic fishing by migrant fishers in Benin, West Africa

Small pelagic fish species contribute substantially to the food security and livelihoods of local communities in developing countries. In West Africa, and particularly in Benin, small pelagic fisheries attract many migrant fishers who are key actors in the sector. This study assessed the characteristics and sociocultural impacts of the small pelagic fishery in Benin using qualitative approaches, including focus group discussions (n = 9), in-depth interviews (n = 35), a literature review, direct observations and secondary data. The findings showed that indigenous fishers from Benin and foreign fishers from Ghana are the two major groups of migrant fishers involved in small pelagic fishing in Benin. These fishers mostly use three categories of fishing gear: gillnets, seine nets, and hooks and lines. Over the period 2014–2018 the annual catch fluctuated between 1 123 and 2 040 tonnes, with the peak catch recorded in 2018, with a commercial value of €3 030 587. Apart from migrant fishers, fishmongers constitute another important pillar of the value chain. Conflicts among migrant fishers in the sector in Benin are related to landing fees and fishing gears. We discuss the urgent need to give attention to the sector through quantitative research and law enforcement to ensure its sustainability.

Funnels of Unfreedom: Time-Spaces of Recruitment and (Im)Mobility in the Trajectories of Trafficked Migrant Fishers

The recruitment and deployment of migrant fishers in distant waters (DW) fisheries has emerged as a significant site for the production of unfree labor relations. We trace the recruitment and deployment geographies of migrant fishers from the Philippines to the vessel, conceptualizing the time-spaces of the journey as a significant site for producing unfree labor. We argue that labor brokerage not only establishes the conditions of the labor contract and financialization of migration in the migrants’ home country but is also an ongoing process that intensifies unfreedom through the journey to deployment across multiple sites and temporalities. We conceptualize this movement into exploitative laboring situations as “funnels of unfreedom.” The production of unfreedom through the geographies of recruitment, harboring, and transportation to the destination is one strategy by which DW fleets can reduce costs. The relevance of this discussion extends to other sectors where complex labor brokerage geographies constrain migrant worker choices and fortify unfreedom in labor relations.