International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF)
Committee on Fisheries (COFI)
Thirty-sixth Session
Agenda Item 11:
Impact of Climate Change on Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Aquatic Foods as a Climate Solution
Statement
The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) welcomes the agenda paper on the impact of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture providing information on decision-making on adaptation and mitigation and an update on the development of FAO actions to climate resilient fisheries and aquaculture.
ICSF is happy to note the special attention given to small-scale fisheries and the livelihoods of inland and marine SSF communities in line with the SSF Guidelines, and the reference to empirical evidence showing how pursuing climate and environmental resilience motivates resource stewardship in SSF. ICSF supports the observation that a comprehensive synthesis of the related impacts, challenges and opportunities is still lacking for adaptation and mitigation.
Women fish harvesters and fishers across the world complain how access to their traditional fishing grounds and resources are hampered by climate change impacts. In many countries, small-scale fishers are forced to leave fishing, or practice “occupational pluralism” due to the number of fishing days lost due to climate change impacts.
In this context, ICSF would like FAO to develop methodology and collect data on: (i) number of fishing days lost due to climate change impacts; (ii) new occupational hazards facing fishers and fishworkers from heat waves and cyclones limiting their ability to fish from marine and inland waters; (iii) sea safety issues; and (iv) inter-gear/inter-sectoral conflicts arising from moving to non-traditional marine fishing grounds to cope up with climate change impacts.
More than ever before, the role of shock-responsive social protection and parametric insurance needs to be better recognized, strengthened and integrated into climate change and fisheries policies and programmes to benefit men and women in formal and informal marine and inland fisheries, particularly small-scale fishing communities and Indigenous Peoples, applying a human rights-based approach.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Spanish version is available at: https://icsf.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ICSF_Statement_COFI36_Agenda_Item_11_ES.pdf
French version is available at: https://icsf.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ICSF_Statement_COFI36_Agenda_Item_11_Climate_Change_French.pdf
