Conference Name:The Sixth APFIC Regional Consultative Forum Meeting
Date: 09-02-2016
Abstract: The “Blue Growth” concept of the FAO appears to provide a new meta-framework that integrates the various concepts and frameworks like the CCRF and EAF that the FAO has already promoted over the last many years. This appears to be the result of a need to provide fishery policy makers and administrators with an over-arching framework that provides coherence between the various frameworks that the FAO has been promoting. More importantly, it appears to provide a new packaging and branding that provide a more “positive” slant on things instead of the usual “gloom and doom” scenarios that emerge from the usual talk of fisheries regulations, IUU fishing, climate change, etc.
In this context, it is important to examine what this Blue Growth idea means to FAO’s brand new instrument, the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Small Scale Fisheries (VGSSF), or the other way around. As an important partner to the FAO in the entire process of formulation of the VGSSF, the ICSF has a great stake in the implementation of the VGSSF. Hence, the ICSF is giving importance to the task of understanding the implication of Blue Growth for small scale fishermen. Given that the largest numbers of fishers are in the Asia Pacific region, the implications of blue growth are even more important in this region.
This presentation looks at some key elements of VGSSF that need to be taken into consideration while preparing Blue Growth strategies. It emphasises that the “Blue” part of “Blue Growth” in the Asia-Pacific will significantly involve proper consideration of the status of small scale fishers and their communities, provide adequate checks to ensure that growth is not at the expense of small scale fishing communities and that such growth actually benefits them and makes a contribution towards achieving the goals of the VGSSF.
