From the Editor
Dear Friends,
Greetings from ICSF! And welcome to another issue of Yemaya! This time we have quite an interesting assortment of articles, starting with an interview with Margaret Nakato, a leader of the Katosi Women Fishing and Development Association (KWFDA) in Uganda. She recently toured France and interacted with fisherfolk and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Breton, during screenings of the widely discussed and acclaimed documentary film on the Nile Perch fisheries in Kenya, Darwin’s Nightmare.
In another article from KWFDA, Caroline E. Nabalema writes about how the women from fishing villages such as Katosi and Kalangala look up to the organization to not only promote their participation in the fisheries but also to generally raise the standard of living of the rural communities they are part of.
From Pakistan comes a report on a fisherwomen’s convention that took place in July 2005, in the form of a large assembly of women from the fishing villages of Sindh. Organized by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), the convention gave the women an opportunity to highlight their problems innovatively, through tableaux, folk songs and other cultural shows. The convention ended with the adoption of resolutions demanding, among other things, the equal and unfettered participation of women in fishing-related activities, the provision of basic healthcare and maternity facilities, and the prevention of pollution of lakes and water bodies.
The sea women on Udo Island and Cheju Island, off the southern coast of South Korea, are among the world’s most skillful and toughest natural divers. Year round, they plumb the sea bottom with no scuba gear, in one- or two-minute dives that mix dexterity, desire and death, as the special piece from the Udo Journal graphically describes. Yet, with the population of sea women declining and their existing numbers fast ageing, the future of this way of life remains uncertain.
We also have book reviews on gender and fisheries, as well as one on an award-winning documentary that paints a dramatic picture of the dried fish vendors in Leyte, Philippines, who sell their wares to the rhythm of the songs they sing.
Yemaya seems to be appearing in the least expected of places! Marja Bekendam of the VinVis Women in Fisheries network was strolling down a street in La Laguna, Gran Canaria, Spain, when she spotted a tilework sign outside a shop that said, Bazar Yemaya! Read on to see what her explorations led her to!
This issue also carries a readership survey questionnaire, as an insert. Please spare a few minutes to fill it in and return to ICSF at the address given on the last page of the issue. Your valuable responses will help us improve Yemaya.
And finally, we would like to wish you the very best for a joyful new year!
