What’s New, Webby?
Social protection for fisheries
By Vandana Babu Menon (menonvandana 93@gmail.com), media professional and content writer, Bengaluru, India
Before the world could lift itself out of the devastating impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, further waves of the virus are storming through different countries leaving a trail of death and devastation. Across the world, while the worst brunt of the health and economic impact of the pandemic has been borne by the poor and vulnerable, the communities and workers in the fisheries sector who find themselves among the poorest of the poor have been the hardest hit. Never has the need for social protection for the fisheries sector been more urgent than it is today in a world caught in the throes of the pandemic.
Through its many programmes, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) is trying to address the high levels of poverty and vulnerability in fisheries, which stem from its location at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. Its attempt is to help reduce poverty, food insecurity and hunger while fostering sustainable fisheries management and strong livelihoods.
The Fisheries Division of the FAO has launched a new webpage which addresses the systematic exclusion of small-scale fishery and aquaculture-dependent communities who are excluded from access to basic services and social guarantees, secure tenure rights, and participation in decision-making processes. The webpage discusses the role of social protection in not only helping reduce poverty, food insecurity and hunger, but also fostering sustainable fisheries management and resilient livelihoods.
To know more, visit: http://www.fao.org/social-protection/thematic-priorities/agriculture-natural-resources/fisheries-and-aquaculture/en/
