Dynamic livelihoods, gender and poverty in marine protected areas: Case study from Zanzibar, Tanzania

Livelihood initiatives are common within marine protected areas (MPAs) aiming for poverty alleviation or higher income opportunities. However, results can be mixed in reality, as well as change over time. Furthermore, who benefits is a key consideration, as results can vary based on inequalities, including gender. Here, the monetary outcomes of different livelihood strategies were investigated across three MPA regions in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Using a quantitative approach, the results show that livelihoods have shifted in a six-year period, with livelihood strategies differing in poverty incidence and income. Livelihood initiatives, namely seaweed farming and tourism, did not provide significantly higher monetary returns compared to long-standing livelihoods, such as fisheries. Seaweed farming showed income stability but a high poverty incidence predominantly within women-headed households. During the study period, men primarily remained in fisheries, whilst women shifted to small-scale businesses and fisheries, largely exiting seaweed farming. This underscores a need for adaptive, gender sensitive management within fast changing coastal contexts.

Improving small-scale fishermen's subjective well-being in Indonesia: Does the internet use play a role?

The expansion of Internet access from urban to rural and coastal areas has changed all aspects of life, including lifestyles and work practices. Although several studies have shown that Internet use is essential in the fisheries sector, more information about the link between Internet usage and subjective well-being among small-scale fishermen is needed. This study is the first attempt to investigate the effect of Internet use on subjective well-being, particularly for small-scale fishers. This study used cross-sectional data from 220 respondents in East Java, Indonesia. Two-stage predictor substitution (2SPS) approaches were used to address the endogeneity issue in the estimation. The results revealed that fishing tools, access to credit, and region positively and significantly influenced small-scale fishers' determination to use the Internet. Savings and off-farm employment significantly and negatively affect adoption decisions. The main findings suggest that Internet use significantly increases small-scale fishermen's subjective well-being (proxied by happiness and life satisfaction). This suggests that improving the Internet infrastructure in coastal areas is needed to support economic activities in the fisheries sector and boost the well-being of small-scale fishers.

'From the sky to the ground': fishers' knowledge, landscape analysis and hydrological data indicate long-term environmental changes in Amazonian clear water rivers

Fishers possess detailed local ecological knowledge (LEK) which can be a valuable resource for tracking long-term environmental changes in less studied tropical rivers. Our goal was to investigate such changes in three clear water rivers in the Brazilian Amazon, focusing on hydrology, water quality and land cover. Additionally, we aimed to compare these changes among three rivers (Trombetas, Tapajós and Tocantins) representing a potential gradient of environmental changes. We interviewed 129 fishers (67 in Tapajós, 33 in Tocantins and 29 in Trombetas), and analyzed temporal series on land cover and hydrology respectively through maps produced by the project MapBiomas, and data from the Brazilian National Water Agency across the last 34 years (from 1985 to 2019). The complementary analyses of these three databases (mapping, hydrological data and fishers' knowledge) revealed environmental changes in the studied rivers. The maps showed a gradient of anthropic changes on land cover, from the less altered Trombetas river, the moderately altered Tapajós and the more intensely changed landscape in the Tocantins River. Fishers from the Tocantins River reported a greater variety of negative changes in water quality related to anthropic actions, such as dams, deforestation, and pollution. Additionally, most fishers indicated hydrological changes making the Tocantins River drier in more recent years, which would cause negative effects on fish populations. In the Tapajós River, fishers mentioned more varied hydrological patterns and negative effects on water quality linked to mining activities, whereas in Trombetas fishers perceived increased floods. The changes mentioned by the interviewed fishers matched observed trends from hydrological data indicating a trend of increasing droughts in the more impacted Tocantins River. Fishers' knowledge provided exclusive 'on the ground' data to track long-term changes on local hydrology and water quality, as well as inform the effects of these changes on fish and fisheries.

Implementing the voluntary guidelines for the marking of fishing gear in eastern Caribbean small-scale fisheries: An assessment of gear marking provisions

Managing abandoned, lost and otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is a critical challenge that can be aided by the establishment of strong provisions for the marking of gear. This study presents an analysis of implementation of the VGMFG in Eastern Caribbean states. It provides a socio-legal review of this issues and an analysis of compliance and implementation gaps. Empirical data was gathered through interviews with 56 fishers in 2 jurisdictions as well as 6 national and regional fisheries management experts. Antigua and Barbuda's Fisheries Regulations provided the strongest support to implementation of the VGMFG, while neither Dominica nor Grenada had weak regulatory support for gear marking. Both fishers and fisheries managers in the region confirmed compliance and implementation gaps in the establishment of gear marking schemes, while regional fisheries experts highlighted the limited human, financial and infrastructural capacity of departments to effectively implement such schemes along with other ALDFG management measures.

Social wellbeing, values, and identity among Caiçara small-scale fishers in southeastern Brazil

Although much in the lives of members of the Caiçara small-scale fishing communities of Lázaro and Saco da Ribeira in Ubatuba, southeastern Brazil would suggest hardship, that population expresses a surprising degree of satisfaction with life. In this paper, we use a social wellbeing lens as applied through an ethnographic, mixed methods approach to reflect on this overall sense that lives rooted in small-scale fishing are well worth living despite their many challenges. We see the classic maritime anthropology theme of identity at the heart of meaning and life satisfaction. Identity provides core aspects of how people engage with their realities and anchors values that are reference points in work and social relations. With reference to the relational nuances revealed by the social wellbeing perspective, however, we show that Caiçara and small-scale fishing identities are not monolithic, but reflect gender and other social positions, and personal and familial experiences. These experiences include grappling with the complex effects of economic, social, political, and environmental changes. We conclude by arguing that fisheries policy that seeks to prioritize human wellbeing would benefit by adopting a social wellbeing perspective. Fisheries policy could thereby take into account identity, values, and relational elements of social life that give meaning and a sense of belonging to small-scale fishers, while also recognizing the cross-cutting and often contradictory variations in human experience that arise from social and economic differences. This social fabric of small-scale fishers' lives shapes their intentions and actions and is thus a necessary complication to the practice of fisheries management that its proponents need to consider.

Understanding change, complexities, and governability challenges in small-scale fisheries: a case study of Limbe, Cameroon, Central Africa

Climate change, globalization, and increasing industrial and urban activities threaten the sustainability and viability of small-scale fisheries. How those affected can collectively mobilize their actions, share knowledge, and build their local adaptive capacity will shape how best they respond to these changes. This paper examines the changes experienced by small-scale fishing actors, social and governance complexities, and the sustainability challenges within the fisheries system in Limbe, Cameroon. Drawing on the fish-as-food framework, we discuss how ineffective fishery management in light of a confluence of global threats has resulted in changes to fish harvesters' activities, causing shortages in fish supply and disruptions in the fish value chain. The paper uses focus group discussions with fish harvesters and fishmongers to present three key findings. First, we show that changes in the fisheries from increased fishing activities and ineffective fishery management have disrupted fish harvesting and supply, impacting the social and economic well-being of small-scale fishing actors and their communities. Second, there are complexities in the fisheries value chain due to shortages in fish supply, creating conflicts between fisheries actors whose activities are not regulated by any specific set of rules or policies. Third, despite the importance of small-scale fisheries in Limbe, management has been abandoned by fishing actors who are not well-equipped with the appropriate capacity to design and enforce effective fishery management procedures and protections against illegal fishing activities. Empirical findings from this understudied fishery make scholarly contributions to the literature on the fish-as-food framework and demonstrate the need to support small-scale actors' fishing activities and the sustainability of the fisheries system in Limbe.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40152-023-00296-3.

Exploring vulnerabilities of inland fisheries in Indian context with special reference to climate change and their mitigation and adaptation: a review

Tropical inland capture fisheries are susceptible to a series of vulnerabilities such as habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, pollution, overfishing, invasive species and anthropogenic climate change. A comprehensive review of the impact of climatic uncertainties on Indian inland fisheries has not been adequately attempted yet. Recent approaches emphasizing ecosystem-based management in a regional context, specific to inland fisheries for combating climatic changes, have not been reported to date. The paper presents a critical bibliometric review of the climatic vulnerabilities faced by Indian inland fishery resources and various adaptive and mitigation strategies put forward by the country for the sustainability of the resources. In this communication, a systematic review of the impact of climate change and other stressors on various inland ecosystems of the subcontinent and the ecosystem-based management strategies adopted in India is presented and discussed.

Investigating variability among fisheries litter accumulation on beaches in Paraná, Brazil

Fishing activities strongly influence coastal and marine environments and are responsible for generating marine litter. In southern Brazil, there are several artisanal (small-scale) fisher settlements that potentially contribute towards regional marine litter. The present study sought to address the deficit in available information by investigating the in situ contribution of artisanal fishing communities to marine litter on adjacent beaches. During one month in the 2019 austral winter, 200-m stretches of beach were investigated at four locations (three artisanal fishing and one control community) in Paraná state. In total, 2196 items were collected; among which only 104 (<5 %) were fisheries related and these remained partially independent of the presence of the three fishing communities across both small and large spatial scales (i.e., from m to km). Rather than the presence of fishing communities, fisheries-related litter appears to primarily originate from external sources and may regionally accumulate via natural vectors such as oceanic currents.

Participatory monitoring in community-based fisheries management through a gender lens

In small-scale fisheries management, the significance of participation is widely recognised but we are still learning how this can be better operationalised to include different groups, such as women or Indigenous peoples. Participatory monitoring is one tool which has been used to increase participation in fisheries management. The aim of this review is to use critical interpretive synthesis to examine the literature on participatory monitoring within community-based fisheries management from a gender perspective. The synthesis identified and discussed several key areas: reasons presented in the literature for engaging with the themes of gender or participatory monitoring, gendered aspects of participatory monitoring, knowledge valuation and prioritisation in management, replicability and transparency of programme or research methods, and marginalisation narratives. Our findings show the complexities of conducting gender-aware participatory monitoring. Participatory monitoring has the potential to be a transformative and empowering process if the power dynamics involved are considered and addressed.

Fuel use in small-scale fishing vessels along the southeast coast of India: a comparative study to ascertain possible reasons and potential recommendations for effective management

Regulating the fuel consumption of small-scale fishing vessels could help to keep global warming well below 1.5 °C and lead to effective management in small-scale fisheries (SSF) of developing countries like India. In this regard, a bottom-up approach was carried out to collect the requisite data to explore the fuel consumption of small-scale fishing vessels along India's southeast coast. Consequently, twenty-four fishing vessels (type A to type X) were grouped into seven categories based on fishing methods. The estimated numerical value of fuel use intensity (FUI) ranging from 0.08 to 0.80 was used to examine the fuel-efficient fishing vessel and engine type. In addition, the estimated revenue on fuel ranging from ₹5625.06/l to ₹218.07/l and annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using the Tier 1 method were used to understand the economic efficiency and GHG emission trend, respectively. The total annual GHG emissions from all the fishing vessels at the selected sites were about 1.25E + 08 t CO₂-eq year^-1. The result shows that longline-cum-gillnetters, seine-netters, longliners and drift-gillnetters largely contributed to 65% of the annual GHG emissions. By recognizing the factors influencing the fuel consumption of fishing vessels in SSF, this sector could be understood, effectively managed, and performed well. Therefore, the possible reasons were extensively discussed through a comparative approach, and potential recommendations for effective management were made.

Social-ecological system analysis of an invertebrate gleaning fishery on the island of Unguja, Zanzibar

Invertebrate gleaning is a small-scale fishery that commonly occurs in the intertidal zone across the tropical Indo-Pacific. In this study, we investigated and analyzed several components of this fishery on the island of Unguja, Zanzibar by employing the social-ecological systems framework from Ostrom 2009. In doing so, we conducted ecological surveys, catch assessments, interviews with gleaners, household surveys, focus group interviews and analyzed the governance structure. This social-ecological systems analysis showed that gleaning is important for food security, local culture and livelihood. Yet, the multiple approaches in our study revealed that the local intertidal zone is degrading and that the gleaned catch is changing. Local narratives indicate that economically important bivalves (Modiolus spp.) and gastropods (Strombus spp.) are in decline, which was paralleled with low abundances of both genera within the ecological survey of the intertidal and catch landing assessment. We recommend that invertebrate gleaning, a fishery mainly comprised of women should be included in fisheries management.

Tracing innovation pathways behind fisheries co-management in Vanuatu

Co-management approaches have become a core part of coastal fisheries policy and planning practice in Vanuatu. With a long history of supporting community based fisheries management (CBFM), we trace its evolution in Vanuatu to understand how new structures and processes become adopted at scale. A theory of scaling for CBFM guides the analysis of regime shifts over time. We discuss planning for sustained spread under a national programme by categorising multiple drivers of change through three intervention pathways focussed, respectively, on developing (i) an enabling environment, (ii) institutional and individual capacity, and (iii) focussed innovative action in smaller targeted constituencies. Whilst we argue that local fisheries co-management institutions balance competing interests, and so differ amongst places, we also recognise the importance of connectivity and continuity. The realisation of a national programme therefore requires patchworks of siloed projects to be knitted together into coordinated programmatic approaches that strategically integrate activities.

Fishing safely during COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada: Making it happen

Globally, fisheries have been the site of multiple documented outbreaks of COVID-19. Existing studies point to the threat posed by the pandemic to livelihoods and health among migrant industrial fishery workers, small-scale fish harvesters, and fishing communities. They show the pandemic enhanced safety, economic, social and political layers of vulnerability in fisheries, while also showcasing examples of resilience. Case studies of COVID-19 response provide an opportunity to explore how existing organizational structures, leadership and networks in fisheries can enable the rapid co-development of customized strategies for fishing safely during large-scale global disruptions such as pandemics. This article contributes to our understanding of governance and fishing safety in small-scale fisheries during the early pandemic, examining the response of small-scale fisheries in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. These seasonal fisheries successfully opened with regulator approval after a short delay and operated without documented COVID-19 outbreaks during 2020. Findings draw from key informant interviews with a safety sector association and union leader, complemented with insights from an anonymous online survey of small-scale harvesters. Interviews capture the organizational processes and resources mobilized to rapidly co-develop the COVID-19 Safe Work Practice Guideline. Online survey findings indicate that fifty-nine percent of respondents (crew and skippers) had no COVID-19-related concerns while fishing in 2020; older harvesters and owner-operators were significantly more likely to indicate concerns. When asked about the relative practicality of listed COVID-19 precautions, respondents commonly identified sanitization, reduced interactions with shore workers, social distancing, protection equipment, modifications to eating/rest areas, and reduced crew as impractical. These assessments are generally consistent with those of the interviewed leaders and the Guideline approach. This suggests the co-developed Guideline provided tailored and practical COVID-19 prevention strategies. Pre-existing governance structures and networks can help address small-scale fisheries vulnerabilities to pandemics by supporting co-development of organizational resources and evidence-informed prevention strategies.

Addressing vulnerability and exclusion in the South African small-scale fisheries sector: does the current regulatory framework measure up?

Small-scale fishers and fishing communities have long suffered marginalisation and discrimination in South Africa. New laws and policies promulgated as the result of a court case brought by small-scale fishers, NGOs and academics attempt to rectify this problem. Drawing on the poverty-vulnerability-marginalisation framework, the paper considers whether this regulatory regime reduces vulnerability and marginalisation within the sector as an important precursor to poverty reduction initiatives, such as improved rights allocation. While the new regulatory regime is a step in the right direction, the paper ultimately finds that there are shortcomings in these laws, many of which have been thrown into sharp relief by the rights implementation process and COVID-19 lockdowns. These include narrow eligibility criteria for fishing rights, a lack of substantive solutions when it comes to vulnerable groups, processes insufficient to prevent elite capture, and impediments to the practice of alternative livelihoods. These shortcomings must be addressed through the appropriate expansion of access rights, consultation with fishers and more inclusive drafting, if the contribution of small-scale fisheries to development and poverty reduction in South Africa is to be realised.

Integration of pen aquaculture into ecosystem-based enhancement of small-scale fisheries in a macrophyte dominated floodplain wetland of India

The rapid degradation, overexploitation, and encroachment of floodplain wetlands have led to considerable decline in fish diversity and production from these invaluable aquatic resources threatening livelihood of the dependent fishers. The climate change evident in the fast few decades has further aggravated the problem of eutrophication causing water stress and sedimentation leading to rampant macrophyte proliferation affecting ecological and economic functioning of these ecosystems. Macrophyte control and management needs serious attention for sustaining ecosystem services provided by these resources. In this direction, pen culture of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella as a biocontrol for macrophytes along with Indian major carps was implemented in a co-management mode in Beledanga, a typical floodplain wetland, a gradually shrinking, macrophyte dominated floodplain wetland in lower Ganga basin. Indian major carps Labeo catla (6.28±0.23g), Labeo rohita (5.1±0.12g), Cirrhinus mrigala (3.5±0.08g) were stocked in the ratio 4:3:3 at the rate of 20 Nos.m-2 in pens (0.1ha each) in triplicate. Grass carp (7.1±0.42g) was stocked in pen at the rate of 20Nos.m-2 in duplicate. The fishes were fed with pelleted feed twice a day at the rate of 2-3% of body weight. The seed was overwintered in pens for a period of 90 days from November 2019 to January 2020. Average weight recorded at the end of culture period was 25.13±1.70g, 18.11±0.63g, 14.53±0.87g, and 39.20±1.90g in L. catla, L. rohita, C. mrigala, and C. idella, respectively. The survival of fish ranged from 70 to 81%. Growth performance and feed utilization efficiency of grass carp were significantly higher (p<0.05) compared to other carp species. The pen culture was found to be economically viable with a benefit cost ratio of 1.53. The fishes produced were released back into the open wetland as an additional input for culture-based fisheries. The intervention along with niche-based enhanced stocking led to 24% increase in the fish production from the wetland with grass carp contributing 20-22% of the total catch with 32% increase in revenue generated by the sale of fish within a short span of 1 year. The study successfully demonstrated technological suitability and economic feasibility of pen culture in this wetland and role of grass carp as a potential biocontrol species for macrophyte management. Grass carp stocked in open wetland grew to 0.8 to 1kg within 6 months and 2-2.3kg within a year and could utilize 40-45% of the submerged and emergent macrophytes. Integration and optimization of grass carp will not only aid in habitat management of macrophyte-choked wetlands but will also boost their small-scale fisheries by converting standing macrophyte biomass into protein-rich fish biomass. The enhanced production will also cater to nutritional and livelihood security of the dependent fishers.

Unpacking pathways to diversified livelihoods from projects in Pacific Island coastal fisheries

Livelihood diversification has become an integral focus of policies and investments aiming to reduce poverty, vulnerability, and pressure on fishery resources in coastal communities around the globe. In this regard, coastal fisheries in the Pacific Islands have long been a sector where livelihood diversification has featured prominently. Yet, despite the widespread promotion and international investment in this strategy, the ability of externally funded livelihood diversification projects to facilitate improved resource management and rural development outcomes often remains inconsistent. We argue these inconsistencies can be attributed to a conceptual ambiguity stemming from a lack of attention and awareness to the complexity of livelihood diversification. There is still much to learn about the process of livelihood diversification, both in its theoretical conceptualizations and its practical applications. Herein, we utilize a common diversity framework to clarify some of this ambiguity by distinguishing three diversification pathways. These pathways are illustrated using an ideal-typical Pacific Island coastal household and supported by examples provided in the literature that detail livelihood diversification projects in the Pacific. Through this perspective, we seek a more nuanced understanding of what is meant within the policy and practice goal of livelihood diversification. Thereby enabling more targeted and deliberate planning for development investments that facilitates outcomes in support of sustainable livelihoods.

Fish catch responses to Covid-19 disease curfews dependent on compliance, fisheries management, and environmental contexts

The responses of small-scale coastal fisheries to pauses in effort and trade are an important test of natural resource management theories with implications for the many challenges of managing common-pool resources. Three Covid-19 curfews provided a natural experiment to evaluate fisheries responses adjacent a marine reserve and in a management system that restricted small-mesh drag nets. Daily catch weights in ten fish landings were compared before and after the curfew period to test the catch-only hypothesis that the curfew would reduce effort and increase catch per unit effort, per area yields, and incomes. Interviews with key informants indicated that fisheries effort and trade were disrupted but less so in the gear-restricted rural district than the more urbanized reserve landing sites. The expected increase in catches and incomes was evident in some sites adjacent the reserve but not the rural gear restricted fisheries. Differences in compliance and effort initiated by the curfew, changes in gear, and various negative environmental conditions are among the explanations for the variable catch responses. Rates of change over longer periods in CPUE were stable among marine reserve adjacent landing sites but declined faster after the curfew in the gear-restricted fisheries. Two landing sites nearest the southern end of the reserve displayed a daily 45 % increase in CPUE, 25-30 % increase in CPUA, and a 45-56 % increase in incomes. Results suggest that recovering stocks will succeed where authorities can achieve compliance, near marine reserves, and fisheries lacking additional environmental stresses.

Does global warming threaten small-scale bivalve fisheries in NW Spain?

Shellfisheries of the intertidal and shallow subtidal infaunal bivalves Ruditapes decussatus, Ruditapes philippinarum, Venerupis corrugata and Cerastoderma edule are of great socio-economic importance (in terms of landings) in Europe, specifically in the Galician Rías Baixas (NW Spain). However, ocean warming may threaten these fisheries by modifying the geographic distribution of the species and thus affecting productive areas. The present study analysed the impact of rising ocean temperature on the geographical distribution of the thermal comfort areas of these bivalves throughout the 21st century. The Delft3D model was used to downscale climate data from CORDEX and CMIP5 and was run for July and August in three future periods (2025-2049, 2050-2074 and 2075-2099) under the RCP8.5 scenario. The areas with optimal temperature conditions for shellfish harvesting located in the middle and outer parts of the rias may increase in the near future for R. decussatus, V. corrugata and C. edule and decrease in the far future for R. philippinarum. Moreover, shellfish beds located in the shallower areas of the inner parts of the Rías Baixas could be affected by increased water temperature, reducing the productive areas of the four species by the end of the century. The projected changes in thermal condition will probably lead to changes in shellfish harvesting modality (on foot or aboard vessels) with further socio-economic consequences.

The Evolution of Polycentric Governance in the Galapagos Small-Scale Fishing Sector

Addressing the multiple anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic factors affecting small-scale fisheries requires collaboration from diverse regions, geographical scales, and administrative levels in order to prevent a potential misfit between governance systems and the socio-ecological problems they address. While connecting actors and stakeholders is challenging, as they often hold opposing perceptions and goals, unveiling the network configurations of governance systems remains one effective way to explore collaborative alliances in light of the diverse drivers of change present in small-scale fishery systems. This study employed descriptive statistics, exponential random graph models (ERGMs), and qualitative data analysis to explore preferential attachments of new nodes to well-positioned nodes within the Galapagos small-scale fishery governance system network and the propensity of cross-sectoral reciprocity and cross-sectoral open triads formation in the network. Our findings identified significant players and network configurations that might be essential in the collaboration diffusion and robustness of the Galapagos small-scale fishery sector governance system.

Characterization of masculinity expressions and their influence on the participation of women in Mexican small-scale fisheries

The objective of this study was to document and characterize the different expressions of masculinity and their influence on the participation of women in three small-scale fisheries. The fisheries operate in three priority regions for marine conservation: the northern Mexican Pacific, Gulf of California, and Mexican Caribbean. A qualitative investigation and virtual interviews with participants were conducted due to the lockdown measures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Information from 16 interviews (nine women and seven men) were integrated to this study. An analysis of the thematic content of the information was conducted. The results showed a relationship between being a man, being a fisher, and being a member of a fishing cooperative while maintaining a family. Four characterizations of masculinity emerged. In reluctant traditional masculinity, older men believed that their point of view was what mattered, and they did not accept the participation of women in fisheries. Men who fell under the category of flexible traditional masculinity accepted the participation of women in the working areas of the fisheries. Men associated with transitional masculinity were those who incorporated notions of gender equality and who were open to the participation of women in fisheries. Men connected with apprentice masculinity were mostly young people who depended on their supervisors to guide them. Apprentice masculinity may develop into traditional masculinity or move towards gender equality. The discussion incorporates an analysis of the benefits of changing masculinities regarding health, avoiding risks, and accepting the participation of women in fisheries.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40152-022-00276-z.

Does catching more fish increase the subjective well-being of fishers? Insights from Bangladesh

Small-scale fisheries have been associated with the subjective well-being of coastal communities through their links with culture, identity, and social cohesion. But although fish catches are usually considered the primary ecosystem service that benefits fishers, little is known about how subjective well-being is influenced by the fishing activity itself. Here, we applied the experience sampling method in two small-scale fisheries in Bangladesh to assess the effects of fishing on fishers' occurrence of positive and negative affect, two measures of subjective well-being. We found that fishing activities were not directly associated with increased momentary affect and that the frequency of positive affect actually decreased as the fishing trip progressed. Furthermore, although very low catches were associated with less positive affect, the highest frequency of positive affect was achieved with relatively small catches. Our results imply that the benefits provided by small-scale fisheries to the momentary subjective well-being of fishers are not strongly related to the actual catching of fish.

Determinants of fish catch and post-harvest fish spoilage in small-scale marine fisheries in the Bagamoyo district, Tanzania

The fisheries sector of Tanzania is dominated by small-scale fishers who produce up to 95% of the total amount of fish caught in the country. The small-scale fisheries are constrained by inadequate infrastructure, including a lack of capacity for processing and cold storage facilities, poor transportation and fishing tools that increase post-harvest losses. Small-scale fishers lack sufficient capital and skills to invest in modern fishing technologies. Additionally, social-demographic aspects of the fishers, such as education level, gender, age, fishing experience and training influence access to fishing resources and capital, leading to variation in fish catch and post-harvest losses. Thus, this study examined factors that influence fish catch and spoilage in small-scale fisheries in the Bagamoyo District, Tanzania. Forty randomly selected fishers from the Mlingotini fishing village were interviewed. The results show that after spending an average of 11 h per fishing session, the fishers catch an average of 18.5 kg of fish. The amount of fish captured differed with fishing experience, age and sex of the fisher, education level of the fisher, and the time spent selling the captured fish. On average, 10% of the weight of the fish captured per fishing session spoils. The level of spoilage varied according to the fisher's age and sex, education level, fishing experience, length of fishing session, and fishing gear used. Provision of training related to fish processing and handling and improvement of cold storage and transport facilities are recommended to reduce spoilage.

Solid waste assessment in a coastal fishing community in Peru

Peru has a large small-scale fishing fleet upon which many coastal communities depend for their food and livelihoods. Nonetheless, no thorough assessments have been conducted of solid waste production and management of small-scale fisheries (SSF) and associated communities. We aimed to assess gillnet SSF and household solid waste generation in San Jose, north Peru. A solid waste generation assessment was conducted by monitoring solid waste production during 22 fishing trips and interviewing 70 families. Daily waste generation and recycling per capita, were calculated applying separate Generalized Linear Mixed-Effect Models. Organic waste is the most frequently produced during fishing activities (38%) and at home (83%), followed by plastic and metal. Glass, paper/cardboard, and fishing nets were solely produced during fishing trips. Daily waste per capita was estimated on 0.14 kg∗(day)^-1 onboard, and 0.33 kg∗(day)^-1 at home. Additionally, perception interviews showed that the population of San Jose perceived solid waste as a threat to public health and marine ecosystems. This study provides a first attempt to assess solid waste production in a Peruvian fishing community, showing the need for an integrated management plan embracing vessel and land-based solid waste generation.

Shored curfews: Constructions of pandemic islandness in contemporary Sri Lanka

This paper explores COVID-19 pandemic biopolitics in Sri Lanka through tropes of "islanding" and segregation by discussing how notions of island isolation, insularity, and geo-spatial boundedness have been transformed from their colonial origins to our post-colonial present, and in the wake of wartime governance. We engage with interlocking notions of the "pandemic island" and the "islanding" of a zoonotic virus with which to broaden relational thinking on local pandemic realities. We argue that the pandemic has tacitly shaped imaginaries of oceanic "islandness" in contemporary times by focusing on five interrelated island(ed) tropes in the humanities and interpretive social sciences against the context of the pandemic. These include the carceral (fortressed) island, the utopic island, the "urban" island, the illicit island, and the mythologised (cursed) island. This paper further contributes toward an understanding of contemporary islands and island imaginaries, an understudied dimension of pandemic-related land-sea sociality.

Institutional effects on ecological outcomes of community-based management of fisheries in the Amazon

Communities throughout the globe are increasingly being given the responsibility of resource management, making it necessary to understand the factors that lead to success in community-based management (CBM). Here, we assessed whether and how institutional design principles affect the ecological outcomes of CBM schemes for Arapaima sp., an important common-pool fishery resource of the Amazon Basin. We quantified the degree of presence of Ostrom's (Science 325:419-422, 1990) institutional design principles in 83 communities using a systematic survey, and quantitatively linked the design principles to a measure of ecological outcome (arapaima density) in a subset of 39 communities to assess their influence. To understand regional patterns of institutional capacity for CBM, we evaluated the degree of presence of each principle in all 83 communities. The principle scores were positively related to arapaima density in the 39 CBM schemes, explaining about half of the variation. Design principles related to defined boundaries and graduated sanctions exerted the strongest influence on the capacity of CBM to increase arapaima density. The degree to which most principles were present in all 83 communities was generally low, however, with the two most influential principles (defined boundaries and graduated sanctions) being the least present of all. Although the roles of the other principles (management rules, conflict resolution, collective action, and monitoring systems) are probably important, our results indicate that efforts aimed at strengthening the presence of defined boundaries and graduated sanctions in communities hold promise to improve the effectiveness of arapaima CBM regionally.