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• 1. [Article] Empowering Domestic Artisanal Fishers as Environmentally and Financially Sound Alternatives to Distant-water Fishing Vessels

  In recent decades, distant-water fishing vessels (DWFVs) have drawn increasing criticism for exacerbating misery in developing nations. As part of a resolution to this issue, a coalition of academics, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Empowering Domestic Artisanal Fishers as Environmentally and Financially Sound Alternatives to Distant-water Fishing Vessels Author: Hettihewa, Samanthala, Gamage, K.D.M., Wright, Christopher S. In recent decades, distant-water fishing vessels (DWFVs) have drawn increasing criticism for exacerbating misery in developing nations. As part of a resolution to this issue, a coalition of academics, fishers, processors and others developing nations are field-testing new technologies to extend the fishing power and reach of local small-to-medium-boat artisanal fishers to empower them to displace DWFVs. In the preliminary field trials, the technology raised the fishing power of small-vessels by over seven-fold and quadrupled their maximum-effective-fishing depth to 400 meters. The second testing round will occur in Spring 2016 and will seek to increase the number of tests (and parallel controls) from ten-fold and expand the maximum effective fishing depth to 1,600 meters. Such capabilities will strengthen the ability of the governments of coastal developing countries to either exclude DWFVs from their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) or negotiate and enforce better agreements. Recognizing that new technology outcomes are often a mixed blessing, a vital part of this endeavor is to establish the best approach to release and use the innovations. Thus, at this point, the coalition is unwilling to release details on the new technologies. Instead, this paper documents the project’s intent, its field-test design/methodology, results and a vision for how its innovations might best be introduced to developing-nation fishers. This article should interest fisheries policy makers, processors, academics, artisanal fishers and diplomats. Title: Empowering Domestic Artisanal Fishers as Environmentally and Financially Sound Alternatives to Distant-water Fishing Vessels Author: Hettihewa, Samanthala, Gamage, K.D.M., Wright, Christopher S. In recent decades, distant-water fishing vessels (DWFVs) have drawn increasing criticism for exacerbating misery in developing nations. As part of a resolution to this issue, a coalition of academics, fishers, processors and others developing nations are field-testing new technologies to extend the fishing power and reach of local small-to-medium-boat artisanal fishers to empower them to displace DWFVs. In the preliminary field trials, the technology raised the fishing power of small-vessels by over seven-fold and quadrupled their maximum-effective-fishing depth to 400 meters. The second testing round will occur in Spring 2016 and will seek to increase the number of tests (and parallel controls) from ten-fold and expand the maximum effective fishing depth to 1,600 meters. Such capabilities will strengthen the ability of the governments of coastal developing countries to either exclude DWFVs from their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) or negotiate and enforce better agreements. Recognizing that new technology outcomes are often a mixed blessing, a vital part of this endeavor is to establish the best approach to release and use the innovations. Thus, at this point, the coalition is unwilling to release details on the new technologies. Instead, this paper documents the project’s intent, its field-test design/methodology, results and a vision for how its innovations might best be introduced to developing-nation fishers. This article should interest fisheries policy makers, processors, academics, artisanal fishers and diplomats. Close