Economic analysis of market data was conducted by the research team to understand quantitative differences in livelihood outcomes for women and men engaging in the same trading activities at the same markets. Results from economic models show that gender is a key factor influencing earnings in fish trade and that other important drivers, including processing type and selling market size and location, are also shaped by gender. The team found that while women and men participate in fish trade in near-equal numbers in Malawi, women are earning less money per unit than men and tend to trade in smaller volumes.

Traditional knowledge and belief systems can play an important role in contemporary governance systems, making valuable contributions towards sustainable fisheries; however, understanding the role that taboos play in mediating human interactions with ocean resources, especially those limiting women’s access to such resources, is necessary for advancing gender equity in small-scale fisheries.

Call for proposals: two consultancies in our GeNA project.

The Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section (GAFS) of the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS) has been awarded a 46 months project titled “Making nature-based climate solutions (NbCS) in aquaculture in Southeast Asia monitoring more gender-responsive: What gets measured gets done.” GeNA or Gender-responsive NbCS in Aquaculture for short is supported by IDRC Canada’s AQUADAPT-SEAPAC grant.

A recent project in Lagos, Nigeria focused on the use of participatory action research (PAR) to change the beliefs, dispositions, and interactions between fish smokers and researchers. It demonstrated how PAR stimulated interest among fish smokers in biomass briquettes and a prototype drum smoking kiln. It also encouraged co-ownership of the research and the readiness to use contemporary technology.

Inspired by the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture in 2022, the Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section presents a global video tribute to women fishing.

Vijay Mahajan and SS Tabrez Nasar ask what can the people living in precarious locations in the Indian Sundarbans do to survive rapidly encroaching climate and ecosystem threats? The communities will need to quickly adapt to “Amphibious Living,” including by choosing “Amphibious Living Opportunities.” Abbreviated as ALO (আলো) in the local language, Bengali , this means “illumination” or “light” and also signifies “dawn”.