Artisan Fisheries Development

Our company develops modern artisan fisheries for traditional environments. We are most concerned with fisheries in the remote areas, far from receiving infrastructure and fishing ports, where sustainable livelihood and secure operation is keywords.

Artisan fisheries in developing countries can be developed commercially and not only by the means of development aid from rich donor countries. The remote areas are trying to manage tremendous resources of first class fish and seafood. A small investment from collaborating trading companies would create a new supply of fish and seafood to the markets at a very competitive cost.  

The cost to replace a small fishing boat is insignificant compared with the benefits of re-starting the production. Financing has to be made available for local boat yards in order to get the fishermen back to their business. Photo Credit: Refugees International/Eugene Carlson

What we do:  Artisanal or small-scale fisheries in the world supports over 100 million people in developing areas, supplying fish and seafood to many more. The resources in the sea are theirs to harvest, if only boats, equipment and training can be financed, and markets for the catch optimized. We offer coordination in fisheries development projects, to facilitate the fishermen, local authorities, financing entities and the market.

Do the artisanal fishermen contribute to the global over-fishing?

The price of a kilo of shrimp in the supermarket remains strong - packs that used to contain 1 kg has now a net weight of 800 grammes for the same price - if you include the glazing. The other price is five to seven kilo of juvenile fish per kilo of shrimp that is discarded as by-catch. How much unwanted fish is dumped? Official figures varies between 22 and 27 million tonnes - about 25% of the total fish catch in the world.

Many experts  are claiming that the artisanal fisheries are contributing - strongly - to overfishing in the world. Maybe so, in some areas, but the artisanal fisherman is actually landing all his fish. He don't throw away for making more profits. We say: Local needs first. After those needs are satisfied, industrial boats may fish in Africa on ample stocks. And there are no by-catch to discard, all fish protein has a great value for the livelihood of someone. (Photo credit: Oceanatlas.org)

Artisanal Fishing

The Artisan fishermen fish at sea, moving only a short distance from the coasts, or on estuaries and lagoons, or on internal waters – rivers and lakes. In Africa, they work by means of dug-outs or pirogues, with or without outboard motors;  in Asia by means of beam pirogues with sail, non-deck boats with motors or sails, rafts with sails;  in Arabia (Persian Gulf) by dhows (small semi-deck boats and dug-outs), and in South America by boats with oars or engines, and rafts of balsa-wood. 

In Europe the artisan fishermen work with small motor-boats with diesel engines, with or without deck.  In the world, the artisan fishermen represent more than 90% of professional fishermen, totaling more than 10 million.  They have one overall common characteristic:  a crew, after having paid its daily expenses, divides the profits of the day’s fishing into shares, according to the role of each person on board; in general, 50% goes to the crew and 50% to the owner of the boat.  Usually, the owner of the boat is the captain.  

All employ a large number of fishing devices:  bow nets, lines, small revolving seines, but mainly nylon gill nets, which they assemble and repair themselves. In the Developing Countries, their bases are reduced to the minimum:  a petrol station, a small warehouse, sometimes an ice-machine or cold room, if the cost of this makes it possible to sell the fish at a better price.  Otherwise the fish is dried, smoked or often salted, especially by the women (Africa and South America) (Quote: Propesca)

2.5 million un-decked boats, under 10 meter in length, are our focus for development.  1.6 million boats are fishing in Asia and 500,000 in Africa. Only 30% of the boats globally are motorized. More than 100 million people are dependent on this business.