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How to address artisanal fisheries in the WTO?. Valentina Dwisasanti SEAfish for Justice – Indonesia, KIARA Fish for People Coalition. The Jakarta Declaration defines artisanal fishers as those ….
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How to address artisanal fisheries in the WTO? Valentina Dwisasanti SEAfish for Justice – Indonesia, KIARA Fish for People Coalition
The Jakarta Declaration defines artisanal fishers as those … • …directly engage in the preparatory, actual fishing or fish culture and post-harvest phases of fishery production...; • Women …who have limited alternative economic opportunities and whose role and contribution in the fisheries sector are oftentimes not recognized and supported; • All marginalized fish workersin capture fisheries…;
Artisanal fishers includes … • Small-scale farmers… in extensive forms of aquaculture …fish workers in both intensive and extensive aquaculture; • …fishing gear are gill nets, cast nets, hook and line, pots, traps and other traditional and passive fishing gears…; • Fishers who own small boats …below 18 horse power;
Artisanal fishers … …catch is mainly for family and daily consumption, with a small surplus for exchange in local markets; …no control in pricing, primarily due to their fragmented and unorganized status as a sector; and …with limited access to capital.
Basis for exemption of artisanal fisheries • Developing countries where artisanal fishers live produces 52% of total fish production (FAO) • Small-scale fisheries employ 90% of fishworkers (UNEP) • In top ASEAN fishing nations, (population = 543M) an avg. of 10.82 (54 M) live below $1/day (WB 2005) • Estimated population of artisanal in SEA is @least 12M (ASEAN-SEAFDEC, 2001), that’s almost half of the pop. below $1/day
But not exempted from Fisheries Management! • Should be within sustainable limits • Is not an excuse to use illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing e.g. cyanide fishing, fine mesh nets, trawls, etc.
Subsidies in ASEAN countries • Have socio-economic development functions • Most are considered non-actionable under WTO subsidies rules
What needs to be done? • Work for common definition of artisanal fisheries (WTO secretariat recently compiles definitions of artisanal / small-scale fisheries) • Set-up criteria for exemption of artisanal fisheries from subsidies disciplines in the context of WSSD and MDG • Once exemption is secured, negotiations can proceed to identify actionable and non-actionable subsidies • Question? Can these be completed in 2006 which is the target deadline for the Doha Development round?
To stimulate discussions • Are there artisanal fishers in developed countries (e.g. EU, US, Japan, Korea, etc.)? • If so, are they included in the exemptions?