Yemaya - COnnecting REpositoriesna Pierri can be contacted at [email protected] and Man Yu Chang at [email protected] Asia/ India Uncertain future Women seaweed collectors in

YEMAYA NO.24: MARCH 2007

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From the Editor

Inside Pages

Brazil..................... 2India..................... 3, 5Netherlands............. 7Film.................... 10Publications.............11Announcement...... 12

ICSF’S NEWSLETTER ON GENDER AND FISHERIESNO.24 MARCH 2007

Dear Friends,

This issue of Yemaya features articlesfrom Brazil, India and Europe, as wellas information on resources availableand forthcoming workshops.

As always, there is a focus onwomen’s organizations in fisheries andtheir efforts to get together aroundissues of common concern and tocreate networks of solidarity.The article from Brazil, for instance,documents the process by whichwomen are consolidating their effortsto create a national organizationof women in the fisheries sector,based on principles of solidarity,autonomy, democracy, respect ofdifferences, and regard for theenvironment. Their struggle isfor rights, and, as they put it, for lifeitself.

The article from Netherlands talksabout an exchange programme inwhich women from the Dutch women-in-fisheries network, VinVis, hostedtheir counterparts from the NorthernIreland Women in Fisheries Network(NIWIF). The programme provided achance for women from bothnetworks to share their realities, andto energize and inspire one another.Interactions such as this are helpingbuild up solidarity networks amongwomen in the fisheries sector inEurope—small steps in a largerprocess. Thus, NIWIF is hosting theSecond Conference and the SecondGeneral Body meeting of AKTEA:European Network of Women’sOrganizations in Fisheries andAquaculture, in Northern Ireland inApril 2007.

From India comes an article aboutwomen seaweed collectors in the Gulfof Mannar, in Tamil Nadu in southernIndia. This area is both a national parkand a biosphere reserve, and severalrestrictions on extraction activities,including seaweed collection, are beingput in place. For the 5,000 or so womenseaweed collectors in the area, theserestrictions have direct implications fortheir livelihoods. The article discussessome of the challenges facing thesewomen and their future in the onlylivelihood they have known. Thechallenge lies in ensuring that theirperspectives are incorporated into theupcoming management plan for thenational park and biosphere reserve,and in its implementation.

Another article from India takes alook, from a gender perspective, at thejust-published Marine Fisheries Census2005. The need for reliable gender-disaggregated data on women’s workin fishing and in fisheries-related workhas often been stressed as fundamentalto good planning and policymaking.Data from the census clearlyestablishes the important role ofwomen in fisheries-related activities,particularly in marketing andprocessing fish, and should provide thespringboard for further research andanalysis.

We also carry information on severalinteresting publications and films, aswell as announcements of meetingscoming up. As always, we invite youto share with us your experiences andaccounts of relevance to women infisheries and fishing communities.Please send us articles for the nextissue of Yemaya by 30 May 2007.

YemayaYemayaISSN 0973-1156


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Latin America/ Brazil

Struggle for life always!Fisherwomen in Brazil create their own nationalorganization to struggle for their rights, and forlifeBy Naína Pierri, Professor of the FederalUniversity of Paraná, Brazil, and Man Yu Chang,Adviser, Department of Environment and WaterResources, State Secretary of Paraná, Brazil

In March 2006, fisherwomen of Brazil took animportant step towards their organization andmobilization. At the Second National Conference onFisheries in Brasilia, fisherwomen from differentregions of Brazil organized themselves and struggledvery successfully to highlight their specific rights. Atthe end of the conference, an independent nationalorganization called ‘National Articulation ofFisherwomen in Brazil’ was created. One month later,on 8 and 9 April 2006, the organization had its firstmeeting in Recife, Pernambuco. In the subsequentmonth, this newborn organization was accepted as aregular member of the National Council for Fisheries,comprising different interest groups and institutionsrelated to the sector.

During the first term of the administration of PresidentLuiz Inacio Lula da Silva, from 2002 to 2006, twonational conferences on aquaculture and fisheries wereorganized, in September 2003 and March 2006.These conferences were preceded by State-levelconferences throughout the country. A nationalmeeting for women workers in fisheries was alsoorganized in December 2004, again preceded byState-level meetings.

The purpose of the conferences and meetings was toprovide opportunities to government officials tointeract directly with fisherfolk in order to ensure thattheir situation and demands could be incorporatedinto specific public policies. At the same time, theconferences were undoubtedly precious opportunitiesfor fishworkers to consolidate their classconsciousness and set up their own organizations.During the three-day events, over 2,000representatives of the sector, from different parts of

the country, met and reported on their specific realities,and defined and discussed their priorities anddemands. Fisherwomen delegates were particularlyaware that such opportunities were rare, and so theyused these conferences as an opportunity to strengthentheir consciousness, organization and mobilization,grounded in vision, courage and dignity.

The foundation of the ‘National Articulation ofFisherwomen in Brazil’ was the culmination of aprocess that had begun at least three years ago, inSeptember 2003, during the First NationalConference on Fisheries, when fisherwomen fromdifferent parts of the country began to discuss theirsituation. They realized soon enough that the generalconference did not give proper attention to their specificproblems, and, therefore, requested the governmentto organize a national meeting of fisherwomen. Thegovernment accepted their demand, and, in thefollowing year, 2004, the First National Meeting ofWomen Workers in Fisheries was organized, precededby State-level meetings. Despite the fact that thenational meeting was convened by the government, itwas very helpful for fisherwomen to voice theirdemands publicly, in an independent and forcefulmanner.

When fisherwomen arrived at the Second NationalGeneral Conference on Fisheries in March 2006, theyhad already accumulated organizational experience.This made them the group with the highest mobilizingcapacity among all participants. They had clearlydefined three goals for the conference: (i) to gain aslot in the proceedings schedule for a fisherwoman todeliver a speech at the opening and closing ceremony,to express their specific needs; (ii) to change the rulesand settings of the conference by adding a clause toensure that the composition of the permanent presidingtable had at least 30 per cent women representatives;and (iii) to get the General Conference to approve thedocument finalized at the National Meeting of WomenWorkers in Fisheries, in 2004, as a way to legitimizetheir demands of being part of the fisheries class.

A strong demonstration by fisherwomen prior to theopening of the conference called the attention of theorganizing committee, and the opportunity was createdfor a speech to be delivered by a fisherwoman


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representative during the opening ceremony. Thegroup also succeeded in ensuring that the organizingcommittee of the conference comprised 30 per centwomen. Two hundred signatures were collected forthe approval of this change in the general assembly ofthe conference, a change that was finally approvedby all delegates. The group also collected more than400 signatures in two hours in support of a legislativechange that would recognize activities performed bywomen, related both directly and indirectly to fisheries.Several activities, both in the pre- and post-harvestsector, are usually performed by women. It washoped that this project would ensure recognition ofthis work and confer labour rights on fisherwomen.

Following the intense and successful mobilization, thewomen’s group met one more time and founded the‘National Articulation of Fisherwomen in Brazil’. Thefirst meeting of this organization took place during 8and 9 April 2006 in Recife, with the support of theConselho Pastoral dos Pescadores (CPP), a branchof the Catholic church committed to social causes.There were around 70 participants.

Fisherwomen discussed the principles and goals ofthe organization, and defined the first plan of actionfor the next term. A foundation letter was written,which synthesized the history of the struggle offisherwomen, expressed their main problems, andestablished principles and priority demands. The

principles highlighted were: solidarity, autonomy,democracy, respect of differences, and respect forthe environment. Among the demands prioritized werethe valorization of the fisherwomen’s identity and theirstruggle against discrimination and violence of all kinds.The foundation letter ended with the phrase “Strugglefor life always!”, which synthesized well the spirit ofthese courageous women founders. The mainchallenges at present are to increase grassrootsparticipation; promote gender and classconsciousness; and strengthen mobilization at local,regional and national levels.

Naína Pierri can be contacted [email protected] and Man Yu Chang [email protected]

Asia/ India

Uncertain futureWomen seaweed collectors in the Gulf of Mannarregion of Tamil Nadu face an uncertain future

This piece is based on an interview by RamyaRajagopalan, Consultant, ICSF DocumentationCentre

Shanti, a 34-year old woman from Meenarvar-kuppam, a small fishing hamlet on the Kilakarai coastof Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu, India, hasbeen collecting seaweed right from the day she was10 years old, from the islands in the Gulf of Mannararea. She collects seaweed everyday, except onFridays, a day designated as a no-collection day bythe village leadership. Women from Meenarvar-kuppam regularly visit the islands of Appa, Valai, Muli,Musa and Manali.

Earlier, Shanti used to stay on the islands during thepeak season—from December to February—andcollect seaweed. Now, she goes to the islands usingan outboard motor (OBM)-powered vallam (plank-built canoe). She goes with about 10 other women,with a man on board to navigate. They leave earlyin the morning by 6 a.m., cooking and packing


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their two meals before they set off to sea, and returnby 6 p.m.

Like all the other women with her, Shanti collectsseaweed with her hands. She uses goggles to protecther eyes. The net is tied to her hip, and metal platesare fixed to her legs to help her keep swimming. Shedives up to a depth of 6-7 m to collect seashells andseaweed. She spends eight hours in the water, oftenin neck-deep waters, with her back bent, collectingseaweeds with her hands. She earns roughly Rs 50-100 (US$1-2) per day—this is one of the mainsources of income for her family of five, whichincludes her husband and three daughters.

Seaweed can be collected for a period of only sixmonths, from October to March, as, during the restof the year, it is too windy. Even during the seaweedseason, collection is not possible when the waters aremurky. During the off-season, Shanti catches fish andcrabs.

There are about 50 women from the same village whohave been collecting seaweed on a regular basis fromthese islands, earning Rs 50-100 per day. They collectaround 500-600 kg of seaweed each day. They alsocollect other molluscs and ornamental shells. Thesewomen are sure they would not like their children tocollect seaweed for their livelihoods.

The main species of seaweed collected are Gelidiellaacerosa and Sargassum. These are sold fresh to thetrader, who comes and collects it from the village, ata rate of Rs 4 (US$0.1) per kg in the case ofG. acerosa, and of Rs 10 (US$0.2) per kg forSargassum. While G. acerosa is available throughoutthe year, Sargassum is available only for a period ofthree months—October, November and December.The traders collect the seaweed, dry them and sellthem to the two agar-processing companies inMadurai.

The seaweed is collected from the islands closer toMeenavarkuppam. These islands are part of the 21-island chain of the Gulf of Mannar region, which wasnotified as a National Park (Marine Protected Area)by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1986, under theWildlife (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972. The national

park is being managed by the Wildlife Warden,Department of Environment and Forests, Governmentof Tamil Nadu.

The seaweeds grow only in the shallow waters aroundthe islands. According to the WPA, extraction of anyresource from a national park is prohibited. Thoughthe park was declared in 1986, there was no strictimplementation of regulations until 2002. It was onlyin 2002 that people were asked to stop collectingseaweed from the area around the islands.

These islands also form part of the ‘core’ area of theGulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, which wasdeclared in 1989. As part of the management of thebiosphere reserve, a United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP)-Global Environment Facility(GEF)-Government of India (GOI) project wasinitiated in 2002, and the Gulf of Mannar BiosphereReserve Trust (GOMBRT) was set up to handle themanagement aspects of the biosphere reserve.A number of talks have been organized amongscientists working on seaweed, seaweed collectors,traders and other related industry groups, to discussconservation strategies for seaweed through thisinitiative.

In the Gulf of Mannar region, there are around 5,000women from approximately 25 villages dependent onseaweed collection for their livelihoods. Many of themare part of the Ramnad Fishermen’s Union. Thesudden restriction on seaweed collection in 2002 hadsevere implications for these women. Severaldiscussions took place at both the union and villagelevel, and it was decided to regulate collectionactivities—the method of seaweed collection and thenumber of days it could be collected. Prior to 2005,for example, seaweed was collected using metalscrapers, considered destructive to their furtherpropagation. In 2006, the union and a number ofvillages decided to ban collection of seaweeds usingmetal scrapers. Traders were also asked not topurchase seaweed collected in this fashion.

However, despite these efforts at self-regulation,women seaweed collectors face harassment on aregular basis as seaweed collection around the islandsis officially forbidden. They have to pay off local forest


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guards and rangers if they want to go to collectseaweed.

A joint meeting of seaweed collectors, wholesalemerchants, manufacturers of seaweed products (theAll India Agar and Alginate ManufacturersAssociation), research institutes, GOMBRT and themanagement of the Gulf of Mannar National Park washeld on 17 December 2006 in order to discuss someof these issues. The meeting agreed that seaweedcollection should be avoided in national park areas,that only non-destructive methods of collection shouldbe adopted, and that seaweed collection should bebanned in the months of March, April and May,considered the growing season for seaweed, to helpin further propagation of seaweeds. The traders wereasked to fix a reasonable price according to thespecies and quality, and not to purchase immatureseaweed and seaweed collected using destructivemethods. The GOMBRT was asked to organizewomen self-help groups (SHGs) for seaweed culture,and to create awareness about the importance ofseaweed in maintaining biodiversity.

With the upcoming three-month ban on seaweedcollection looming large, women in the community fearthey are going to be badly affected, given thatseaweed collection is their main source of income andlivelihood. In most villages, few options for alternativelivelihoods have been provided. Discussions on theviability of culturing G. acerosa and Sargassum arestill going on.

Asia/ India

Getting the count rightThe Marine Fisheries Census 2005 provides,among other things, information on women’swork in fisheries-related activities in IndiaBy Chandrika Sharma, Executive Secretary,International Collective in Support ofFishworkers

The fisheries sector in India is estimated to provideemployment to several million people. There can beno denying the importance of good data about thepeople who harvest, process and trade in fishresources, to put in place effective managementsystems, given that fisheries management is aboutmanaging people and their interactions with theresource base.

The Marine Fisheries Census 2005, commissionedby the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairyingand Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Governmentof India, and conducted by the Central MarineFisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) is acommendable effort in this direction. The censusprovides a wealth of information that will be usefulfor policymakers, researchers and others in the sector.

The last comprehensive census was conducted byCMFRI in 1980. It covered 2,132 marine fishingvillages, with 1,442 landing centres and 333,038

Many issues face the women seaweed collectors inthe Gulf of Mannar, including restriction of access toseaweed resources, methods to be used to harvestseaweed in non-destructive ways, closed season, andlow market prices. Their future in the only livelihoodthey have known depends on whether theirperspectives are incorporated into the upcomingmanagement plan for the national park and biospherereserve, and on the manner in which these plans areimplemented.

Ramya can be contacted [email protected]


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households. The 2005 census covered 3,202 marinefishing villages, 1,332 landing centres and 756,212households (a total of 3.52 mn marine fisherfolk) inall maritime States and Union Territories of India. Itdoes not cover the Andaman and Nicobar islandsand the islands of Lakshadweep.

Notably, the census has data on women working infisheries-related activities in the marine fisheries sector.The lack of reliable data on women’s work in thefisheries sector has long been pointed out as a majorlacuna in fisheries statistics, in India and elsewhere. Ithas been stressed that lack of data reinforces theinvisibility of women’s work, and is a major reasonfor gender-blind fisheries policies that assume that itis men who dominate the sector.

The census was conducted with the followingobjectives:

- determine population size and structure at amicro level;

- assess the educational and socio-religious statusof fisherfolk;

- determine the number of active fishermenengaged in fishing;

- determine gender-wise occupation in fishery-related activities;

- determine the number of craft and gear ownedby fisherfolk;

- quantify the number of craft and gear in thefishery;

- obtain information on infrastructure facilities,such as landing centres;

- obtain information on other utilitarian facilitiesand social aspects; and

- provide information on the number of fishingvillages, landing centres, fisherfolk population,active fishermen, occupational status, fishingcraft and gear and related parameters.

In keeping with the above objectives, the censusprovides detailed information on several aspects ofthe fisheries sector, including population size andstructure, educational level, craft and gear, ownershipof craft and gear, as well as the availability of basic

facilities, such as health and education. The attemptbelow is to look at some of this large volume of data,from a gender perspective.

The census notes that women form 48.6 per cent ofthe marine fisherfolk population, with 948 females for1,000 males—the all India sex ratio, accordingto the Census of India 2001, is 933 (http://www.censusindia.net/t_00_003.html). The sex ratiofor fishing communities is maximum in Kerala (980)and minimum in West Bengal (898), among the Statesof India. According to data from the 2001 Census ofIndia, the sex ratio for Kerala as a whole is 1,058,and for West Bengal it is 934. Why is the sex ratio infishing communities so low in Kerala, given that forthe State as a whole, the ratio is favourable? Severalsuch issues need to be further explored by researchersand others working in the sector.

It is noteworthy that the census provides informationon community issues, such as availability of electricity,banks, accessible roads, health and educationfacilities, housing, and membership in co-operativesocieties. There is also information on the fishery-related infrastructure available—boatyards, icefactories, cold storage, freezing and canning plants,curing yards, peeling sheds and fishmeal plants.Undoubtedly, this data should be used bypolicymakers to improve access to basic facilities andinfrastructure. Perhaps the next census could alsoinclude aspects such as access to water and sanitation,key issues for many fishing communities.

The census defines a ‘marine fisherman’ as a person—man or woman—engaged in marine fishing or anyother activity associated with marine fishery, or both.Fishing is defined to include activities like seedcollection. The data that has been collected providesinformation on fishermen engaged in active fishing (full-time, part-time or occasional). However, the absenceof gender-disaggregated data on those who fish makesit difficult to estimate the number of women engagedin actual marine fishing in India. Even if the number ofwomen fishing is small, this information would havebeen useful. It is known, for example, that along someparts of the coast, women engage in shrimp seedcollection; beach-seining; crab, shellfish and seaweed


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collection; and so on. It would also have been usefulto obtain a gender-differentiated picture on ownershipof craft and gear.

Gender-disaggregated data is, however, available, asmentioned earlier, for those engaged in fishery-relatedactivities, for example, marketing, providing labour,processing, net-making, and so on. The 2005 censusnotes that among women, the major fishing-relatedactivities are marketing (41.8 per cent), labour (18.4per cent) and curing/processing (18 per cent). Further,as many as 73.6 per cent of those engaged inmarketing are women, while 75.7 per cent of those incuring and processing are also women. It is apparentthat women dominate marketing and processingactivities in marine fisheries.

Statewise data indicates that the largest numbers ofwomen in marketing are in Maharashtra (39,288),Tamil Nadu (31,019) and Andhra Pradesh (27,160).Significant numbers of women engage in processing/curing activities in Andhra Pradesh (24,524), Orissa(16,447) and Maharashtra (8,584). Men, on the otherhand, predominate in activities such as repair and netmaking, and in providing labour for fishing activities.

A look at total numbers is also interesting. The totalfisherfolk population is 3,519,116. Of this, 889,528are classified as active fishermen; 390,928 men arefound to engage in fishing-associated activities, whilethe corresponding figure for women is 365,463.Women, in other words, account for 48.3 per cent of

the fisherfolk in fishing-associated activities.

The data collected proves beyond doubt that womenare an integral part of the marine fisheries sector inIndia. It is to be hoped that this data is used effectivelyfor the formulation of policies that reinforce andsupport women’s roles in the fisheries, in activitiessuch as marketing and processing, and stimulatesfurther research. The detailed data and informationavailable in the Statewise census reports should proveinvaluable for this.

It is also to be hoped that such censuses areconducted with periodic regularity, and that effortsare made to improve the methodology used, thedimensions and issues explored and the reliability ofdata collected. Further, the scope for better integratingthe Marine Fisheries Census with the National Censusneeds to be explored. No doubt, lessons can be drawnfrom other countries that have undertaken similarefforts.

Chandrika can be contacted at [email protected]

Europe/ Netherlands

Sharing, learning, inspiringWomen of Northern Irish fishing communitiesmeet with their counterparts in the NetherlandsBy Cornelie Quist, a supporter of VinVis and amember of ICSF, with inputs from LouiseHenning and Trish Slater (NIWIF) and MarjaBekendam and Mariet Groen (VinVis)

In September 2006, 14 women from the NorthernIreland Women in Fisheries Network (NIWIF) visitedthe Netherlands to meet with their counterparts inVinVis, the Dutch Women in Fisheries Network. Thevisit was the result of contacts made last May at thefounding meeting of AKTEA, the European Networkof Women in Fisheries and Aquaculture in Europe.

The NIWIF network is a new organization, formedby women-in-fisheries (WIF) groups based in thethree major fishing harbours of Northern Ireland:Kilkeel, Ardglass and Portavogie. The network was


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initiated by women of the Fishermen’s Wives Supportgroup of Kilkeel, who had been participating in severalWIF events in Europe and had been inspired by WIFnetworks that existed in other countries, such as theDutch VinVis. The NIWIF network chose VinVis forits first exchange visit because the Dutch network hadalready been in existence for six years and theNorthern Irish women were interested in learning fromthe Dutch women’s experiences and in exploring ideasabout how to regenerate their own ailing fisheryindustry.

The Dutch WIF network, VinVis, is a network ofwomen from family-based fishing enterprises from allimportant fishing regions of the Netherlands. TheDutch women saw it as a big challenge to host theirNorthern Irish counterparts. It was decided to focusthe visit on the three most important living fishingcommunities: Wieringen (multi-species fisheries),Lauwersoog (shrimp fisheries) and Urk (flatfish andeel fisheries). The idea was to expose the Irish womento the history of these communities, their way of lifeand to successful initiatives taken up to keep theircommunities and the fishery industry alive.

The Irish women visited several fisheries museumsand went on walking tours in ancient, picturesquefishing villages. They were also exposed to fishingharbours, where initiatives such as a fresh-fish marketand cosy eating places promoting fish dishes, werebeing undertaken. They also visited a fish auctionwhere the fishermen’s catch was sold with the aid ofelectronic gadgets—seen as a fair system that gavebetter prices to the fishermen. The women had lunchon board a decommissioned shrimp trawler that wasconverted into a leisure ship for tourists. The skipper-owner, a former shrimp fisher, informed them aboutthe history and problems of the Dutch shrimp fishingcommunity. A visit to the largest shrimp tradingcompany of Europe had to be cancelled at the lastmoment, in all probability because the managementwas afraid of negative publicity at a time whenrelations between the company and the Dutch shrimpfishing community were disturbed (see Yemaya July2003). The Northern Irish women were very surprisedto hear that Dutch shrimps were being transported all

the way, by truck, from northern Netherlands to northAfrica (Morocco) for peeling!

One day of their visit was reserved for a sharingsession between women of both the networks. Beingonly among women, there was space for heart-to-heart conversation. The women were surprised to findso many similarities in the problems they, asfishermen’s wives, faced as a result of the ailing fisheryindustry in both countries. The problems varied frompersonal traumas, such as bankruptcy of the familyenterprise or loss of their husbands in accidents atsea, to family and community problems, such as fastdecline of incomes, out-migration of youth,deterioration of public facilities in their villages, andeven increase of divorces. Women noted how thequality of their family lives had deteriorated, becausenow, to keep their incomes at reasonable levels, theirhusbands had to go for fishing voyages that lastedover one week, leaving behind all the responsibilitiesto the women on shore. Most of the earnings fromfishing went back into the boats, and besides doingall the shore-based work for the enterprise, womennow also had to take up jobs outside the sector tosupplement their husband-fishermen’s incomes, andto be able to feed, clad and educate their children.The women recalled how their husbands were alwaystired and worried these days, which was alsonegatively affecting marital relations and theenvironment for the children. The women also felt thatthe fishermen of their communities had become moreindividualistic and had lost the ability to co-operate,losing influence and control. Today, they said, it is thetrading companies that are in control.

Much time was spent on discussing alternatives. Afew women shared how their families had been ableto turn the tide. One Irish woman described how sheand her husband had decommissioned their boat andstarted a crab-processing plant. They had learned theskills all by themselves, and worked very hard togetherto finally be able to earn a stable income and managea good standard of life again. A Dutch recounted howshe and her husband had successfully diversified theireconomic activities by changing to part-time fishing,complemented by a decorative and building business.


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Good co-operation and communication betweenhusband and wife, on a basis of equality, was felt tobe of great importance. The women felt that they couldhave an important role in broadening the perspectivesof their husbands. Women also stressed the need foreducating their children and their communities aboutthe importance of preserving their culture and identity;otherwise, these would be lost within a decade.

The Irish women were impressed to see how theDutch fishing villages were preserving their culturethrough well-maintained fisheries museums andcommunity activities to promote their products andway of life. It was also seen as very important forwomen to come forward and participate in publicmeetings concerning fisheries policies andmanagement, to speak out and defend the interestsof their families and communities. Women felt that thefishing effort should be reduced, not throughcomplicated rules and regulations imposed by theState, but through initiatives by the community itself.For the latter to happen, women could play a role inuniting the community, even though they knew this tobe no easy job.

Following this meeting was a beautiful buffet withhomemade (fish) dishes, arranged by the VinViswomen. The men were also invited to the buffet. Inhis speech, the leader of the fishermen’s organizationpraised the women’s initiative of cross-borderexchange and said that the men should learn from thisexample.

The exchange visit ended with a visit to the monumentdedicated to those who had lost their lives at sea inUrk, the largest fishing village of the Netherlands. Thiswas a moment of deep sadness, because there werethree widows in the Irish group who had lost theirhusbands in accidents at sea. A deep solidarity wasfelt among the women, tears flowed and hands wereheld.

The women separated in warm friendship, mentioninghow energized and inspired they felt through the visit.This year they will meet again when NIWIF hosts thenext AKTEA meeting in April 2007. The success ofthis exchange visit will certainly be shared with theother European WIF groups, and, hopefully, more ofthese initiatives will follow.

Some of the responses of the women who were partof the visit:

“We were impressed with the enthusiasm of thefishermen’s wives in Holland in trying to keep alivethe fishing industry and with the support they giveto their husbands.”(a NIWIF woman)

“In these times of globalization, it is so good toknow that there are still people who stick togetherand make a fist for their communities and familyenterprises.” (a VinVis woman)

“We visited a museum in Zoutkamp, which we allthoroughly enjoyed, and got lots of ideas for amuseum which we hope will be set up in Kilkeel inthe near future.” (a NIWIF woman)

“It was a great experience for us, the VinViswomen, to organize this event all by ourselves,without any financial support, and by just usingour own creativity and putting our shoulderstogether. It has strengthened our mutual relationsand given us energy. It was also a great experienceto look at our fishing communities through the eyesof our guests. We have learnt a lot.” (a VinViswoman)

“This was a great field trip and we want to thankall involved in the organization.” (a NIWIFwoman).


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Film

Wild CaughtWild Caught: The Life and Struggles of anAmerican Fishing Town. Documentary. 2006.98 minutes. Producer and Director: MatthewBarrThe following background to the film isin the words of the director, Mathew Barr(http://www.unheardvoicesproject.org/background.html#)

Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of anAmerican Fishing Town is a feature-lengthdocumentary that explores the lives of small-scalecommercial fishermen living in Snead’s Ferry, NorthCarolina.

For over 300 years the fishermen have made aprecarious living catching shrimp, clams and finfish;now, the forces of globalization, imports, rising fuelprices and explosive coastal growth are threateningthis hard-fought and deeply ingrained way of life. They don’t do it for the money—they fish becausethey have to, because they love the freedom. Theyare some of the last true independent spirits left inAmerica, and their struggles to keep afloat in Snead’sFerry is symbolic of what is going on around thecountry, and around the planet.

In 1999, on North Topsail Beach, I used to see shrimpboats go from the ocean to a river inlet in theIntracoastal Waterway. Curious, I drove inland to seewhere they docked and discovered the village ofSnead’s Ferry.

“By going on with our network, going on withlearning from, listening to, and supporting oneanother, we will protect what we believe in: Ourway of life!” (a VinVis woman)

Cornelie can be contacted [email protected]

The fishermen of Snead’s Ferry, North Carolina, as Ifirst knew them in 1999, were struggling but puttinggroceries on the table—and were providing some ofthe best seafood money could buy. They weresurviving in a job known as the most dangerous in thecountry, where death and serious injury are common.As small-scale fishermen knowledgeable in the ‘folk’ways of fishing, their priority has always been to workin harmony with the environment and to monitor thefish stocks that provide their livelihood. Thoughlumped together with large-scale freezer-trawleroperations under the job title ‘commercial fishermen’,they had as much in common with them as the manon the moon.

In 1999 and 2000, as I began filming, things weretough, but survivable. As I became accepted in thetown, fishermen and their families shared theirknowledge, techniques and sea stories. They practisea sustainable type of fishing, limited by scale andlocality to being ecologically sound. Their experientialknowledge base, handed down from generation togeneration, is enormous. Some have spent half of theirlives at sea.

As fascinated as I was by the visceral process offishing, the fishermen’s philosophy and sea storiesbecame a layered underpinning to the story. Why isthis way of life so powerful? Does it come from thestrong sense of spirituality fishermen feel out in theocean? What is the sense of freedom that the fishermenkept alluding to?


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Publications

Gender FocusThe web dossier, Gender Focus: A collection ofarticles from Yemaya, includes a selection ofarticles from Yemaya, classified by region

Women of fishing communities across the world playvital roles in fisheries, and in sustaining theirhouseholds, communities, social networks andcultures. While these roles are central to maintaininglivelihoods and the very activity of fisheries, they oftenremain unacknowledged and undervalued.

Yemaya, the gender and fisheries newsletter fromICSF was initiated in 1999 to draw attention towomen’s roles and work in the fisheries and in fishingcommunities, as well as to initiatives being taken bythem to organize and defend their interests and theinterests of their communities. It was also to providea meaningful forum for sharing of experiences, viewsand strategies.

This web dossier compiles selected articles fromYemaya by region—Asia, Africa, Latin America,

Publications

Gender and DisasterGuidelines for Gender-sensitive DisasterManagement: Practical Steps to Ensure Women’sNeeds are Met and Women’s Human Rights areRespected and Protected. Asia Pacific Forum onWomen, Law and Development (APWLD). 2006.84 pages.

These guidelines have been formulated to assistgovernments, the non-State sector and civil societyin dealing with women who have been affected bynatural disasters. They are meant to be practical, easy-to-follow steps that need to be taken in respondingto women ’s concerns in post-disaster situations. Theyhave been categorized into immediate, mid-term andlong-term responses. However, there could beoverlaps in the responses, and this factor needs to betaken into consideration in implementing the guidelines.

These guidelines are the result of the documentationproject Survey of Women ’s Human Rights Violationsin the Aftermath of the Tsunami in India, Indonesia,Thailand and Sri Lanka and the October 8, 2005Earthquake in Pakistan, co-ordinated by the AsiaPacific Forum on Women, Law and Development(APWLD), a women’s human rights network of over140 members in 23 countries of the Asia-Pacificregion.

This publication can be accessed athttp://www.apwld.org/pdf/Gender_Sensitive.pdf

Ultimately, Wild Caught is about community, so hardto find yet so central to who we are as human beings.The people of Snead’s Ferry have a deeply imbeddedsense of togetherness. They really do look out forone another, even though they have little money.

Ultimately, though, the story itself changed. Thefishermen of Snead’s Ferry have had to deal for along time with complex regulations and hard times.But by 2005, they had to cope with ever-expandingcompetition from cheap imported seafood,unparalleled coastal growth, escalating taxes andlowered prices. Now, in 2006, with most of the fishhouses up for sale, the fishermen’s very survival is injeopardy.

And that is the story of Wild Caught.

Europe, Pacific Islands and North America. Thearticles, taken together, provide a broad overview ofthe key issues facing women in the fisheries sector ineach region, as well as the local, national and regionalinitiatives being taken by women’s groups to organizearound their concerns.

The web dossier can be downloaded from http://www.icsf.net/jsp/english/pubPages/dossiers/dos_yem.jsp. The dossier is also available in Frenchand Spanish.


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YEMAYAICSF’s Newsletter on Genderand Fisheries

Published byInternational Collective inSupport of Fishworkers27 College Road, Chennai 600 006IndiaTel: (91) 44 2827 5303Fax: (91) 44 2825 4457Email: [email protected] site: http://www.icsf.net

Edited byChandrika Sharma

Printed atNagaraj and Company Pvt. Ltd., Chennai.

Please do send us comments andsuggestions to make the newsletter morerelevant. We would also like names of otherpeople who could be interested in beingpart of this initiative. We look forward tohearing from you and to receiving regularwrite-ups for the newsletter.

Writers and potential contributors to YEMAYA,please note that write-ups should be brief,about 500 words. They could deal withissues that are of direct relevance to womenand men of fishing communities. They couldalso focus on recent research or on meetingsand workshops that have raised genderissues in fisheries. Also welcome are lifestories of women and men of fishingcommunities working towards a sustainablefishery or for a recognition of their work withinthe fishery. Please also include a one-linebiographical note on the writer.

Announcement

AKTEA Conference:Women in Fisheriesand Aquaculture:C o n n e c t i n gCommunities forBuilding the Future ,Annalong, NorthernIreland, 27 and 28 April2007

The Second Conferenceand the Second General Body meeting of AKTEA:European Network of Women’s Organizations inFisheries and Aquaculture will be held in NorthernIreland in April 2007. Both events are being hostedby the Northern Ireland Women in Fisheries (NIWIF)network, which groups fisherwomen. Theconference has been planned in two parts. Thefirst part will focus on action needed vis-à-visEuropean institutions. The major issues that will bediscussed are: the European Fisheries Policy andwomen’s organizations; the European FisheriesFund (2007-2013) and women’s organizations; andassigning legal status to collaborative spouses (EUDirective 86/613) by all European Union MemberStates.

The second part of the conference will discuss theAKTEA network programme for the next two years.The main issues to be discussed are: (i) networking,communication and exchange; (ii) solidaritylinkages: how to build and sustain the network atthe transnational level; (iii) visibility and strengtheningof the role of women and women’s organizations insustaining local communities through workshops,training programmes, exchange programmes andresearch; and (iv) promoting safety at sea throughactivities such as workshops, training programmes,exchange programmes and research.

On Sunday, 29 April, there will be a special workshopto discuss global issues in fisheries, in particular,the impact of global developments on fishingcommunities worldwide. This workshop will alsodiscuss how to build solidarity linkages betweenwomen of fishing communities in the North andSouth.

For further details on the conference, please contactKatia Frangoudes at [email protected]

Yemaya - COnnecting REpositoriesna Pierri can be contacted at [email protected] and Man Yu Chang at [email protected] Asia/ India Uncertain future Women seaweed collectors in

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