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Small pelagic fish species contribute substantially to the food security and livelihoods of local communities in developing countries. In West Africa, and particularly in Benin, small pelagic fisheries attract many migrant fishers who are key actors in the sector. This study assessed the characteristics and sociocultural impacts of the small pelagic fishery in Benin using qualitative approaches, including focus group discussions (n = 9), in-depth interviews (n = 35), a literature review, direct observations and secondary data. The findings showed that indigenous fishers from Benin and foreign fishers from Ghana are the two major groups of migrant fishers involved in small pelagic fishing in Benin. These fishers mostly use three categories of fishing gear: gillnets, seine nets, and hooks and lines. Over the period 2014–2018 the annual catch fluctuated between 1 123 and 2 040 tonnes, with the peak catch recorded in 2018, with a commercial value of €3 030 587. Apart from migrant fishers, fishmongers constitute another important pillar of the value chain. Conflicts among migrant fishers in the sector in Benin are related to landing fees and fishing gears. We discuss the urgent need to give attention to the sector through quantitative research and law enforcement to ensure its sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst fishing men have commonly been investigated through the lens of 'hegemonic masculinity', recent studies have highlighted a potential change and nuancing of such fishing masculinities. Inspired by the call to pay attention to masculinities as fluid, contextual and interpersonal, this paper pays attention to scalar, placed and temporal specificities to consider how 'socially-dominant masculinities' can develop (and persist) in specific contexts. A case study of the North Wales Llŷn peninsula fishery is drawn upon in examining how local practices (re)define what it means to be a man in this area. The paper highlights the continued importance of the physicality of fishing in shaping locally socially-dominant masculinities – noting how fisher's bodies are not only central to masculine performances but also embody their fishing history and their relative positioning in their locality. It considers the relational nature of fishing masculinities –noting how masculinity is written both spatially in relation to practices 'on land' and 'at sea' and also temporally through reference to both past practices and predecessors. Finally, the paper considers changes to fishing masculinities, especially associated with family life and changing economic contexts, noting how such new practices may be incorporated into longer-standing aspects of fishing masculinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's work in fisheries in the Global South is valorized for its role in sustaining small-scale fishing in the face of complex challenges from corporate-backed industrial fishing. This paper examines how capitalist modernization of fisheries and its attendant changes have transformed the worlds of work of artisanal fisherwomen in a Latin Catholic fisher village in the South Indian state of Kerala. Using ethnographic research and qualitative methods, the paper explores women's interfaces and antagonisms with new actors in the commission shops and seashore auctions where they procure fish as well as the public fish markets where they sell fish. The paper discusses women's survival strategies in the face of growing competition in the vending business and examines their implications for women's engagement in collective action for improved work conditions and the rights of artisanal fish workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artisanal fisheries occur all over the tropics and provide an important source of protein and income for many coastal communities. However, varied types and magnitudes of anthropogenic impacts threaten the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural sustainability of this poorly studied fishing practice. This article reviews the scattered literature on tropical artisanal coastal fisheries, identifying key challenges to ensure future sustainability. Despite huge data shortfalls, there is considerable evidence that artisanal fisheries have a significant influence on the distribution and abundance of target and by-catch species, in addition to wider impacts on biodiversity, biomass, assemblage structure, community dynamics, and ecosystem functioning. Despite these immediate and considerable threats, regulation and management of artisanal fisheries are problematic. Local communities in the coastal tropics are frequently very poor, and families frequently rely on fishing for food security and income. Ensuring social and environmental sustainability therefore entails models of governance that are able to adaptively manage these complex socio-ecological systems. Such models are being developed, but it is unclear whether there are sufficient resources and technical capacity to widely implement them before the widespread collapse of fisheries with potentially serious consequences for the communities that rely on them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]