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An evaluation of the alignment of Liberian fisheries laws with relevant international legal instruments to combat IUU fishing in the exclusive economic zone and territorial sea
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Capacity-building project to progress the implementation of international instruments to combat IUU fishing (CAPFISH) : Workshop 3, 18-21 October 2022
Get PDFIllegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is a complex and multifaceted problem, with dire consequences for aquatic ecosystems, coastal communities, fishers and fish workers, and economic and national security. It particularly affects developing countries, and is estimated to cost the global economy USD 20 billion each year. This represents foregone taxes, license fees, and revenue from resources that could have been legally exploited. Future opportunities are also lost as fish stocks dwindle and collapse, with knock-on socioeconomic effects. As those involved in IUU fishing seek to cut costs wherever possible, and are often involved in other illegal activities, IUU fishing is also associated with human rights violations and poor working conditions, unsafe vessels, and maritime crimes such as drugs smuggling, arms smuggling, and human trafficking. The CAPFISH Project offers training on IUU fishing and tools to address it to those in key positions in developing countries, and fosters networks at regional and international level. This report provides an overview of the third CAPFISH workshop on IUU fishing, and contains abstracts from the presentations, biographies of the speakers and details of the attendees.https://commons.wmu.se/lib_reports/1087/thumbnail.jp
Gender equality in ocean science for sustainable development : analysis of ocean science institutions in Kenya
Get PDFGender inequality poses a serious problem for national and international developmental programmes such as the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (the Ocean Decade) and appears in both developed and developing countries. The fundamental aim of the Ocean Decade is to improve ocean health worldwide through generating knowledge, supporting innovations, discovering creative ideas and developing solutions to achieve equitable and sustainable development under the changing environmental, social and climate conditions. The paucity of women in ocean management has been documented as a major hindrance to ocean sustainability and a top challenge to diversity in workplaces because of the exclusion of female knowledge, even though the greater proportion of primary resource users are women. The inclusion of women in management leads to different kinds of perspectives and leadership that facilitate and navigate various policy issues. Consequently, the Ocean Decade is committed to ensuring that the issue of gender inequality in the ocean science sector is urgently addressed and the contribution towards ocean-based activities by women is made visible in various disciplines, including education, fisheries, research, conservation and management. However, there is very little information on the link between gender and ocean science, especially in developing countries like Kenya. In order to increase the participation of women, we need to know where the gaps exist and how best to close them. The lack of information about women’s substantial roles has led to unequal opportunities for women to participate in and contribute to ocean scientific research and governance. This lack of awareness about gender equality among ocean science communities has thwarted the progress and inclusion of women. Gender equality is not only about having equal gender ratios in terms of students and staff within institutions, but also how this is related to seniority, position and influence. It is about understanding how gender intersects with factors such as ethnicity, education, class and age and how organisations must be inclusive, diverse and ensure everyone has an equal voice and opportunity – numbers are not all. This research explores gender equality gaps in ocean science institutions and the existing gender-related policies, providing baseline gender-disaggregated data and accounting for the underrepresentation of women in ocean science. The research employed a Feminist Political Ecology framework, utilising a balanced approach of quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methodologies. Using Kenya as a case study, this research has used the Gender Integration Continuum framework to evaluate the effectiveness of institutional gender policies against national standards. In addition, the study investigated gender gaps (using gender- disaggregated data) in the enrolment of students and recruitment of staff in ocean science universities and non-academic institutions. The career patterns, experiences and barriers of both female and male students and ocean science professionals were also obtained through questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaires were administered to 102 undergraduate and postgraduate students while 30 interviews were conducted using two sets of guiding questions to target two groups of participants, i.e. ocean science staff in general and staff dealing specifically with gender issues –the gender focal points within the institutions, thus gaining insight into individual staff experiences as well as institutional work and progress on gender equality. The ocean science institutions studied were categorized into four groups: public universities, government agencies, non-governmental and intergovernmental organisations. The findings revealed that even though most public universities have gender policies in place, these do not necessarily translate into gender balance of students and staff. Fewer female than male students were found to be enrolled in ocean science-related courses at public universities. All the ocean science institutions had lower representation of female staff at all career stages, including management and decision-making positions. Institutional management was found to be strongly male-centred (androcentric), especially in government affiliated agencies. Interestingly, this was not the case for non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, where the number of female managers and directors was greater than in academia. Ethnic and gender biases were found to be prominent in the enrolment of students and hiring of staff in ocean science programmes. Cultural barriers, gender discrimination and stereotypes were highlighted by student respondents as the major impediments to full participation of female students in ocean science education. Results also showed that career patterns were diverse between female and male staff, with both genders acknowledging discriminatory promotion guidelines, work-family conflicts, incidents of sexual harassment and lack of support and recognition as barriers to career progression and gender equality in ocean science. Most participants mentioned institutional gender centres and formalised gender policies as good practices in forwarding gender equality. Based on these findings, this study generated the following recommendations that will significantly contribute to, promote and improve the status of gender equality in ocean science institutions in Kenya: (i) the establishment of gender- transformative policies with clear and measurable targets and indicators, (ii) the effective implementation of such policies through regular evaluation and monitoring, (iii) constant and mandatory gender analysis through collection of gender-disaggregated data of students and staff to keep track on the progress, (iv) having equitable recruitment and hiring committees or panels to eliminate discrimination, (v) including women in leadership, management and decision- making positions in the institutions, (vi) mandatory training of students and staff, and (vii) developing and strengthening mentorship programmes to encourage and attract more female prospects to increase their participation in ocean science fields
The problem of abandoned, lost, and otherwise discarded fishing gear in Eastern Caribbean small-scale fisheries : understanding the challenges, defining solutions
Get PDFAbandoned, lost, and otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG—also termed derelict fishing gear) is a complex and significant global challenge for which strong, robust, and holistic governance is required. ALDFG is considered the most dangerous form of marine debris, as it is designed to capture marine organisms and can do so long after it has become derelict. While there has been an increasing body of work in academic literature on the scale, impact, and management of ALDFG, significant knowledge gaps still exist about how this challenge is affecting the small-scale fisheries of the Eastern Caribbean. This research has been designed to comprehensively review the ALDFG challenge in the Eastern Caribbean. It considers not only issues of scale and impact but also the policy landscape, governance regime, and mechanisms for improved governance. The study utilised a socio-legal approach to conduct a critical analysis of ALDFG associated with Eastern Caribbean small-scale fisheries. The qualitative methodologies utilised in the assessment were interviews of a range of stakeholders, case studies and legal reviews. The study is underpinned by the environmental governance framework proposed by Bennett and Satterfield, and has adopted a three-step research framework that seeks to: (1) establish baselines and set the context of the research theme; (2) understand the existing governance regime including challenges and barriers; and (3) outline mechanisms for improved governance. The study focused on the English-speaking members and associate members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, as well as Barbados. The empirical data obtained through this study have revealed that ALDFG in the Eastern Caribbean is not only a localised challenge but a transboundary threat. Several key informants reported encountering derelict gear that seemingly entered the region from as far away as the Eastern Atlantic Region. Polypropylene nets, ropes, fish aggregating device components, fish crates and octopus traps are among the observed forms of ALDFG that originated outside the study area. Data derived from fisher surveys in Dominica and in Antigua and Barbuda also indicate that, with regard to drivers of loss in local fisheries, environmental drivers are the major contributor, not just in the case of trap fisheries but also for line fisheries. With regard to the legal and policy landscape for ALDFG in the Eastern Caribbean, it was found that the regulatory regime was fragmented, relatively weak, and largely lacking in ALDFG-focused legislation. While some fisheries management measures have been shown to aid in the mitigation of ALDFG-related threats, these were not legislated for throughout the sub region. Investigations on the implementation of gear marking systems within two jurisdictions highlighted the weaknesses in 10 compliance, and implementation gaps that exist with regard to ALDFG regulatory provision in the two case study jurisdictions. Governance of ALDFG in the Eastern Caribbean is challenged by a number of structural, institutional, and procedural barriers, along with cross-cutting barriers that affect not only fisheries but also other sectors that may be involved in the management, compliance, and surveillance of fishing gear, and in the execution of end-of-life strategies. For many of the Eastern Caribbean jurisdictions that were part of this study, the issue of ALDFG was generally not prioritised by national fisheries agencies. This may be linked to limited public awareness of the challenges, since much of the region’s ALDFG remains hidden in the ocean environment, but it may also be linked to the limited capacities that exist within these government agencies. Limitations in the available financial and human resource capacity to effectively manage the issue, challenges in coordination, lack of supporting infrastructure, data and information gaps, and communication gaps are among the main challenges highlighted by policy experts interviewed for this research. Policy incoherence was also a proposed as a major barrier to ALDFG governance, not only nationally but also regionally. In fact, the lack of synergies, coordination and collaboration on matters relating to ALDFG, and broader ocean governance may become further exemplified when moving up the governance scale from national to regional level. In order to improve governance of ALDFG, a range of recommendations were proposed by key informants participating in this research. Mechanisms to create collaborative arrangements at both the national and regional levels, for instance, can assist in overcoming policy coherence challenges. Training and capacity building as well as awareness activities may provide the requisite knowledge, data, and information that fisheries managers may need to begin prioritising ALDFG within their national fisheries management regimes. The need for establishing open lines of communication with other actors outside the fisheries sector—for instance customs departments and waste management bodies—is also acknowledged, to allow for improvements in the monitoring and surveillance of fishing gear entering the fisheries system, as well as strategies for managing ALDFG waste and end-oflife gear
Harmonisation in the rules governing the recognition of foreign judicial ship sales
Get PDFShips, the high-value asset used in both seagoing and inland navigation, and in which various legal and natural persons have interests, must be secured against legal risks arising from any cross-border legal divergence. Legal certainty of ownership of the ship is therefore desirable but it is under challenge with regard to the judicial sale of a ship: the effects of a judicial sale may be denied in a jurisdiction other than the place where it was sold under the principles of state jurisdiction.
Multiple efforts have been made to address legal uncertainty. Particularly important is a new treaty governing the international effects of judicial sales: the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships (Beijing Convention). This dissertation is intended to contribute to that process by setting out two tasks; first, it seeks to identify the obstacles to the recognition of foreign judicial sales, providing additional knowledge which may aid national legal orders when deciding recognition approaches; second, it looks for a universal solution that better guarantees recognition which would benefit shipping.
A comparative legal research exercise exploring similarities and dissimilarities in the municipal and international laws governing the recognition and sale procedures is undertaken. Research results are presented in this kappa and research papers, exhibiting the profuse difficulties a party seeking recognition may encounter in the current legal framework, and explains the new recognition approach under the Beijing Convention. Based on the research findings, a universal solution is proposed that avoids révision au fond, defines the finality of a judicial sale, and sets forth a fixed number of grounds for denial of recognition which may bring greater certainty. This purported optimal solution should guarantee equal treatment for all foreign sales seeking recognition before the registry while minimising the registrar’s burden of finding and examining foreign laws. In the interest of universality, this solution better accommodates disagreeing principles underlying certain aspects of the sale, viz., the ship’s location at the time of sale, the notification of sale, and the variance in the standard sale, namely, court-approved private sales, in a manner that more states may accept. This solution is largely in line with the recognition approach under the Beijing Convention. Considering the greater legal certainty the new instrument may bring, ratification is supported
Safety of domestic ferries: A scoping study of seven high-risk countries
Get PDFFerry accidents are fairly common globally, causing countless deaths and injuries. Whereas ferry transportation is an integral part of the domestic transport infrastructure in many countries, particularly archipelagic countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines, river deltaic countries like Bangladesh, countries with extensive riverine systems such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Senegal, or even a combination of great lakes, rivers and archipelago such as Tanzania, these countries are experiencing a high number of ferry accidents and fatalities over the past two decades and, therefore, considered high-risk countries in the ferry transport sector. International community continuously seeks to enhance safety in the domestic ferry industry. Thus, a scoping study has been conducted on the safety of domestic ferries in these seven high-risk countries. The study utilizes a structured methodology to identify focus areas in the seven countries for enhancing safety in the domestic ferry sector. The analysis involves past domestic ferry accidents, maritime profile, industry demographics and stakeholder matrix, regulatory and governance climate, political landscape, and amenability to change and external intervention. Eventually, the study proposes a conceptual framework with fifteen distinct criteria, identified against five attributes as an aid to the decision-making in a country for considering a safety intervention with a high likelihood of success and a significant positive impact on safety in the domestic ferry sector. Furthermore, current hazards threatening the safety of domestic ferries and their role in the formation of accidents; key stakeholders of domestic ferry sector and their state of play; national regulations related to the safety of domestic ferries and alignment with the IMO model regulations; national political landscape; state’s willingness to facilitate and receive a safety intervention; and public attitude towards safety are presented in the respective countries using globally recognized indices, questionnaire surveys and personal interviews.https://commons.wmu.se/lib_reports/1086/thumbnail.jp
Cold Ironing: Socio-Economic Analysis in the Port of Genoa
No full textBackground: The emissions of ships in ports are increasingly becoming an issue, and particularly those of NOx, SOx, and PM, rather than CO2. One realistic solution for reducing GHG emissions is cold ironing technology. This paper highlights the socio-economic impact of increasing utilization of cold ironing in the port of Genoa, quantifying the achievable emissions reductions and estimating the effects over a defined time horizon. Methods: This research employs an interdisciplinary approach and uses quantitative data with a bottom-up approach for data collection. For the quantification of health costs, reference was made to the CAFE program, which defines a calculation method to estimate the external costs generated by polluting agents such as NH3, NOx, SO2, VOCs, and PM2.5. Results: Analysis of results shows the significant importance of relying on cold ironing and the importance of renewable port generation. Health cost savings using cold ironing and a different mix of generations are calculated, and these results strongly signal the importance of cold ironing. Conclusions: Cold ironing is indeed an effective anti-pollution measure. Its use to reduce polluting emissions is to be strongly recommended. Investments are cost-effective versus health costs and are sustainable by all parties
Stakeholders’ perspective on the degradation of seagrass and the significance of its restoration to carbon sequestration : a case study of Zanzibar, Tanzania
No full textThis study investigates stakeholders’ perspectives on seagrass degradation and the importance of its restoration for carbon sequestration in Chwaka and Fumba in Zanzibar - Tanzania, as well as professionals. Study participants include 66 individuals from 2 fishing communities, government officials, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions labelled as professionals in this study.
It employs a qualitative method approach using questionnaires to seek the perceptions of community people and professionals and also to understand the drivers of seagrass degradation as perceived by local community stakeholders, including fisherfolk, seaweed farmers, gleaners, and professionals. It also explores the awareness of the community regarding the role of seagrass in carbon sequestration. 50% of the respondents from Chwaka were aware of carbon sequestration with regards to seagrass, compared to 13.3% from Fumba.
The respondents identified various impacts, like loss of fish catch, loss of invertebrate gleaning, loss of the natural beauty of the ocean, and coastal and shoreline erosion due to seagrass degradation in the study area. They attribute it to factors such as climate change, fishing activities, grazing from sea urchins, and pollution as the causes of the degradation. The chi-square test (x²) shows that there is no significant difference from the study area in their perceptions of the impacts of seagrass degradation.
The study underscores the multifaceted benefits of seagrass restoration, reaffirming its pivotal role in marine ecosystems. These benefits encompass supporting fisheries, providing habitat, enhancing breeding grounds, and sequestering carbon, including blue carbon. The results aim to inform conservation and restoration strategies and management practices that address seagrass degradation while emphasizing the significant role seagrass restoration can play in mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration.
Understanding stakeholders’ perspectives and integrating their views into conservation initiatives is crucial for the sustainable management of seagrass ecosystems in Zanzibar and beyond, ultimately contributing to global efforts to combat climate change and preserve marine biodiversity