Success stories from artisanal fisheries in Europe

To commemorate the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, Eurofish in cooperation with the FAO Subregional Office for Central Asia hosted a two-hour webinar that highlighted successes in small-scale fisheries in Europe. Eurofish welcomed five speakers: Ante Sladoljev from Croatia, David Lange from Denmark, Erko Veltson from Estonia, Nuri Basusta from Turkey, and Valentina Cappanera from Italy.

Ante Sladoljev discussed the success of small-scale fishermen in embracing EMFF funding and grants to, among other benefits, expand their business, gain access to resources, plan for long term development, and get new equipment. He also shared the development of a fishing cooperative that allowed small scale fishermen to develop a processing facility, be recognized as a producer organization, and gain a bigger market influence. Finally, he discussed the success of the “Fishermen Recommend” quality label. The label is designated for fish that are local, wild, and fresh. The label allows small scale fisherman to establish a greater foothold in local restaurant and tourism markets and thereby limit their individual carbon footprint from transporting fish.

David Lange spoke on low impact fishing in Denmark and the challenges in optimizing low impact fishing practices which are less effective but have less consequences in terms of bycatch, fuel use, and sea floor impact. Mr Lange highlighted the opportunities to increase the sustainability of fisheries by developing technology, labelling, public information, political initiatives, limiting quotas, and diversifying fisheries. The organization FSK-PO , that he is a board member of, creates awareness of the issues among the public and supports the continued development of low impact fishing in Denmark.

Erko Veltson discussed the diversification of the fish market in Estonia. The Estonian company, Stonefish, received an EMFF grant to develop a processing and sales facility for a diverse range of value-added products including fishing equipment, processed fish, fish chocolate, and fish-based snacks. The company focuses on personal branding in telling the life story of the fisherman who catch the product and has successfully increased the opportunities for the local fishermen.

Nuri Basusta discussed the development of rapa whelk fisheries in the Black Sea. Rapa whelk is a non-indigenous species to the Black Sea and is used for human consumption in parts of Asia. The species threatens indigenous populations of bivalves such as mussels and oysters. Rapa whelk is a profitable export, yet given its invasive status there remains very limited information on management strategies. However, rapa whelk exports have successfully provided economic opportunities for marginalized communities and women in Turkey.

Valentina Cappanera shared the success of the tonnarella fishing practices to coexist with the environmental protection of the Portofino marine protected area. Tonnarella is a historic way of fishing that uses nets to catch the fish by exploiting the currents. The fishing has provided an opportunity to cooperate with science to create a biological record of changes in biodiversity over time. The cooperation between interested scientists and the fisherman is valuable for the data It generates. The presentations prompted a lively discussion with the active participation of the attendees emphasizing the importance of artisanal fisheries for communities around the world.

For more information and to view the presentations, visit www.eurofish.dk

0:00 Welcome (Behnan Thomas)
2:35 Introduction (Marco Frederiksen)
4:57 FAO Video
6:45 Ante Sladoljev – Three Examples of Artisanal Fisheries Development in the Adriatic Sea
32:10 David Lange –Naturskaansom – The first state-controlled label for low-impact caught fish
53:20 Erko Veltson - Estonian coastal fishing situation and what are the main goals in the future
1:13:49 Nuri Basusta – Sustainable Development of Rapa Whelk Fishing in the Black Sea Area
1:33:44 Valentina Cappanera – The Tonnarella – An example of Co-Management for the Portofino Marine Protected Area and a laboratory of biodiversity
2:02:57 Closing Remarks (Behnan Thomas)