Changing global seafood trade standards harm poor fishers |
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| Globalisation and Seafood Trade Legislation: the Effect on Poverty in India |
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New research is warning policy makers that globalisation is harming poor fishing communities. These communities already have a smaller share of the market because of new regulations. More controls in the pipeline mean further downsizing. Poor fishers have no way of coping with these changes and must either be helped to find other ways of making a living or helped to adjust to the new standards. Involving communities in managing fisheries and in drawing up quality control processes is a start to helping them adapt. Governments, and development agencies and NGOs such as FAO, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, CARE and Oxfam, are already taking these new findings into account to plan fisheries developments that will help poor fishers cope with globalisation. Project Ref: PHF14:
Research Programmes: PHFRP - Post Harvest Fisheries Research Programme Relevant Research Projects: R7970: Globalisation and International Seafood Legislation: the Effect on Poverty in India Lead Institution:
Partners
Using a multi-disciplinary approach the research from 2001-03 aimed to:
Some of the key findings included:
The research results and policy recommendations were made available in hard copy and CD-ROM: NRI Globalisation and International Seafood Legislation: the Effect on Poverty in India CD-ROM 2003 ISBN 0 85954 553 9. Presentations were made to relevant stakeholders through a final workshop held in January 2003 and to senior staff in several Indian research organisations and government departments. Inputs were made into several projects:
The main commodity focus is fish. However, some outputs relating to the organisation of the supply chain and the export trade as well as the analysis of food safety legislation, particularly SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) measures, would be relevant to the development of trade in other commodities, particularly crops.
The output can be clustered with the following outputs / projects:
Also, the previously mentioned "Guide to the Analysis of Fish Marketing Systems Using a Combination of Sub-sector Analysis and the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach", could benefit from a conceptual update, including the inclusion of case studies from other countries A range of research activities relating to the impact of globalisation and legislation on food exports from developing countries are being undertaken by various donor organisations including DFID, FAO, the World Bank, Asia Development Bank and USAID as well as various research organisations. In India, CIFT, MPEDA, and several universities are beginning to focus upon impact of globalisation and legislation on food exports. The Delhi-based Research and Information System for the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (RIS) has done considerable work on these issues. How the outputs were validated: Project Activities, Methods, Responsibilities, Validations and Time Frame: 2001 - 2004
Where the Outputs were Validated: Two Workshops were held in India, each lasting two days; namely an Inception Workshop in June 2001 and a Final End of Project Workshop in February 2003. At the Workshops there were 27 and 36 participants respectively, representing a cross section of fisheries industry stakeholders ranging from producer organisations, NGOs, government organisations and private companies involved in the fish export industry of India. At the Inception Workshop various presentations were made, key issues identified and researchable issues and methodologies were discussed. Scoping studies were then conducted in the selected states of Andhra Pradesh (AP), Kerala and Orissa, and the key findings and recommendations from these studies, as well as the findings from the desk research (on international seafood legislation, globalisation and sustainable livelihood approaches with particular reference to the fisheries sector) were then fed into the final formulation of research issues and sites, to ensure integration and linkages. Those targeted in the research were the poor and vulnerable in the fish processing and distribution chains - including coastal and aquaculture fishing communities (e.g. artisanal fishermen, boat and net owners, small scale processors, service providers, traders and distributors). During the research activities regular discussions were held with the various research teams, particularly those undertaking the state analysis to validate the methodology and the findings to date. In addition, key informants who knew the sector well were consulted regularly. There was an inbuilt mechanism for validating the study results at the industry/community level. The tiered approach used for data collection (from state/district level to communities to groups to specific households) also worked in the reverse while validating the results. At the Final Workshop the methodology and research findings were discussed and validated. Later brief presentations of findings were also made to senior staff in New Delhi of the Department of Fisheries, Indian Council of Agricultural Research and MPEDA. Finally some research aspects were validated in related studies cited in the Table. Who are the Users? Project outputs have been used in several major fishery sector studies and resultant policy discussions:
Two ICM studies namely
As one Project partner stated "The research outputs have led to a changed perception of 'reality' in the sector and that, it can be argued, is the most desired outcome of any research." Where the outputs have been used: The global nature of the issues addressed and the global nature of fisheries (e.g. employs 38 million in production and $63 billion exports) make it difficult to assess where outputs are being used. Within India, the lack of coordination or interactions between many fisheries agencies makes it very difficult to say how outputs are being utilised and promoted. Nevertheless, research results have been distributed widely in hard and electronic copies, through NRI, PHFRP and FAO websites and 500 CDs containing all Project outputs. Project document requests have been received from various countries (including Bangladesh, Ghana, Nigeria, Peru and Thailand). Also important contributions have been made to major projects and publications (#12). ICM is active in using, publicising and disseminating Project outputs e.g. in FAO's post-tsunami fisheries livelihood support programme explicit recommendations highlighted the importance of changing global seafood trade requirements while designing and setting up new infrastructure in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. Programme funding and implementing agencies (i.e. World Bank, ADB and Department of Fisheries) are in the process of accommodating these emerging global trends while planning new fisheries-related infrastructure in these states. Thus, Project outputs are percolating into the policy realm. Similarly, based upon ICM's recommendations, organisations such as CARE are planning studies to assess Tamil Nadu's fishing communities' infrastructure needs bearing in mind emergent trade issues. ICM and SIFFS have undertaken awareness raising programmes for fishworkers in AP and Orissa. However, apart from ICM/SIFFS and possibly CMFRI, it has not been possible to identify Indian people/organisations directly using Project outputs. Scale of Current Use: Since outputs are abstract recommendations, rather than specific tools or some 'physical asset', it is difficult to monitor the scale of current use. People/institutions receiving the outputs could have made use of them but no mechanisms exist to measure this. No database has been kept of people contacting NRI, ICM, Cirrus or SIFFS or website hits measured. Certainly NRI obtains requests, while ICM "keeps receiving visitors (academic researchers, NGOs, development consultants. interested in exploring the international trade vis-à-vis traditional livelihoods in Indian fisheries) as well as requests (through email, post and telephone) which indicates the international seafood trade is becoming more important from a research as well as a development perspective in India and that the outputs of research must be contributing to all such work." Regarding "how quickly use was established", fishery trade matters have become increasingly important both globally and nationally. For fishers exposed to trade awareness programmes, it takes longer to make the connection with the larger processes, but it is too early to suggest how awareness will translate into concrete long-term benefits for them. Regarding the spread of 'usage', many people are now more aware of the trade and seafood legislation issues than previously, due to the Project and its two offshoots, but the spread remains piecemeal and does not add up to a coherent whole as yet. All in all the 'uptake' of outputs has been rather sluggish which is surprising especially in the context of a rapidly and radically changing global seafood context. Policy and Institutional Structures, and Key Components for Success: As yet, other than the direct research partners, it is difficult to identify in India any programmes, policy or institutional structures that have assisted with the promotion and/or adoption of the outputs. As indicated under #12 and #13, some efforts were made to promote Project outputs through programmes such as the FAO's fisheries livelihood support programme in the post-tsunami period and some amount of success achieved in raising awareness amongst people and agencies, but it is doubtful if this has become sustainably institutionalised. The interest shown by the Directors of Fisheries and other key institutional players in the various states too remains to be translated into action. Similarly, while organisations like Oxfam and CARE have been quite interested in taking up some of the recommendations to implement some projects, these remain largely individual rather than institutionally driven. As yet, there has been no evidence of launching a new project which - at least partly - drew from the Project outputs. However it is important to recognise that major donor and government organisations are increasingly recognising that the fishery trade and the globalisation and legislative issues analysed in the Project can have a major impact on the incomes and livelihoods of the poor. As such, they are undertaking both further analyses of these issues as well as discussing various policy options to mitigate negative impacts arising from the legislation. Direct and Indirect Environmental Benefits: There could well be some environmental benefits, if the project recommendations - for instance, for cleaner fish landing and processing activities; for safe disposal of wastes etc. - are taken onboard and implemented by the national level agencies, but since this has yet to take place, they remain in the realm of hypothesis at the moment. Adverse Environmental Impacts: None have been identified to date Coping with the Effects of Climate Change, or Risk from Natural Disasters: Vulnerability to natural disasters is directly related to the sustainability of livelihoods and access to good quality of life. Cyclones in the Indian coastal states can be a disaster for tens of thousands since it can destroy their work and quality of life. To the extent that Project outputs lead to increased livelihood sustainability for the poor, their capacity to cope with disasters will increase correspondingly. More directly, Project findings propose improvements in the coastal infrastructure (harbours, processing and transport systems) which could potentially lead to improved protection and enhanced capacity to escape away from the shore. This was the case with many tsunami-affected communities in Tamil Nadu; where good infrastructure and roads enabled people could to respond faster and escape. Climate change affects the productivity and species make-up of fisheries. Proposed outputs will help poor sector stakeholders better understand the nature of change and how to identify both negative and positive impacts of global changes and take actions to mitigate negative changes and accentuate positive impacts. Many sector stakeholders (e.g. aquaculture) are also engaged in agriculture and if the efficiency and profitability of fisheries can be improved it could compensate for any reduced yields or natural disasters affecting agriculture. Relevant Research Projects,
with links to the
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For relevant research projects, with links to further information Geographical regions included: India,  Target Audiences for this content:Fishers, Processors, Traders, |
