More information
Description
Only with fishermen trained to be marine sustainability entrepreneurs, who are aware of the importance of their role in the management of common resources, and knowledgeable about the natural and local values that sustain their activity, will we be able to reduce the environmental impacts of fishing at, while at the same time ensuring decent income and preserving the social identity matrix of coastal communities.
This proposal intends to contribute to making fishermen informed actors in the defense of the sea, the common good that sustains us all and with which they have a daily and deep connection with, through the development of training actions in blue literacy.
The training proposed by the ANP - "Pescadores Pelo Futuro" - contains 5 modules with a total duration of 20 hours, adapted to the reality of the area of Lower Tagus Estuary, and which focus on themes such as the functioning of marine ecosystems, the need to protect certain species and ecosystems, notions of good fishing practices, and financial management and entrepreneurship for fishermen, as well as new technologies, more power in taking and better organization at the level of associations and intervention in the market.
It is intended to identify and map the stakeholders involved in the sector, paying special attention to shipowners and vessel masters, carrying out a diagnostic analysis through surveys, interviews and meetings, which aim to understand the current state of the sector and expectations and needs of themselves.
The project will also gather fishermen''s local ecological knowledge about species and habitat dynamics, as well as exotic or invasive species; and about the good practices/examples of entrepreneurship that are already part of its activity, in order to develop innovative and sustainable ideas that can be put into practice by the fishermen themselves. In the end, it is expected to strengthen the skills of 15-20 fishermen and shipowners in the Tagus estuary through this project.
Summary of project results
The aim of the project is to help fishermen become informed agents in the defense of the sea, the common good that sustains us all and with which they have a close daily and profound connection, through the developing training courses in blue literacy.
Only if fishermen are trained to be entrepreneurs of marine sustainability, aware of the importance of their their role in the management of common resources, and knowledgeable about the natural and local values that sustain their activity, fishing will be able to reduce its environmental impact on the sea, while at the same time ensuring a decent income and remains the social and identity matrix of coastal communities.
By involving fishermen in the development process, the project proposed to create a non formal education plan that could address the specific challenges and needs fishermen face, gathering also information from other stakeholders and enhancing its applicability and effectiveness. To achieve the results the project developed the following activities: - Desktop research: Questionnaires and interviews with stakeholders and fishermen (gathering info on what already existed and what were the needs for the sector). - Working group meetings with stakeholders and fishermen to present the results from the desktop research and plan the course. - Pilot sessions with fishermen with the goal of testing the 5 modules created. - Final working group meeting with stakeholders and fishermen to debate challenges, solutions and next steps.
The development of skills and the training content proposed are divided into 5 general modules with a total duration of 20 hours, which are intended to be adapted to the reality of Lower Tagus Estuary. The main themes will focus on: the functioning of marine ecosystems, the need to protect certain species and ecosystems, notions of good practice in fishing, and financial management and entrepreneurship for fishermen.
The results from these activities can be defined by the creation of tools (training handbook that can be shared, adapted and applied by different educators and trainers and the promotional video including fisherman testimonies, which is a powerful communication tool) and also the capacity-building achievements and skill development by fisherman that were part of the session. In which concerns capacity-building, one of the major results takes on consideration empowering fishermen in the first session to find a challenge or opportunity in their community and work on solutions in the second session. In the 3 communities where the project happened, they developed skills and felt empowered, presenting different goals and challenges which needed to be addressed based on different tools.