Determinants of COVID-19 masking among artisanal fisherfolks in Ghana: the role of time discounting

Purpose: Daily COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality rates are still high globally, and masking is considered a reliable method of preventing its infections. Yet, the rate of voluntary compliance with masking remains very low in most parts of the world, especially in developing countries. The authors hypothesize that the decision to wear a mask entails some benefit-cost analysis that involves time discounting. In addition, the authors surmise that feel-good benefits from pro-social behavior and from wearing fashionable masks are substantial. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on a survey of 900 fishermen and fish traders in Ghana. A simple experiment was designed to elicit individual rates of time preference. In addition, the fishers were asked questions about their political affiliation and knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic, among others. A logit model is used to investigate the determinants of the decision to wear a mask. Findings: The authors found that masking compliance increases in time discounting for fishmongers, suggesting that private benefits from pro-social behavior or feel-good benefits from wearing a mask are very strong. In addition, those who belonged to the ruling political party were more likely to wear a mask. Other factors increasing the likelihood of masking include affiliation with the ruling political party, knowledge of COVID-19 and knowledge of someone who lost his/her job due to COVID-19. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the effect of time discounting on the voluntary compliance of a health safety measure, which could provide a direct utility. In addition, the study explores the effect of political affiliation on voluntary masking behavior. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Reflecting on the importance of open communication and social capital for the co-creation of knowledge in Irish fisheries

Fishing industry stakeholders have unique and important contributions to make to fisheries research. Co-operative and collaborative research approaches between science and industry are important to facilitate the documentation of fishers' knowledge and the co-creation of common understandings. Successful collaborations require open communication, trust and social capital, but numerous barriers exist to establishing these effective partnerships. This paper takes a narrative approach to reflect on the authors' experiences of engaging and collaborating with Irish fishers in the quest for the co-creation of knowledge, while considering how data from industry can best be used and integrated into scientific processes. This includes reflecting on barriers faced, in addition to motives and opportunities that have enabled this work to progress. Through case study examples, we reflect on issues surrounding misunderstandings regarding the roles of scientists and the scientific process, a lack of transparency, a lack of trust, historical/legacy issues, and contemporary pressures including the COVID-19 pandemic and impacts of Brexit. Building trust and active communication are identified as key elements to effectively co-create knowledge and common understanding. Trust is often developed in an informal setting, but more formalized processes, increased transparency and opportunities to engage, and institutional supports may further facilitate effective knowledge co-creation in fisheries. Copyright © 2023 Calderwood, Pedreschi, Ó Cuaig and Reid.

Play Behavior by a Juvenile Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) with an Inanimate Object (Driftwood) in the Gulf of Tribugá, Colombia

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are a cosmopolitan species that often visit inshore waters close to the coast, making it easier to see and study them. Consequently, this baleen whale has been researched the most, particularly in Colombia. In Aug 2020, ongoing cetacean monitoring was performed by a group of trained fishermen from the Gulf of Tribuga as part of a community science program implemented by the R&E Ocean Community Conservation Foundation as a contingency plan for monitoring marine mammals in the area during COVID-19 lockdown. As a result of these observations of play behavior, the scope of knowledge regarding the social dynamics, developmental processes, flexibility, and cognitive abilities of cetaceans has been expanded.

Implementing SDG 14 Under Principles, Ethical Values, and Environmental and Economic Justice for Small-Scale Artisanal Fishermen in Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, as in other countries, vulnerability and marginalization experienced by small-scale artisanal fishermen, fisherwomen, and mollusk collectors are the result of the absence of a human rights‐based approach to marine conservation and development in the coastal areas. Usually non-formality, absence of tenure and access rights, bad health services, and low education compared to other productive sectors are part of what fisherfolks experience. This commentary shares how working in a long-term and integral way with these communities and incorporating a human rights‐based approach strengthens the contributions that the sector provides toward the sustainable use of the fishing resource of their marine territories with dignity, equity, and justice, especially in the context of SDG 14, the Ocean Decade, and 2022 as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture. Born during the COVID pandemic, the initiative of a fair and equitable Sea Market for the fishing products of these small-scale communities supported by CoopeSoliDar RL and the Marine Responsible Fishing areas and marine territories of life network in Costa Rica is today a concrete example of how a fair and just market can contribute positively to the objectives of sustainable development and the fundamental elements contained in the Convention on Biological Diversity, preservation of the natural environment, sustainable use, and fair and equitable distribution of benefits.

Impacts, Diversity, and Resilience of a Coastal Water Small-Scale Fisheries Nexus during COVID-19: A Case Study in Bangladesh

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected many world regions’ coastal social-ecological systems (SESs). Its extensive consequences have exposed flaws in numerous facets of society, including small-scale coastal fisheries in developing countries. To this extent, by focusing on two coastal districts in Bangladesh, namely Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar, we investigated how the lockdown during COVID-19 impacted small-scale coastal fishers in Bangladesh and which immediate measures are required to develop and implement insights, on the role of the scale of governance attributes, in facilitating or impeding the resilience of small-scale fisheries (SSFs). We analyzed both qualitative and quantitative data obtained through semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews (n = 120). Data were further validated using two focus group discussions in the study areas. The impact of the pandemic on the fishers’ livelihood included halting all kinds of fishing activities;limited time or area for fishing;livelihood relocation or alternative work;low fish price;fewer fish buyers, causing difficulty in selling;and travel or free-movement restrictions. Additionally, the study discovered several coping skills and found that the most prevalent coping strategy against the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic was to take out loans (48%) from different organizations and NGOs and borrow money from relatives, neighbors, friends, or boat owners. Finally, the current research analysis identified possible recommendations to enhance the resilience of coastal fishers during COVID-19, emphasizing arrangements that should be made to provide alternative livelihood opportunities for coastal fishermen via need-based training, technical and vocational education and training, and microcredit to keep them afloat and earning during the pandemic, not relying only on fishing.

A review of vulnerabilities in worldwide small-scale fisheries

Addressing vulnerabilities in small-scale fisheries (SSF) has been gaining increasing attention due to their role in securing livelihoods of millions of people in the world, even though when they are subject to susceptible scenarios. We reviewed the literature with the aim of shedding light on the distribution, coping strategies, and common drivers of vulnerabilities in worldwide SSF. Seventy-eight studied cases worldwide, 21 drivers of vulnerability, and 8 coping strategies were identified. Natural and human-induced declining fish catches was the most common driver of vulnerability and disobedience of fishing rules the most common coping strategy. From the three dimensions of vulnerability, exposure (presence of vulnerable scenarios) was the highest (50%), followed by sensitivity (susceptibility to vulnerable scenarios) (29%) and adaptive capacity (ability to cope with vulnerable scenarios) (21%). The literature review highlights the need for adopting a context-specific threefold (resource management and conservation, livelihoods development, and restructured governance) approach to SSF management.

Defend as You Can, React Quickly: The Effects of the COVID-19 Shock on a Large Fishery of the Mediterranean Sea

This paper presents an analysis of the effect of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic and related restrictive measures on the activity of the Italian fleet of trawlers, which represents one of the most important fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea. We integrated multiple sources of information including: 1) fleet activity data from Vessel Monitoring System, the most important satellite-based tracking device;2) vessel-specific landing data disaggregated by species;3) market and economic drivers affecting the effort variation during the lockdown and in the related fishing strategies;4) monthly landings of demersal species in the main Italian harbours. These data sources are combined to: 1) assess the absolute and relative changes of trawling effort in the geographical sub-areas surrounding the Italian coasts;2) integrate and compare these changes with the market and economic drivers in order to explain the observed changes in fishing effort and strategy;3) analyse the changes of the fishing effort on the Landing-per-unit-effort (LPUE) in order to further understand the strategy adopted by fishers during this crisis and to infer the potential consequence for the different stocks. The results provide an overview of the effects of the “COVID-19 shock”, in terms of fishing activity and socio-economic drivers, demonstrating that the consequences of the pandemic have been very varied. Although the COVID-19 shock has caused a marked overall reduction in activity in the first semester of 2020, in some cases the strategies adopted by fishermen and the commercial network linked to their activity have significantly reduced the impact of the emergency and taken back catch and effort to levels similar to those of previous years. These results could provide insights for management measures based on fleet reduction and temporal stops.

Impacts of COVID-19 on the Catch of Small-Scale Fishers and Their Families Due to Restriction Policies in Davao Gulf, Philippines

Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization in 2020 with countries putting up several measures to mitigate and flatten the curve of hospitalizations and death from travel bans to home confinements and local lockdowns. This pandemic created health and economic crises, leading to increased incidence of poverty and food crisis especially on both agriculture and the fisheries in many developing nations including the Philippines. The specific objectives of this study were to assess the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of small-scale fishers and to determine what factors could influence the volume of their catch during this time of pandemic. Moreover, this also investigated the impact of COVID-19 restrictions to fishers and their families. To do that we surveyed N=200 small-scale fishers around the Davao gulf using semi-structured questionnaire and inquired on the impact of the COVID-19 to their fishing operation, catch, fishing costs, and their families. The collected socioeconomic variables, including emotional responses to the pandemic were then related to the CPUE (catch per unit effort) and the volume of catch. The results show that fishers were highly affected by the pandemic due to the lockdown policy imposed in the fishing villages during the earlier phases of restrictions by the government. Fishers were affected in terms of the volume of their catch, also fishing costs, and emotionally as they were also frustrated due to the impacts of the hard lockdown. The restricted fishing access was found to have important and major set-back on the fishing operations of fishers and the same was experienced also by the middlemen given the low fish price and reduced mobility of the fish traders. COVID-19 also impacted the fishers, and their families through lack of mobility, food inadequacy, travel restrictions and their children’s education.

Livelihood functions of fisher households under a cold-water production environment of Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir, India

This study comprehensively investigated the livelihood security scenario of fisher households (FHs) employing the CARE framework with little modifications, in Kashmir, India. Primary data for this study was collected from selected FHs, and a regression function was fitted to quantify the determinants of livelihood security. The findings revealed that fishing has been their dominant livelihood option. The landholding owned by the households was meagre enough to carry out farming or domesticate animals on commercial lines. Poor capital endowments place them at less livelihood security level;however, the respondents with diversified income have a relatively higher index value for livelihood. The regression estimates indicated that barring social and natural capital, all forms of capital have a significant role to play in securing their livelihood. Poor livelihood security, coupled with less income flow, has made their survival vulnerable to various distresses and health disorders, including the prevalence of Infant & Maternal Mortality. Their dietary intake was undesirably less than their dietary recommendations. The COVID-19 pandemic was perceived as a shock to their livelihood security. Further, public investment, which is pertinent for the growth of the fisheries sector, has shown a discouraging trend. The study concluded with a few policy suggestions for securing the livelihood of the fisher community.

A Framework for Simulating Ecosystem Effects in Data-Poor Small-Scale Fisheries Using Science-Based and Local Ecological Knowledge-Based Models

The constant demand for seafood products and the undeniable effects of fishing on marine ecosystems make it urgent to implement an ecosystem approach, even in data-poor scenarios such as small-scale fisheries. Understanding the impacts of fishing is essential for promoting management strategies that prevent irreversible damage to marine ecosystems. Thus, ecosystem quantitative science-based models have been frequently used to evaluate the effects of fishing, although fishers’ local ecological knowledge (LEK) can aid the implementation of qualitative models, particularly in data-poor conditions. Here, we present a framework for simulating and assessing the effects of fishing following two strategies: 1) for both types of models, we simulated species removal scenarios, and 2) for quantitative science-based models, we fitted time series to dynamically assessed impacts. The impacts were analyzed through ecological indicators commonly used for quantitative models, and because these indicators cannot be easily estimated for qualitative models, we propose the use of topological indicators in both types of models. The approach was applied to three case studies of small-scale finfish fisheries in northwestern Mexico. We found that the ecosystem response to species removal was different in each case study and that the target species can play an important role in ecosystems, but their removal does not generate abrupt changes in the ecosystem structure. The quantitative science-based models were able to reproduce the historical catch trends, which allowed us to reveal that changes in ecosystems appear to be mostly influenced by primary productivity rather than fishing effort. Furthermore, topological and ecological indicators showed similar trends in the quantitative models, which suggests that the former could be useful when data-poor conditions allow only qualitative models. This result confirms the relevance of the participation of fishers in generating qualitative models and their decisive role in the discussion of co-management strategies and risk scenarios in a better-informed manner.

Knowledge, practice, and economic impacts of COVID-19 on small-scale coastal fishing communities in Bangladesh: Policy recommendations for improved livelihoods.

COVID-19 has profoundly impacted global livelihoods and disrupted the food supply chain, including the aquaculture and fisheries industries. Little is known about the response to COVID-19 and the impact it has on incomes, livelihoods and knowledge and practice in the coastal artisanal fishers communities of Bangladesh. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the socio-demographics of selected coastal fishers, their knowledge about COVID-19 and the preventive practice taken to reduce it. The impact on their fishing habits and income was also examined to determine potential policy areas. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire from 250 respondents from three coastal districts, Cox's Bazar, Patuakhali and Barguna, Bangladesh during April-June 2020. The research shows that the fishers' knowledge about COVID-19 and measures taken to reduce it were significantly higher in Patuakhali and Barguna than in Cox's Bazar. The pandemic caused lower consumer demand, reduced fish prices and created fish transportation issues due to movement restrictions enforced during the lockdown. Irrespective of geographical location, fishing trips were reduced by frequency and duration compared with the pre-COVID-19 period, consequently lowering the income of fishers. Fishers have received little or no support from private, non-governmental or governmental sources. Considering the evidence in this paper of economic hardship, this paper recommends artisanal fishers in Bangladesh should be provided with support to improve their health education, access to professional health facilities and financial services. This will contribute to improved food security and sustainable livelihoods that can better withstand local and/or global crises.