Towards a classification of vulnerability of small-scale fisheries

Vulnerability of small-scale fisheries (SSF) results from complex interactions amongst various threats and stressors, including biophysical risks, environmental variability, unstable political situations, and weak governance, to name a few. SSF vulnerability has become more evident, with increased severity, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowledge about what makes SSF vulnerable is limited, which impedes appropriate policy responses and intervention. As a first step to rectifying the situation, a classification approach is proposed to better describe and differentiate types of vulnerability to SSF and to guide data collection and dissemination about SSF vulnerability. The classification system is developed based on a narrative review of case studies worldwide, published in scientific journals in the past 20 years. The case studies cover SSF in diverse aquatic environments, including river, floodplain, reservoir, river delta, lake, atoll, estuaries, lagoon mangrove, coral reefs, seagrass ecosystem, islands, coastal and marine environment. Similar to the five pillars of sustainability, SSF vulnerability is associated with five main factors, i.e., biophysical, social, economic, technological, and governance. Knowledge about SSF vulnerability helps inform tailored management strategies and policies to reduce SSF marginalization and promote viability, aligning, therefore, with the goal of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries.Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Coastal Fishery Livelihood Systems: Socio-economic Implications for Small-Scale Fisherfolk in Winneba, Ghana

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted livelihood options and systems of people from all walks of life. In this study, we explored the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic on small-scale coastal fisherfolk in the Winneba community of the Central Region of Ghana. The study used quantitative data from a questionnaire survey (n = 50) and qualitative data from in-depth interviews with key stakeholders including chief fishermen, community leaders, and district members (n = 12) to examine the stated objectives. The empirical results showed that the overwhelming majority of fisherfolk are aware of COVID-19 and the risks it poses to their health with their main source of information on the pandemic being the radio. Most of the respondents reported that the COVID-19 pandemic had and continues to adversely transform their livelihood systems. Further analysis showed that their socio-economic vulnerabilities have further been worsened because of the extra financial costs incurred in the purchase of personal protective equipment such as face masks and hand sanitisers in response to COVID-19. The frequency and number of crews per fishing trip have decreased resulting in lower fish landings and decreased income. The volume of fish processing and trading activities has also decreased because of the increase in prices of fish and low patronage. Commonly mentioned local coping strategies against COVID-19 infection include drinking and bathing with seawater as well as the use of seawater as a desired enema solution for general detoxification. In response to declining fish catches, fisherfolk are resorting to illegal fishing activities and engaging in casual work like masonry and carpentry to supplement their income. The study urges relevant stakeholders to evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 on coastal fisheries' livelihoods toward designing and implementing sustainable and practical resilience-enhancing strategies. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Immediate impact of COVID-19 across tropical small-scale fishing communities.

The volume and value of fish catches by Indonesia's small-scale fisheries have declined significantly since national government restrictions on travel and social distancing were imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a digital data collection system (OurFish), that records purchases by fish traders from small-scale fishers, data was collected across 82 coastal communities in Southeast Sulawesi. We found that the number of active fishers and traders declined by more than 90% after the onset of the pandemic and the average weight of catch per fishing trip increased across fishers. Although the average price per kilogram of fish declined after the pandemic began, fishers that were able to maintain fishing had on average higher catches and therefore daily catch value was maintained. High value fisheries that usually enter export supply chains were more negatively impacted compared with lower value species that are commonly sold to local markets. We interviewed 185 small scale fishers and fish traders across 20 of the 82 communities in Southeast Sulawesi province, recording the perceived level of impact on local fisheries and the fish trade, causes of this impact and proposed coping strategies. Over 50% of both fishers and fish traders believed low demand for fish from traders and a decline in the price received for fish were disrupting their lives. Approximately 75% of both male and female fishers are coping by continuing to fish, highlighting that there were few alternative livelihoods available at the time of the interviews. Our results provide key insights into the vulnerability of small-scale fishing communities to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 experiences of small-scale fishing households: The case of Lake Victoria, Kenya

Introduction: The impact of COVID-19 on small-scale fishing communities is of great concern given the importance of aquatic foods in trade, nutrition and livelihoods. Using a case study of Lake Victoria, augmented by published literature, we examine the socioeconomic dynamics and severity of COVID-19 impacts on Kenyan fishing communities. Methods: A household level questionnaire was administered through phone interviews on a monthly basis from June 2020 to May 2021, including a focus group discussion in July 2021. Results: We find that multifold fear of COVID-19 infection and control measures were present and varied across case rates and stringency of control measures. Fishers and traders reported being affected by disease control measures that limited market access and their ability to fish overnight. In spite of these worries, and contrary to what has been reported in the published literature regarding impacts observed in the early months of the pandemic, we see stable participation in fishing and fish trading over time despite the pandemic. Food insecurity was high before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, but did not substantially shift with the pandemic. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that Kenyan fishing and fish trading households adopted diverse strategies to cope and balance generating income to provide for their families and staying safe. Our results underscore the need to understand ways in which acute pandemic impacts evolve over time given that effects are likely heterogeneous across small-scale fishing communities. Copyright © 2023 Okronipa, Bageant, Baez, Onyango, Aura and Fiorella.

Participatory evaluations reveal positive impacts for small-scale fishing communities in Indonesia and Honduras

Small-scale fishing communities are often particularly vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks, as exemplified by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, extreme weather events as a result of climate change, and rising costs associated with the war in Ukraine. These positive impacts were experienced in vulnerable communities facing several external stressors, thus highlighting the benefits of strengthening community governance and supporting improved and diversified livelihoods to increase resilience to threats. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Oryx is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Regional impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on aquaculture and small-scale fisheries: Insights and recovery strategies in India

Fisheries and aquaculture have emerged as a promising food production sector at the global level as well as regional levels. Fish and fish products are produced in one region and then are traded across various parts of the world. The whole sector is dependent on chains of workers engaged at landing centres, breeding units, processing units, and the trade and export chains. When the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown hit the country, it affected the whole sector and caused a huge decline in the production and trade of fishing products. This article aims to have a glimpse into the aquaculture sector and evaluate the impact of the pandemic on this sector in India. This valuable information can be of great importance to government and aquatic food suppliers so that they can evolve their strategies to withstand ongoing and future pandemics. It also helps them in framing regional and sectorial adjustments to transform investment plans, match market demands, improve monitoring strategies and get prepared for future needs. © 2023

COVID-19 impacts on food systems in fisheries-dependent island communities

Policies designed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted food systems worldwide. How impacts played out in local food systems, and how these affected the lived experiences of different people is only just coming to light. We conducted a structured analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 containment policies on the food systems of small-scale fishing communities in Kenya, Papua New Guinea, and Saint Lucia, based on interviews with men and women fishers, fish traders, and community leaders. Participants reported that containment policies lead indirectly to reduced volumes of food, lower dietary diversity, increased consumption of traditional foods, and reduced access to fish for food and income. Although the initiating policy and food and nutrition security outcomes often appeared similar, we found that the underlying pathways and feedbacks causing these impacts were different based on local context. Incorporating knowledge of how context-specific factors shape food system outcomes may be key to tailoring strategies to mitigate the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and designing timely, strategic interventions for future systemic shocks. © 2023, Resilience Alliance. All rights reserved.

Social cohesion and self-governance arrangements among small-scale fisheries in Puerto Rico

In small-scale fisheries that suffer from weak formal governance, fishers use a variety of institutional strategies to self-govern. These self-governance arrangements may or may not be forms of collective action, yet they rely on informal institutions (such as norms of reciprocity) in generating social cohesion among users so that common rules can be agreed upon. Social network perspectives have been used to understand the cohesiveness of fishers operating with different gear types or in different communities, yet less is known about how social cohesion differs between fishers that operate through formal cooperative arrangements, such as fishing associations, and independent fishers who operate solely at the community level through informal cooperation. Using mixed methods, we compared the social cohesion of commercial fishers arising from information-sharing and work-support networks in four fishing communities of north-eastern Puerto Rico, as they coped with prolonged hurricane recovery and the COVID-19 pandemic. A series of exponential random graph models (ERGMs) were applied to untangle the drivers of cohesion emerging from fisher's information-sharing patterns. Fisher's communication was driven not just by operating at the same landing site or using the same primary gear type, but also by choosing to organize their fishing under the same self-governance arrangement. Specifically, fishers that were members of fishing associations mostly communicated among themselves, while independent fishers talked across arrangements, indicating the role of fishing associations in fostering social cohesion. However, associated fishers were less likely to receive information than independent fishers, suggesting the need for targeted communication strategies within each group. Moreover, independent fishers had more work support ties and a greater diversity of supporting actors across the supply chain, suggesting their need for higher levels of linking social capital. Multiple social factors explained whether fishers choose to be members of fishing associations or remain independent, including trust in leaders and agreement on membership rules. These findings highlight the importance of knowing the cohesiveness of cooperation networks among small-scale fishers.

Addressing vulnerability and exclusion in the South African small-scale fisheries sector: does the current regulatory framework measure up?

Small-scale fishers and fishing communities have long suffered marginalisation and discrimination in South Africa. New laws and policies promulgated as the result of a court case brought by small-scale fishers, NGOs and academics attempt to rectify this problem. Drawing on the poverty-vulnerability-marginalisation framework, the paper considers whether this regulatory regime reduces vulnerability and marginalisation within the sector as an important precursor to poverty reduction initiatives, such as improved rights allocation. While the new regulatory regime is a step in the right direction, the paper ultimately finds that there are shortcomings in these laws, many of which have been thrown into sharp relief by the rights implementation process and COVID-19 lockdowns. These include narrow eligibility criteria for fishing rights, a lack of substantive solutions when it comes to vulnerable groups, processes insufficient to prevent elite capture, and impediments to the practice of alternative livelihoods. These shortcomings must be addressed through the appropriate expansion of access rights, consultation with fishers and more inclusive drafting, if the contribution of small-scale fisheries to development and poverty reduction in South Africa is to be realised.

Fishing safely during COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada: Making it happen.

Globally, fisheries have been the site of multiple documented outbreaks of COVID-19. Existing studies point to the threat posed by the pandemic to livelihoods and health among migrant industrial fishery workers, small-scale fish harvesters, and fishing communities. They show the pandemic enhanced safety, economic, social and political layers of vulnerability in fisheries, while also showcasing examples of resilience. Case studies of COVID-19 response provide an opportunity to explore how existing organizational structures, leadership and networks in fisheries can enable the rapid co-development of customized strategies for fishing safely during large-scale global disruptions such as pandemics. This article contributes to our understanding of governance and fishing safety in small-scale fisheries during the early pandemic, examining the response of small-scale fisheries in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. These seasonal fisheries successfully opened with regulator approval after a short delay and operated without documented COVID-19 outbreaks during 2020. Findings draw from key informant interviews with a safety sector association and union leader, complemented with insights from an anonymous online survey of small-scale harvesters. Interviews capture the organizational processes and resources mobilized to rapidly co-develop the COVID-19 Safe Work Practice Guideline. Online survey findings indicate that fifty-nine percent of respondents (crew and skippers) had no COVID-19-related concerns while fishing in 2020; older harvesters and owner-operators were significantly more likely to indicate concerns. When asked about the relative practicality of listed COVID-19 precautions, respondents commonly identified sanitization, reduced interactions with shore workers, social distancing, protection equipment, modifications to eating/rest areas, and reduced crew as impractical. These assessments are generally consistent with those of the interviewed leaders and the Guideline approach. This suggests the co-developed Guideline provided tailored and practical COVID-19 prevention strategies. Pre-existing governance structures and networks can help address small-scale fisheries vulnerabilities to pandemics by supporting co-development of organizational resources and evidence-informed prevention strategies.

"Ocean Optimism" and Resilience: Learning From Women's Responses to Disruptions Caused by COVID-19 to Small-Scale Fisheries in the Gulf of Guinea

This study examines the response of women to disruptions caused by COVID-19 in small-scale fisheries (SSF) in the Gulf of Guinea (GOG). It interrogates the concept of resilience and its potential for mitigating women's vulnerability in times of adversity. We define resilience as the ability to thrive amidst shocks, stresses, and unforeseen disruptions. Drawing on a focus group discussion, in-depth interviews with key informants from Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria, and a literature review, we highlight how COVID-19 disruptions on seafood demand, distribution, labour and production acutely affected women and heightened their pre-existing vulnerabilities. Women responded by deploying both negative and positive coping strategies. We argue that the concept of resilience often romanticises women navigating adversity as having 'supernatural' abilities to endure disruptions and takes attention away from the sources of their adversity and from the governments' concomitant failures to address them. Our analysis shows reasons for "ocean optimism" while also cautioning against simplistic resilience assessments when discussing the hidden dangers of select coping strategies, including the adoption of digital solutions and livelihood diversification, which are often constructed along highly gendered lines with unevenly distributed benefits.

Fish catch responses to Covid-19 disease curfews dependent on compliance, fisheries management, and environmental contexts.

The responses of small-scale coastal fisheries to pauses in effort and trade are an important test of natural resource management theories with implications for the many challenges of managing common-pool resources. Three Covid-19 curfews provided a natural experiment to evaluate fisheries responses adjacent a marine reserve and in a management system that restricted small-mesh drag nets. Daily catch weights in ten fish landings were compared before and after the curfew period to test the catch-only hypothesis that the curfew would reduce effort and increase catch per unit effort, per area yields, and incomes. Interviews with key informants indicated that fisheries effort and trade were disrupted but less so in the gear-restricted rural district than the more urbanized reserve landing sites. The expected increase in catches and incomes was evident in some sites adjacent the reserve but not the rural gear restricted fisheries. Differences in compliance and effort initiated by the curfew, changes in gear, and various negative environmental conditions are among the explanations for the variable catch responses. Rates of change over longer periods in CPUE were stable among marine reserve adjacent landing sites but declined faster after the curfew in the gear-restricted fisheries. Two landing sites nearest the southern end of the reserve displayed a daily 45 % increase in CPUE, 25-30 % increase in CPUA, and a 45-56 % increase in incomes. Results suggest that recovering stocks will succeed where authorities can achieve compliance, near marine reserves, and fisheries lacking additional environmental stresses.

Characterization of masculinity expressions and their influence on the participation of women in Mexican small-scale fisheries.

The objective of this study was to document and characterize the different expressions of masculinity and their influence on the participation of women in three small-scale fisheries. The fisheries operate in three priority regions for marine conservation: the northern Mexican Pacific, Gulf of California, and Mexican Caribbean. A qualitative investigation and virtual interviews with participants were conducted due to the lockdown measures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Information from 16 interviews (nine women and seven men) were integrated to this study. An analysis of the thematic content of the information was conducted. The results showed a relationship between being a man, being a fisher, and being a member of a fishing cooperative while maintaining a family. Four characterizations of masculinity emerged. In reluctant traditional masculinity, older men believed that their point of view was what mattered, and they did not accept the participation of women in fisheries. Men who fell under the category of flexible traditional masculinity accepted the participation of women in the working areas of the fisheries. Men associated with transitional masculinity were those who incorporated notions of gender equality and who were open to the participation of women in fisheries. Men connected with apprentice masculinity were mostly young people who depended on their supervisors to guide them. Apprentice masculinity may develop into traditional masculinity or move towards gender equality. The discussion incorporates an analysis of the benefits of changing masculinities regarding health, avoiding risks, and accepting the participation of women in fisheries. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40152-022-00276-z.

Fishing during the "new normality": social and economic changes in Galapagos small-scale fisheries due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The crisis caused by COVID-19 has profoundly affected human activities around the globe, and the Galapagos Islands are no exception. The impacts on this archipelago include the impairment of tourism and the loss of linkages with the Ecuadorian mainland, which has greatly impacted the local economy. The collapse of the local economy jeopardized livelihoods and food security, given that many impacts affected the food supply chain. During the crisis, the artisanal fishers of the Galapagos showed a high capacity to adapt to the diminishing demand for fish caused by the drastic drop in tourism. We observed that fishers developed strategies and initiatives by shifting roles, from being mainly tourism-oriented providers to becoming local-household food suppliers. This new role of fishers has triggered an important shift in the perception of fishers and fisheries in Galapagos by the local community. The community shifted from perceiving fisheries as a sector opposed to conservation and in conflict with the tourism sector to perceiving fisheries as the protagonist sector, which was securing fresh, high-quality protein for the human community. This study explores the socio-economic impacts and adaptations of COVID-19 on Galapagos' artisanal fisheries based on a mixed methods approach, including the analysis of fisheries datasets, interviews, surveys, and participant observation conducted during and after the lockdown. We illustrate the adaptive mechanisms developed by the sector and explore the changes, including societal perceptions regarding small-scale fisheries in the Galapagos. The research proposes strategies to enhance the Galapagos' economic recovery based on behaviors and traits shown by fishers which are considered potential assets to build-up resilience. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40152-022-00268-z.

SAR Satellite Imagery Reveals the Impact of the Covid-19 Crisis on Ship Frequentation in the French Mediterranean Waters

The Covid-19 pandemic is the latest example in a growing number of health, social, economic, and environmental crises humanity is facing. The multiple consequences of this pandemic crisis required strong responses from governments, including strict lockdowns. Yet, the impact of lockdowns on coastal ecosystems and maritime activities is still challenging to quantify over large spatial scales in comparison to the pre-Covid period. In this study, we used an object detection algorithm on Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images acquired by the two Sentinel-1 satellites to assess the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the presence of boats before, during and after lockdown periods in the French Mediterranean Exclusive Economic Zone. During the French most severe lockdown period (March - May 2020), we observed that ship frequentation remained at the same level from March to July 2020, instead of rising towards the summer peak like in previous years. Then, ship frequentation increased rapidly to a normal level in August 2020 when restrictions were lifted. By comparing morning and evening (7:00 am and 7:00 pm) ship frequentation during this period to pre-Covid years, we observed contrasting patterns. On the one hand, morning detections were particularly high, while on the other hand evening detections were significantly lower and less concentrated in coastal touristic waters than in previous years. Overall, we found a 9% decrease in ship frequentation between the year 2020 and the 2017-2019 period, with a maximum of 43% drop in June 2020 due to the lockdown. So, the Covid -19 crisis induced only a very short-term reduction in maritime activities but did not markedly reduce the annual ship frequentation in the French Mediterranean waters. The satellite imagery approach is an alternative method that improves our understanding of the pandemic impacts at an unprecedented spatiotemporal scale and resolution.

COVID-19 and small-scale fisheries in Africa: Impacts on livelihoods and the fish value chain in Cameroon and Liberia

This study explores the emerging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on coastal small-scale fishing communities in Cameroon and Liberia, where we conducted qualitative interviews with small-scale fish harvesters, fish processors, traders, and consumers. We found that the implementation of COVID-19 safety and health protocol initiatives impacted the entire fish value chain, which contributed to social anxiety and negatively affected social well-being for those who depend on small-scale fisheries for employment and livelihoods. Fisheries in both nations saw a reduction in fish catch, widened supply and demand gap and a significant spike in fish price. Drawing on the Sustainable Livelihoods literature, we discuss how COVID-19 interacted with other existing aspects of community vulnerability and lack of capacity, despite communities finding ways to respond safely to the challenges of the pandemic. Moving forward, these small-scale fisheries will require a holistic assessment of the long-term social, ecological, and economic impacts of the pandemic. Better fish processing and storage facilities and more robust institutional structures around markets and fisheries management will improve the adaptive capacity of people in these communities, who will no doubt face future challenges related to issues such as climate change.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on aquatic environment and fishing community: Boon or bane?

COVID-19 pandemic is a serious threat for mankind having an extensive socio-economic impact. However, it is considered as an unfortunate event with some positive environmental effects where nature is retrieving itself. The water quality index in different places of the world was reported to be improved during the lockdown, which in turn whipped up the regenerative process of fishes, sea turtles, marine mammals, and aquatic birds. Additionally, ecologically sensitive areas such as mangroves and coral reefs were also seen rejuvenating during COVID-19 seal off. But these favourable implications are temporary as there is an unexpected surge in plastic waste generation in the form of PPE kits, face masks, gloves, and other healthcare equipment. Moreover, the outbreak of the pandemic resulted in the complete closure of fishing activities, decline in fish catch, market disruption, and change in consumer preference. To address these multidimensional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, government organizations, NGOs, and other concerned authorities should extend their support to amplify the positive impacts of the lockdown and reduce the subsequent pollution level while encouraging the fisheries sector.

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.

Towards a classification of vulnerability of small-scale fisheries

Vulnerability of small-scale fisheries (SSF) results from complex interactions amongst various threats and stressors, including biophysical risks, environmental variability, unstable political situations, and weak governance, to name a few. SSF vulnerability has become more evident, with increased severity, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowledge about what makes SSF vulnerable is limited, which impedes appropriate policy responses and intervention. As a first step to rectifying the situation, a classification approach is proposed to better describe and differentiate types of vulnerability to SSF and to guide data collection and dissemination about SSF vulnerability. The classification system is developed based on a narrative review of case studies worldwide, published in scientific journals in the past 20 years. The case studies cover SSF in diverse aquatic environments, including river, floodplain, reservoir, river delta, lake, atoll, estuaries, lagoon mangrove, coral reefs, seagrass ecosystem, islands, coastal and marine environment. Similar to the five pillars of sustainability, SSF vulnerability is associated with five main factors, i.e., biophysical, social, economic, technological, and governance. Knowledge about SSF vulnerability helps inform tailored management strategies and policies to reduce SSF marginalization and promote viability, aligning, therefore, with the goal of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries.

Shored curfews: Constructions of pandemic islandness in contemporary Sri Lanka.

This paper explores COVID-19 pandemic biopolitics in Sri Lanka through tropes of "islanding" and segregation by discussing how notions of island isolation, insularity, and geo-spatial boundedness have been transformed from their colonial origins to our post-colonial present, and in the wake of wartime governance. We engage with interlocking notions of the "pandemic island" and the "islanding" of a zoonotic virus with which to broaden relational thinking on local pandemic realities. We argue that the pandemic has tacitly shaped imaginaries of oceanic "islandness" in contemporary times by focusing on five interrelated island(ed) tropes in the humanities and interpretive social sciences against the context of the pandemic. These include the carceral (fortressed) island, the utopic island, the "urban" island, the illicit island, and the mythologised (cursed) island. This paper further contributes toward an understanding of contemporary islands and island imaginaries, an understudied dimension of pandemic-related land-sea sociality.