Research on small-scale fisheries, as well as on recreational fishing, has consistently found that official data tends to underestimate their scale and importance. This concerns not only catches but also their economic and social contributions. In many places, fisheries have an important but underappreciated role in poverty alleviation and food security. In particular, women’s role in fisheries is too often ‘hidden.’
Such underestimations create a myriad of problems, including the marginalization of small-scale fisheries in policy-making processes as well as inequitable flows of government support.
(Available in English, Spanish, and French)