Artisanal fishing

Artisanal fishing (or traditional/subsistence fishing) are various small-scale, low-technology, low-capital, fishing practices undertaken by individual fishing households (as opposed to commercial companies). Many of these households are of coastal or island ethnic groups. These households make short (rarely overnight) fishing trips close to the shore. Their produce is usually not processed and is mainly for local consumption. Artisan fishing uses traditional fishing techniques such as rod and tackle, fishing arrows and harpoons, cast nets, and small (if any) traditional fishing boats.

Artisan fishing may be undertaken for both commercial and subsistence reasons. It contrasts with large-scale modern commercial fishing practices in that it is often less wasteful and less stressful on fish populations than modern industrial fishing.

Artisan fishing boats and gears

Nigeria 
A traditional dug out canoe between 3–18 meters long is used in Nigeria for artisanal fishing. Artisanal fishers in this area use gear that included, "cast nets, handlines, basket traps, longlines, set gillnets and beach and purse seines."

Sudan 

Fishing vessels used in Sudan include from the sharoaq, feluka and murkab al hadeed. Equipment varies by region and includes fixed nets, drift nets, seine nets, long line and cast nets.

Techniques

Importance 
Hundreds of millions of people around the world rely on artisanal fisheries to live. Artisanal fishing is critically important for not only food, but for jobs, income, nutrition, food security, sustainable livelihoods, and poverty alleviation as well. Artisanal fisheries are the predominant form of fisheries in "tropical developing countries" such as Nigeria.

The importance of artisanal and small-scale fisheries have been recognized in the first internationally agreed instrument dedicated entirely to small-scale fisheries. This agreement, drafted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is titled the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication and was implemented in 2015 .

See more 
 Artisanal food
 Fishing weir
 Fishing village
 Traditional fishing boat
 Community-supported fishery
 Corf
 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami

Notes

References
 FAO: Definition: Artisanal fisheries
 Béné, C; Macfadyen, G; Allison, E H (2007) Increasing the contribution of small-scale fisheries to poverty alleviation and food security FAO Fisheries Technical Paper T481. 
 Diegues, Antonio Carlos (2002) Sea Tenure, traditional knowledge and management among brazilian artisanal fishermen.  NUPAUB, University of São Paulo. Retrieved 25 April 2008.
 Pauly, D (2006)  Major trends in small-scale marine fisheries, with emphasis on developing countries, and some implications for the social sciences Maritime Studies (MAST) 4(2): 7–22. 
 Tietze, U; Siar, S; Upare, Suchitra M and Upare, M A (2007) Livelihood and micro-enterprise development opportunities for women in coastal fishing communities in India FAO Fisheries Circulars C1021.

External links
 OAS: Report on fisheries including artisan fishing
 FAO: Report on artisan fishing in the wake of the 2004 tsunami
 WorldFish Center: Resilient Small-Scale Fisheries
 CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agri-Food Systems: Small-Scale Fisheries 
 Artisanal Fisheries ACIAR Project FIS/2001/079
 "Los Hombres del Lago", a documentary film by Aaron I. Naar presenting the story of the smallest Bolivian fishing community of Uru-Muratos, Puñaca Tintamaria. Narrated by the community's ex-leader, Daniel Moricio Choque, the movie recounts the history of their community, customs, and current problems: their continuous poverty, lack of land and representation, the contamination of Lake Poopó, and the impact of global warming. See a 12 minutes  fragment from the film on YouTube.
 Subsistence: Hearing before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, to Examine Wildlife Management Authority Within the State of Alaska under the Alaska National Interest Lands Act and the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, September 19, 2013
 What is Artisan Fishing

Category:Fishing industry