Blue Justice: Small-Scale Fisheries in a Sustainable Ocean Economy

For small-scale fisheries around the world, the Blue Growth and  Blue Economy initiatives may provide sustainable development, but only  insofar as they align with the global consensus enshrined in the  Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in  the context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication. If states do  nothing to fulfill the promises they made when they endorsed these  guidelines in 2014, the Blue Economy will come at a loss for small-scale  fisheries and further their marginalization in the ocean economy. Under  the umbrella of Blue Justice, this book demonstrates that these risks  are real and must be considered as states implement their sustainable  ocean development plans. These are human rights issues, which are  embedded into governance principles and institutions and which make a  difference for small-scale fisheries people in their daily lives. In  stressing the importance of policies and institutions that build on the  experiences of small-scale fisheries people in the contexts in which  they operate, this book draws on case studies of small-scale fisheries  from countries on all continents to clarify what Blue Justice entails  for small-scale fisheries and make suggestions for real change. 

“Through  the Blue Justice paradigm, this book flags the relevance of recognizing  the potential impact that different factors, including the Blue Economy  approach, could bring to fishing communities, their livelihoods,  cultural traditions, and other potential multidimensional conflicts.  Vulnerability in fishing communities can increase and inequalities can  be reinforced at different levels if individuals and community  capabilities are not strengthened… A first of its kind, not to be  missed, this book is informative, purposeful, and pertinent in an era of  change”.

 Silvia Salas, CINVESTAV, Marine Resources Department, Mérida, Mexico 

"The  studies reveal that Blue Justice is a ‘governability’ issue, which  requires establishing ‘right’ institutions, that are transdisciplinary  (integrated), participatory, and holistic. It is implicit from these  writings that the SSF Guidelines and Blue Growth initiatives do not form  two different discourses, and that the implementation of the former  would resolve many of the justice issues caused by the latter, in favor  of small-scale fisheries and their communities".

 Oscar Amarasinghe, Professor & Chancellor, Ocean  University of Sri Lanka and     President, Sri Lanka Forum for Small  Scale Fisheries (SLFSSF)