Artisanal fishing

Stilts fishermen, Sri Lanka

Artisan fishing is a term sometimes used to describe small scale commercial or subsistence fishing practises. The term particularly applies to coastal or island ethnic groups using traditional techniques such as rod and tackle, arrows and harpoons, throw nets and drag nets, and maybe traditional boats. It does not usually cover the concept of fishing for sport, and might be used when talking about the pressures between large scale modern commercial fishing practises and traditional methods, or when aid programs are targeted specifically at fishing at or near subsistence levels.

Artisan fishing is often, but not always, less intensive and less stressful on fish populations than modern commercial fishing techniques. Unfortunately, it is subject to difficulties in the export process due to inadequate budgeting on refrigeration and other preservation techniques. However, the most important goal of artisan fishing is domestic consumption, as it's usually implemented in poor coastal areas where there's little access to land-based farming and native residents are dependent on the local artisan fisheries' harvest for their food.

Artisan fishing boats

• 
  Fishermen hard at work off the northern coast of Mozambique
• Boats in Ha Long bay, Vietnam.
  Boats in Ha Long bay, Vietnam.
• 
  Fishing boats at Koh Tao, Thailand
• 
  Fishing boats on Flores

Artisan techniques

• 
  Shrimpers on horseback, Oostduinkerke, Belgium.
• 
  Fishing with nets for Leucopsarion petersi (ice goby) at Isobe, Shima, Mie, Japan.
• 
  Ice fishing on Syr-Darya river, Qyzylorda, Kazakhstan
• 
  Fisherman landing his catch, Seychelles.
• 
  Fisherman and his catch, Seychelles. The fish, including small sharks, were hooked on hand lines many miles off shore.
• 
  Shore based lift nets in Cà Mau, Vietnam. Also see Chinese fishing nets (of Kochi).
• 
  Traditional fish traps, Hà Tây, Vietnam.
• 
  Cormorants used for fishing in China

See also

• Traditional fishing village
• 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

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. ISBN 978-92-5-105664-6
• 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

• World Fish Center: Productive and resilient Small-scale Fisheries