Abstract

The significance of small-scale fisheries and aquaculture (SSF/SSA) in the WECAFC region, is paramount, including Latin America and the Caribbean which host the largest share of its member States. These sectors play a crucial role in ensuring food and nutrition security, poverty eradication, livelihoods, and ecosystem services. SSF/A accounts for over half of all landed value and generates nearly 90% of direct and indirect jobs in fisheries and aquaculture while providing up to 85% of the fish consumed. To harness their potential, a series of activities were planned and in 2022 under the framework of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA). These activities aimed to promote recovery and resilience, with a focus on gender and youth as cross-cutting themes, engaging diverse stakeholders at local and regional levels. Key interventions within the IYAFA framework included identifying champions committed to safeguarding SSF/SSA's social and ecological sustainability, developing policy briefs, engaging youth, and advocating for social protection programs. Leveraging the regional and national momentum is key in moving SSF/A towards a new era of sustainability. It is imperative to create an enabling environment by focusing on strengthening regional fisherfolk organizations, celebrating diverse actors in the SSF/A value chain, fostering partnerships, and integrating SSF/A perspectives in policy dialogues. This new era of support for SSF/A, in lead up to the 10th anniversary of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication, necessitates empowering stakeholders, strengthening partnerships, and mainstreaming SSF/A in policy discussions, paving the way for a sustainable and inclusive future for SSF/SSA in the region.