International Collective in Support of Fishworkers

21/08/2026

🌊𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗭𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠ā𝗼𝗿𝗶 𝗰𝗼-𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹

Māori leaders helped develop a network of small MPAs, five of which became official on July 1, 2026, after more than a decade of grassroots and governmental work. The network, called Te Au Roa o Te Rakihouia, is co-managed by the regional Māori tribe Kāi Tahu (Ngāi Tahu in standard Māori), and the Department of Conservation. The reserves are the first in New Zealand to be co-managed by Indigenous people and the government using shared decision-making and a joint marine ranger team.

The five new MPAs and a sixth potential one are no-take marine reserves. This applies to customary Kāi Tahu fishing, though Kāi Tahu educational work, such as traditional fishing workshops that may involve limited take, is allowed. The full network is expected to have the reserves alongside other types of protected areas with less strict protections: five mixed-use Type 2 MPAs and one kelp protection area. This makes 12 MPAs in total, six of which would be reserves.

DUNEDIN, Aotearoa New Zealand — At a U.N. meeting in 2015, Aotearoa New Zealand’s then Prime Minister John Key made a major announcement that drew praise from international conservation groups: His administration would turn a swath of waters far larger than the country’s land mass into a marin...

20/08/2026

📢 𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗨𝗗𝗥𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗡𝗼. 𝟵𝟰 (𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲) 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲!

The latest issue of the SAMUDRA Report, ICSF’s biannual journal on fisheries, livelihoods and communities, has been published. Issue No. 94 brings together ground-level experiences and perspectives on some of the key national and international processes shaping small-scale fisheries.

This is also a significant issue for ICSF in the lead-up to its 𝟰𝟬𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 in November.

📌 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲?:

🎣 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 from India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, The Philippines and Sri Lanka explore collective action and financial inclusion, disaster and livelihood vulnerabilities, fishing bans and welfare systems, IUU fishing policy, and environmental degradation.

🌍 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 covered include the 3rd Nyéléni Global Forum, COP30, ICARRD+20, COFI:FM and the TBTI 5th WSSF Congress, alongside reflections on the Convention on Biological Diversity, International Platform for Ocean Sustainability, among others.

📖 The issue also highlights efforts to advance implementation of the 𝗦𝗦𝗙 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, including capacity-building initiatives in Ghana, Costa Rica and The Philippines.

👀𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱, the report highlights the 3rd Small-Scale Fisheries Summit and the 37th Session of COFI, taking place in Rome next month.

📘 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗨𝗗𝗥𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗡𝗼. 𝟵𝟰 𝗮𝘁: https://icsf.net/samudra-articles.php?id=11094

18/08/2026

𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘇𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗮

Fishermen and traders in La Guaira are engaged in a daily struggle to safeguard their livelihoods in this Venezuelan coastal state, the hardest hit by the devastating earthquakes of June 24. Nearly two months after the powerful earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5, which left at least 6,301 dead and 73,356 injured, businesses are reopening, while fishermen have resumed casting their nets into the sea.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture report that fishermen are still searching for their relatives among the rubble, since most of them lived in the buildings known as OPPE (referring to the acronym Presidential Office of Special Projects) and the Hugo Chávez urban development, where significant damage and the collapse of buildings have been reported.

Photograph taken on August 5, 2026, showing vendor Norazbel Rodríguez (right) at the Catia La Mar Community Market (Venezuela). EFE/Miguel Gutiérrez Vargas (Venezuela), Aug 13 (EFE) – Fishermen and merchants in La Guaira are engaged in a daily struggle to guarantee their livelihood in this Venez...

17/08/2026

⚖ 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹’𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

After a five-year long legal battle, the Constitutional Court of South Africa has blocked Shell and local partner Impact Africa's permit to explore for oil and gas off the country's East Coast, in a landmark victory for local communities and civil society.

The Constitutional Court ruled on Friday that Shell and Impact Africa had not complied with resource governance law, had failed to meaningfully conduct public consultation and had omitted to consider the impact on climate change, cultural rights, livelihoods and ecological harm.

The ruling references last year's landmark advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice, which states that countries have a legal duty to prevent and repair damage to the climate system. The South African judges argued that climate change "transcends borders" and states' obligations "must be understood within the broader framework of international law".

South Africa's Constitutional Court ruled that Shell and its partners failed to consult affected communities and did not properly consider the environmental risks of offshore oil exploration

14/08/2026

❗𝗛𝘂𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀

An oil spill from a stranded tanker off the coast of the Sultanate of Oman now covers an estimated 500 square miles (1,300 square kilometers), the environmental organization Greenpeace warned, prompting fears that a major ecological disaster could be unfolding in the Arabian Sea.

The spill has spread to mainland Oman, roughly 120 miles (200km) from the tanker, according to Omani authorities. Greenpeace campaigner Hanen Keskes said their analysis of satellite images showed fragmented spots, meaning the spill is in multiple areas rather than one continuous mass.

The Omani government has instructed citizens to avoid fishing in affected areas and to report unusual odours and oil sightings. It also said it would test seafood in markets to check for pollutants.

An oil spill from a stranded tanker off the coast of Oman now covers an estimated 500 square miles (1,300 square kilometers), the environmental organization Greenpeace told CNN, prompting fears that a major ecological disaster could be unfolding in the Arabian Sea.

13/08/2026

🐟𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗮’𝘀 𝗨𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿

Indigenous communities in the province of British Columbia, western Canada, are leading efforts to restore salmon to the Upper Columbia Basin and conducting ceremonial salmon fry releases to reestablish connections between salmon and salmon people. The Columbia River was once one of the greatest salmon-bearing rivers in North America, but the construction of dams, beginning nearly a century ago, built without fish passage mechanisms, blocked salmon from a significant portion of the river’s length.

By flooding former salmon habitats, and destroying Indigenous sites and gathering places linked to salmon, the loss of salmon has profoundly affected Indigenous nations and tribes, with a loss of food sovereignty and cultural connections.

INVERMERE, Canada — Mark Thomas, Upper Columbia salmon chief for the Secwépemc Nation, welcomes groups of students to a narrow stretch of the Columbia River, between the Rocky and Purcell mountains in western Canada. It’s late May, and snow still graces the distant peaks. For the past five mont...

12/08/2026

𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝟮𝟱𝟬 𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗼𝗿𝘀

Rescue crews on Tuesday dug through mountains of rubble in western Colombia, shouting for ​quiet so they could listen for survivors still trapped under the buildings that collapsed in a powerful earthquake estimated to have killed at least 250 people.

The 7.4-magnitude quake, the most devastating to ‌strike Colombia this century, tore through its coffee-growing heartland early on Monday, leaving apartment blocks, homes, schools and health centers cracked, leaning or flattened.

Separate reports from affected cities put the death toll at 254 on Tuesday morning, with 101 people killed in Pereira, deep in coffee country, and 95 in Cali, the country's third-biggest city.

Many Indigenous communities in the forested Pacific-facing region of Choco close to the quake epicenter are still without power or basic services, complicating rescue efforts.

Rescue crews dug through mountains of rubble in western Colombia, shouting for ​quiet so they could listen for survivors still trapped under the buildings that collapsed in a powerful earthquake.

11/08/2026

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵: 𝗚𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀

The women who smoke, process, trade and distribute fish are often the first to feel the impact of Ghana’s fisheries crisis. While conversations around fisheries decline often focus on fishermen, illegal fishing and declining fish stocks, thousands of women who keep the post-harvest sector running quietly carry the burden.

They are the invisible workforce behind Ghana’s fishing economy, dominating the post-harvest fisheries sector, but like their labour and contributions, their burdens go unseen.

For women along the coast, the crisis is not measured only by declining fish stocks. It is measured by the number of days they could not work, the debts they accumulate, the businesses they struggle to maintain and the opportunities their children lose.

Before the first canoe appears on the horizon, before fishermen begin pulling their nets ashore, women in Ghana’s fishing communities are already waiting at the beaches

10/08/2026

‘𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴’: 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀

Marking the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on August 9, nine Indigenous representatives from around the world talked about the subtleties in biodiversity conservation and climate solutions implemented by people at a local level. The solutions discussed ranged from strategies for reforestation and halting deforestation by extractives to conserving endemic plant species and strengthening Indigenous governance and traditional knowledge.

The discussions also included efforts that are not currently working and why, and the nuances of implementation in particular Indigenous communities. Little input from Indigenous communities or a lack of understanding of local realities and cultural nuances are common reasons why such solutions fail, the interviewees said.

Eriberto throws his head back with a laugh and shakes it as he tills his plot of land in the Peruvian Amazon, near the Cordillera Azul National Park in central Peru. “That does not work here,” he says with a chuckle, responding to a question about why he doesn’t call his diverse forest garden ...

07/08/2026

🌱𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀
𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗹

For generations, women around The Gambia's Tanbi Wetland have depended on its waters for survival. Its mangroves provide the oysters, crabs and fish that sustain their families’ livelihoods, while serving as a natural defence system against rising seas, erosion and flooding for coastal communities, and the capital Banjul.

Today, several women have become guardians of the ecosystem they depend on, planting seedlings and restoring mangrove cover. For them, conservation is not separate from survival. The healthier the mangroves become, the stronger their communities grow – and every new root represents a future they are helping build.

Trees provide a living for the women, who plant and care for them, and shield the island capital from erosion, flooding.