International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) is an international non-government organization that works towards the establishment of equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries

Sustainable fisheries

Sustainability in fisheries combines theoretical disciplines, such as the population dynamics of fisheries, with practical strategies, such as avoiding overfishing through techniques such as individual fishing quotas, curtailing destructive and illegal fishing practices by lobbying for appropriate...

, particularly in the small-scale, artisan sector.

ICSF draws its mandate from the historic International Conference of Fishworkers and their Supporters (ICFWS), held in Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

 in 1984, parallel to the World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization

Food and Agriculture Organization

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...

 (FAO) of the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

.

A number of fishworker organizations and concerned intellectuals, academics and social activists felt that the FAO

Fão

Fão is a town in Esposende Municipality in Portugal....

 conference had chosen to overemphasize the commercial, industrial, scientific and fishery resource aspects, at the expense of the actual real-world, life-and-blood people involved in fishing worldwide. ICSF believes fishworkers are often marginalized from mainstream society.

The main objectives of ICSF are to:

• monitor issues that relate to the life, livelihood and living conditions of fishworkers around the world;

• disseminate information on these issues, particularly amongst fisherfolk;

• prepare guidelines for policymakers that stress fisheries development and management of a just, participatory and sustainable nature; and

• help create the space and momentum for the development of alternatives in the small-scale fisheries sector.

Fisheries legal instruments

International Legal Instruments Relevant to Fisheries and Fishing Communities - website provides detailed information for a wide range of instruments relevant to fisheries and fishworkers. It covers 124 legal instruments, categorized into following seven themes: Human Rights, Food Security, Women and Development, Environment and Sustainable Development, Oceans and Fisheries Management, Environmental Pollution, Fishing Vessels and Safety at Sea, Labour and Trade. This website is unique as it provides specific relevance to fisheries and small-scale fishworkers, in particular for all the 124 instruments. Relevant articles and paragraphs are also provided. Besides this, there is detailed information on working of the instruments, regional instruments and agencies and specific follow-up. This serves as a ready reckoner for fishworkers and non-governmental organizations, researchers and others interested in fisheries issues.

Publications

Print

• Samudra - Triannual Report of ICSF
• Yemaya - ICSF's Newsletter on Gender and Fisheries
• New Release - Proceedings of the Siem Reap Meet
• ICSF Guidebook: Understanding the Work in Fishing Convention 2007

CD/Videos

• Fisheries in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Indian Ocean 2001
  Indian Ocean 2001
  “Indian Ocean 2001” is a Multimedia presentation of geographical, oceanographic and fisheries related information of 35 countries around the Indian Ocean. It includes full coverage of the 'Forging Unity Conference' on the Indian Ocean in a CD-ROM....
  
  
• A Step Forward: A Film on Women Fishworkers in India
• Smoke in the Water: Problems and Prospects for Developing Artisanal Fish Trade in West Africa
• Under the Sun:the transient fisherfolk of Jambudwip
• The right to survive: Turtle conservation and fisheries livelihoods

Features at www.icsf.net

Resources

1. Fisheries Legal Instruments
2. Documentation Centre
3. Indian Legal Instruments

See also

1. Marine protected areas:Local and traditional fishing community perspective
2. Labour Standards in Fishing
3. Women in Fisheries

External links

• ICSF Website ICSF

Conference websites

1. Asserting Rights, Defining Responsibilities
2. Emerging Concerns Workshop
3. ESA Fish Workshop
4. Latin America Conference
5. Forging Unity
6. West Africa Fish Fair