Tackling alcoholism and domestic violence in fisheries—A new opportunity to improve well‐being for the most vulnerable people in global fisheries

Abstract

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) principle of “leaving no one behind” focuses global attention on the poorest and most vulnerable people. As different sectors grapple to engage meaningfully with this principle, we posit that greater consideration of social problems in fishing‐dependent communities, such as alcoholism and domestic violence, presents an opportunity for fishery governors to contribute to the SDGs mandate. We further argue that governing marine resources in ignorance of these problems can risk harming some of the most vulnerable people in fisheries. Using subjective well‐being data from women living in two small‐scale fishing communities in India and Sri Lanka, we demonstrate the prevalence and impact of alcoholism and domestic violence in fishing households. We further highlight how policies which restrict access to marine resources can undermine important coping strategies, in particular, the ability of women to act as independent income earners, exacerbating harm to already vulnerable women. A scoping review of the literature reveals that alcoholism and domestic violence are reported in certain fisheries around the world, and we theorize how this may relate to the nature of fishing life and growing stresses regarding the future of fishing. Tackling the burdens of alcoholism and domestic violence in fisheries, where it is an issue, is an opportunity to improve well‐being for men, women and their families. The paper concludes with tangible actions which marine resource governors could adopt to contribute to the “leave no one behind” ethos.

Gleaning: beyond the subsistence narrative

“…As coastal resources face increasing stress from climate change, pollution, and human population growth, equitable regulatory mechanisms, particularly for common pool resources such as those targeted by gleaners, will be crucial for maintaining the wellbeing of marginalised groups (Agrawal 2014). Failure to account for the multidimensional wellbeing benefits derived from marine resources risks exacerbating inequalities and hardship (Coulthard et al 2020). Specifically, our findings caution against treating fishing communities as homogenous stakeholders and definitions of coastal resource users that incorporate gleaners with other small-scale fishers or overlook them all together.…”

“…We hypothesise that gleaners who prioritised instrumental values are likely to be more materially vulnerable and reliant on gleaning for food, than those who prioritised purely relational values. It is also likely that the life stage and household context of gleaners shaped how and why different reasons were ranked together (Coulthard et al 2020). The varied priorities for gleaning within one community support wider calls for disaggregating coastal ecosystem service beneficiaries to assess how and why coastal ecosystem values are distributed socially and therefore to support equitable resource management for poverty alleviation (Chan et al 2019;Daw et al 2011;Lau et al 2019).…”

Characterization of masculinity expressions and their influence on the participation of women in Mexican small-scale fisheries

“…Inequality is an obstacle to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), 5 (Gender Equality), and 14 (Life Below Water), and the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (FAO 2015 ), which has undoubtedly resulted in a loss of many opportunities (Aguilar et al 2015 ; ONU 2015 ; Coulthard et al 2020 ). In 2019, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held the conference “Men, Masculinities and Gender Equality in Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America: Interregional Dialogues” in Mozambique, Africa.…”

“…Given that fishing is a highly social activity, different masculinities can be identified, with socially dominant traditional masculinities developing and persisting among fishers. However, masculinities that are defined by behaviors of respect and care towards themselves, their companions, and their families and that move away from the hegemonic model of masculinity are also present (Kaufman 1989 ; Coulthard et al 2020 ).…”

“…Recent studies have highlighted a possible nuanced change in fishing masculinities (Pini and Conway 2017 ; Gustavsson and Riley 2018 , 2019 ; Coulthard et al 2020 ). For example, Gustavsson and Riley ( 2019 ) report that changes in fishing masculinities are associated with changes in family life and income, with new practices being incorporated into the older and traditional aspects of fishing masculinity.…”