Enhancing fishers’ capacity to advocate for policy and programme review in Mauritius

About the project

Climate change presents artisanal fishing communities in Mauritius with significant challenges, including rising input costs, the seasonal nature of fisheries, the growing uncertainty of catch from ecological shifts and marine resource degradation. Inability to catch or sell fish during the Covid-19 pandemic brought further hardship and many fishers were unable to access government support packages due to a lack of requisite documentation, information and ability to advocate their needs. Additionally, these coastal communities have limited information networks and are often faced with other societal priorities such as water supply or access to healthcare.

Environmental Protection and Conservation Organisation (EPCO) will collect data on amateur and registered fishers’ livelihoods in 18 villages: the type and amount of their catch and fishing grounds, as well as information on existing government and other institutional support systems. EPCO will work with partner organisations to strengthen the capacity of communities in affected coastal villages in Mauritius to increase fishers’ awareness of support systems and enable them to contribute to improving relevant policy processes.

This will be achieved through:

• Creating a robust database of artisanal fishers (registered and unregistered) for use by local fisheries institutions and other government bodies to enable access to benefits and emergency aid.
• Training and generating awareness among artisanal fishers of their rights and relevant policies. Building capacities in communication and advocacy skills to form networks and participate in policy and programme reviews.
• Strengthening the support system for artisanal fishers and family by improving information exchange and promoting inclusive coastal leadership.
• Building partnerships between NGOs and government to promote integrated risk reduction policies for fishers and strengthen the resilience of their communities.
• Raising awareness through web-based news and media outlets on the formalisation of artisanal fishers labour.
• Facilitating outreach and communication with district, state and national fisheries departments for reforms on integrated life and livelihood insurance for artisanal fishers.
• Creating a series of videos for sharing on social media channels to encourage participation from all affected coastal villages.

As a result of this project, it is anticipated that fishing communities in 18 coastal villages will have an increased awareness of their rights leading to stronger participation in local council meetings to advocate on issues affecting their livelihoods. Improved documentation and relevant data will enhance access to support mechanisms and ultimately result in the formulation of new policies and programmes.