Soapbox. Protecting and Managing Communities to Enable Economic and Social Development

Responsible investments should do no harm, safeguard against dispossession of legitimate tenure rights holders and environmental damage, should respect human rights. Such investments should be made working in partnership with relevant levels of government and local holders of land, fisheries and forests, respecting their legitimate tenure rights. They should further contribute to policy objectives, such as poverty eradication, food security and sustainable use of land, fisheries and forests; support local communities; contribute to rural development; promote and secure local food production systems; enhance social and economic sustainable development; create employment ; diversify livelihoods provide benefits to the county and it’s people, including the poor and most vulnerable; comply with national and international core labour standards as well as when applicable obligations related to standards of International Labour Organization.

– Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance on Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forest

FAO United Nations May 2012

The government has an opportunity to improve the lives of hundreds of the poorest and vulnerable people by applying the principles and vision of the small-scale policy as advanced by the participants. The officials are obliged to give recognition to international guidelines, scientific and community knowledge, and by drawing on the many sources of diverse knowledge to guide themselves on how these targets can best be achieved.

Academics, government officials and policy-makers must become aware of and understand that management and development of fisheries is not just about fish, economics or sustainable resources, but it is a human phenomenon, about people and societies, about livelihoods, ideologies and culture.