'Illuminating Hidden Harvests

Welcome to the second news update for the Illuminating Hidden Harvests (IHH) study.
In this issue, we cover the progress of research activities, the latest news and upcoming events.

The IHH core team—consisting of representatives from FAO, Duke University and WorldFish—met at the FAO office in Rome on 29 July–2 August 2019. The team was joined by six members of the technical advisory group for three of the days (30 July–1 August). Key discussion topics included data analysis methodology, extrapolation strategies, thematic studies, engaging key target audiences, communications and potential IHH products.

To date, 54 country case studies have been or are in the process of being contracted. These countries represent 69 percent of the total marine catch and 81 percent of the global inland fish catch. In-country teams of experts are now gathering data from a range of secondary sources and a team of five screeners are cleaning the data as it comes in. The case study results, expected in late 2019, will be used to project global estimates.

The team has received 109 responses (48 percent response rate) to the ad-hoc questionnaires on small-scale fisheries data, which were sent to 228 FAO member countries. The responses will feed into the global estimates.

A data analyst, Nidal Ramadan, has been engaged to design a data management system that will store and assist with analysis of the data and information being collected in the study.

Eleven global experts have been engaged so far to produce a series of thematic studies covering key themes for which global synthesis is not yet possible. These include, for example, gender, food and nutrition security, climate change impacts, and contributions to conservation and governance.

Giulia Gorelli has returned to the role of IHH project coordinator, taking over from Benjamin Siegelman who temporarily filled the position for six months. Benjamin continues to be involved with the IHH study with a focus on supporting the case studies, data analysis and writing.

Several of the IHH team and TAG members will next meet in Rome in November 2019, before and after the International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability (ISFS). A number of IHH core team members, country case study authors and TAG members will be attending the ISFS event.

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Blogposts and news

Local communities play an outsized but overlooked role in global fisheries
Policymakers need to elevate the importance of small-scale fisheries to contribute to good jobs and income in developing countries, write John Virdin and Xavier Basurto of Duke University in The Conversation.

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Illuminating gender dimensions of hidden harvests
Danika Kleiber of WorldFish and Sarah Harper of the University of British Columbia—who are leading the IHH gender analysis—explain how the study will take a deep look at the vital role of women in small-scale fisheries in a Women In Fisheries Information Bulletin article.

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Are small-scale fishers in or out of the blue economy?
Research like the IHH study is critical to inform policy and empower advocates with key data, writes Kate Bevitt of WorldFish in this ECO Magazine article.

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Upcoming and past events

International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability (18–21 November 2019)
The IHH study will feature on the agenda at this FAO-hosted event, which aims to develop a new vision for fisheries sustainability in the 21^st century.

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Towards resilient and equitable small-scale fisheries (3–5 September)
At this event—which brought together over 40 fisher people and others active in the small-scale fisheries sector—Fiona Simmance of WorldFish led a group discussion on ways the IHH methodology and findings can be used by the sector.

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MARE People and the Sea X (24–28 June 2019)
David Mills (WorldFish), Maria del Mar Mancha-Cisneros (Duke University) and Nicole Franz (FAO) presented on the study during an IHH panel, and Xavier Basurto (Duke University) represented the IHH team in a transdisciplinary session led by Too Big To Ignore (TBTI). The conference was attended by over 300 marine social scientists, practitioners and policymakers.

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Recent publication

Securing a Just Space for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Blue Economy

The IHH study will “provide the data required to ensure global reviews and foresight studies properly include small-scale fisheries”, say the authors of this Frontiers in Marine Science paper led by Philippa Cohen of WorldFish.

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About Illuminating Hidden Harvests: The global contribution of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development
A global study of the contributions, impacts and drivers of small-scale fisheries to inform policy processes and empower fishing communities with key information. To know more, visit the IHH webpage or read the IHH brochure in English, French or Spanish.

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Duke University

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WorldFish

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Visit us at www.worldfishcenter.org/hidden-harvests
Contact us at IHH-Small-Scale-Fisheries@fao.org