A comparative study of small-scale fishery supply chains’ vulnerability and resilience to COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and response has significantly disrupted fishery supply chains, creating shortages of essential foods and constraining livelihoods globally. Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) are responding to the pandemic in a variety of ways. Together, disruptions from and responses to COVID-19 illuminate existing vulnerabilities in the fish distribution paradigm and possible means of reducing system and actor sensitivity and exposure and increasing adaptive capacity. Integrating concepts from literature on supply chain disruptions, social-ecological systems, human wellbeing, vulnerability, and SSFs, we synthesize preliminary lessons from six case studies from Indonesia, the Philippines, Peru, Canada, and the United States. The SSF supply chains examined employ different distribution strategies and operate in different geographic, political, social, economic, and cultural contexts. Specifically, we ask (a) how resilient have different SSF supply chains been to COVID-19 impacts; (b) what do these initial outcomes indicate about the role of distribution strategies in determining the vulnerability of SSF supply chains to macroeconomic shocks; and (c) what key factors have shaped this vulnerability? Based on our findings, systemic changes that may reduce SSF vulnerability to future macroeconomic shocks include: diversification of distribution strategies, livelihoods, and products; development of local and domestic markets and distribution channels; reduced reliance on international markets; establishment of effective communication channels; and preparation for providing aid to directly assist supply chains and support consumer purchasing power.

Exploring Food Supply Chain Trends in the COVID-19 Era: A Bibliometric Review

“…Research can also provide a set of tools for future practitioners in the fishing industry to develop various monitoring approaches for fisheries' supply chains with the help of emerging technologies. This is crucial to respond to fluctuations in product supply and demand and increase the efficiency of special storage of live or perishable seafood products [21].…”

“…Existing research addressed a wide range of pertinent topics, including the overall impact of the pandemic on small-scale fisheries' performance [159], resilience [52], vulnerability [160], and consumption patterns. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research that assists small-scale fisheries in devising appropriate distribution strategies in different economic, political, geographic and cultural contexts [21]. Finally, more studies are required to evaluate the fishers' knowledge and prevention measures for overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic [163].…”

“…Such actions strained the midstream and downstream segments of the FSC, resulting in a total disruption [20]. The intermediary market actors play a major role in food distribution, especially in highly populated regions in Asia, whereby they are accountable for the marketability of food products and manage transaction costs made up of logistics activities [21][22][23]. Marketplaces were closed to prevent the transmission of the virus during the pandemic [20].…”

Impacts of COVID-19 on people and sea: marine social science imaginations

“…Several of the contributions included in the special issue demonstrate how the extraordinary consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic can be used as a lens through which existing structures and dynamics of vulnerability, as well as the set of obstacles and opportunities for adaptive responses, become acutely visible. Bassett et al ( 2022 ), Manlosa et al ( 2021 ), Khan et al ( 2021 ), Marschke et al ( 2021 ), and Lam ( 2021 ) all probe vulnerabilities in relation to marine food systems and supply chains. Bassett et al ( 2022 ) examine the disruption of fishery supply chains by the pandemic to comparatively assess the vulnerability and resilience of small-scale fisheries supply chains in diverse settings of Indonesia, Philippines, Canada, and the USA.…”

“…Bassett et al ( 2022 ), Manlosa et al ( 2021 ), Khan et al ( 2021 ), Marschke et al ( 2021 ), and Lam ( 2021 ) all probe vulnerabilities in relation to marine food systems and supply chains. Bassett et al ( 2022 ) examine the disruption of fishery supply chains by the pandemic to comparatively assess the vulnerability and resilience of small-scale fisheries supply chains in diverse settings of Indonesia, Philippines, Canada, and the USA. Zeroing in on the context of aquaculture and capture fisheries production and marketing in the Philippines, Manlosa et al ( 2021 ) share important insights on people’s coping strategies, and the factors that enables them.…”