Small-scale fishing income and fuel consumption: Fiji’s artisanal sea cucumber fishery

Abstract

Understanding the income and costs of fishing is fundamental to managing fisheries and planning interventions to improve efficiency and gender equity. Few studies offer data on fisher incomes and fuel use in small-scale fisheries (SSFs), and fewer have assessed factors influencing variation among fishers and between genders. We interviewed 235 artisanal fishers among 34 island villages in an artisanal sea cucumber fishery in Fiji. Linear mixed models were used to determine the effect of geographic and socioeconomic variables on incomes and fuel use from fishing sea cucumbers. Net income of sea cucumbers to fishers, averaging FJ$8, 171 year−1 (US$4, 494 year−1) (range: FJ$0–52,008 year−1), varied among villages and was 47% lower for women than men. On an average, 60% of fishers’ gross annual income came from fishing and selling sea cucumbers, although this proportion varied greatly even within villages. Fishers who practised gleaning, fished less often, or possessing numerous livelihood income streams, were less economically dependent on sea cucumbers. Men tended to estimate higher incomes for an average day of fishing than women when compared with their recall of last sale. Fuel use varied greatly among regions in Fiji but, overall, averaged 428 L fisher−1 year−1, and represented 28% of gross income. More economical fishing strategies by women resulted in lower fuel use than men per fishing day. Breath-hold divers used less fuel (compared to fishers using scuba) and fishers targeting deep-water species used more fuel than other fishers. A best approximation of 8000 t CO2 year−1 for the carbon footprint of the whole fishery suggests that some SSFs, such as the one studied here, can be significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, even compared to many large-scale fisheries globally. Reforms to the management of SSFs should consider regulations that minimize carbon emissions and reduce economic dependency on vulnerable marine resources.

Are fishers poor? Getting to the bottom of marine fisheries income statistics

“…Social marginalization also impacts fishing income. The lower income earned by females compared to males at the national level supports observations at local fisheries (Ardales & David, ; Islam & Chuenpagdee, ; Kraan, ; Purcell, Lalavanua, Cullis, & Cocks, ). While ethnic diversity was not addressed in the fishing income data set, studies suggest that social exclusion based on ethnicity or caste can lead to poverty (Jentoft & Eide, ; Nayak et al, ).…”

“…A range of ecological, socio‐cultural and governance factors can affect fish catch and hence fishing income derived from the sale of fish. Factors include what gear fishers use, their fishing knowledge, access to fishing grounds and markets, and the type of species they target and fishing ground habitat (Busilacchi et al, ; Dacks, Ticktin, Jupiter, & Friedlander, ; Gill et al, ; Purcell et al, ; Teh, Teh, & Meitner, ; Teh et al, ). Although the data in this study are not stratified to reveal such finer resolution insights, making the data points available is valuable in itself as it can draw out the contextual nuances behind the numbers, which would otherwise remain obscured in qualitative studies, to a larger policy‐oriented audience.…”

Analysis of the technical efficiency of Nile perch (Lates niloticus) fishers in the Tanzanian portion of Lake Victoria: A stochastic frontier analysis

“…This is attributable to the fact that fishers with motorized boats, which use more petrol, will be more likely to sail long distances, resulting in more fish catch per trip. Purcel, Lalavanua, Cullis, and Cocks () also found that fishers targeting deep‐water species used more fuel than other fishers, with the expectation of getting more fish catch, actually did so.…”

Socioeconomic impacts of resource diversification from small-scale fishery development

“…Income generation from invertebrate fisheries can differ enormously among countries, depending on target species and markets (Gillett and Tauati 2018). For instance, fishers in Pacific Islands targeting sea cucumbers might have relatively high annual incomes (Purcell et al 2018, Hair et al 2019 compared with fisher incomes in artisanal fisheries in Africa (Fröcklin et al 2014, Belhabib et al 2015. Nonetheless, domestic seafood sales are still vital for local economies and household incomes in numerous countries (Gillett 2009, Mills et al 2011.…”