Dr. Sangeeta Mangubhai, our WCS Fiji Country Director, has been named one of the eight Pew marine fellows for 2018. She would make an excellent profile as her work includes rethinking fisheries management to include fisher women. More than half of small-scale catches in the Pacific region are taken by women. Coastal fisheries management policies that better represent their needs could lead to more secure livelihoods and more sustainable catches.

During her fellowship, Sangeeta will use social science techniques to investigate how fisheries policies account for populations of small-scale fishers, especially women, in the western Pacific Ocean. Based on her findings, she will develop approaches for improving fisheries management in Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu in the Pacific islands, and offer technical support to implement these recommendations. An estimated 50 million small-scale fishers in the developing world rely on coastal marine resources for their subsistence and income. The economic and social pressures that these fishers confront can have a significant impact on the sustainability of coastal fisheries, many of which have a history of heavy exploitation. A recent analysis in Fiji showed that small-scale fishers had low bargaining power, limited access to technology and market information, and poor knowledge of techniques for adding value to their products. In addition, they often have low incomes and are vulnerable to exploitative business practices and the impacts of natural disasters. More than half of small-scale catches in the Pacific region are taken by women. Coastal fisheries management policies that better represent their needs could lead to more secure livelihoods and more sustainable catches.

To read the full release from Pew on all the eight fellows, click here.