Margaret Therese Serranilla (ELP 2022) | Training Manager, Rare, Philippine

Our coastal waters are some of the most important ecosystems that support life on earth.  Fish provides more than 20% of animal protein intake for 3 billion people worldwide. In less developed countries, it can even be 50%.  It provides livelihood for millions of coastal communities and mall-scale fishers around the globe.  In fact, 50 of the world’s small 51 million fishers are small-scale fishers.   

Yet small-scale coastal fishing is often an overlooked industry.  As government support tends to lean toward the more lucrative commercial fishing industry, small-scale coastal fisheries are often under-resourced.  Coastal communities have very little to no capacity to effectively manage their fisheries. As a result, many coastal waters have become vulnerable to overfishing and destructive fishing practices.  At present, 34% of the world's coastal fisheries are overfished.  In addition, the destruction of marine habitats also left coastal communities vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.     

Overfishing, like all environmental problems, is a complex problem that needs a systemic solution - a solution that protects marine habitats and species, but supports the needs of the communities that depend on these resources.

I work in a program called Fish Forever which aims to reduce overfishing and revitalize coastal fisheries by empowering small-scale fishing communities to lead the management of their own fishing grounds and marine resources.  This is not easy. We work with a global network of 100 staff and over 150 local partners, governments and organizations. 

Through a global network of 100 staff and over 150 local partners, Fish Forever mobilizes and strengthens community-led management of coastal fisheries. Through a replicable model rooted in behavioral science, Fish Forever promotes responsible fishing behavior among local fisher