International Collective in Support of Fishworkers

International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) is an international non-government organization that works towards the establishment of equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisan sector.

ICSF draws its mandate from the historic International Conference of Fishworkers and their Supporters (ICFWS), held in Rome in 1984, parallel to the World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

A number of fishworker organizations and concerned intellectuals, academics and social activists felt that the FAO conference had chosen to overemphasize the commercial, industrial, scientific and fishery resource aspects, at the expense of the actual real-world, life-and-blood people involved in fishing worldwide. ICSF believes fishworkers are often marginalized from mainstream society.

The main objectives of ICSF are to:

*monitor issues that relate to the life, livelihood and living conditions of fishworkers around the world;

*disseminate information on these issues, particularly amongst fisherfolk;

*prepare guidelines for policymakers that stress fisheries development and management of a just, participatory and sustainable nature; and

*help create the space and momentum for the development of alternatives in the small-scale fisheries sector.

Fisheries legal instruments

[http://www.legal.icsf.net International Legal Instruments Relevant to Fisheries and Fishing Communities] - website provides detailed information for a wide range of instruments relevant to fisheries and fishworkers. It covers 124 legal instruments, categorized into following seven themes: Human Rights, Food Security, Women and Development, Environment and Sustainable Development, Oceans and Fisheries Management, Environmental Pollution, Fishing Vessels and Safety at Sea, Labour and Trade. This website is unique as it provides specfic relevance to fisheries and small-scale fishworkers, in particular for all the 124 instruments. Relevant articles and paragraphs are also provided. Besides this, there is detailed information on working of the instruments, regional instruments and agencies and specific follow-up. This serves as a ready reckoner for fishworkers and non-governmental organizations, researchers and others interested in fisheries issues.

Publications

Print
*Samudra - Triannual Report of ICSF
*Yemaya - ICSF's Newsletter on Gender and Fisheries
*New Release - [http://www.icsf.net/icsf2006/ControllerServlet?handler=OTHERPUB&code=viewFullPubn&pubnid=87&language=EN&pubnType=proceeding&subsiteId=2 Proceedings of the Siem Reap Meet]
* [http://www.icsf.net/icsf2006/ControllerServlet?handler=OTHERPUB&code=viewFullPubn&pubnid=5&language=EN&pubnType=book&subsiteId=2 ICSF Guidebook: Understanding the Work in Fishing Convention 2007]

CD/Videos
*Fisheries in Sub-Saharan Africa
*Indian Ocean 2001
*A Step Forward: A Film on Women Fishworkers in India
*Smoke in the Water: Problems and Prospects for Developing Artisanal Fish Trade in West Africa
*Under the Sun:the transient fisherfolk of Jambudwip
*The right to survive: Turtle conservation and fisheries livelihoods

Offices

Brussels Office

* ICSF, Brussels Office
* Indian Office, Chennai, India

Features at www.icsf.net

Resources
# [http://legal.icsf.net/icsflegal/home.jsp/ Fisheries Legal Instruments]
# [http://dc.icsf.net/icsf2006/jspFiles/doccentre/index.jsp/ Documentation Centre]
# [http://www.icsf.net/icsf2006/jspFiles/icsfMain/indianLegal/english/index.jsp?currPage=1&subsiteId=2&mappingStatus=I/ Indian Legal Instruments]

ee also

# [http://mpa.icsf.net Marine protected areas:Local and traditional fishing community perpective]
# [http://labour.icsf.net/icsf2006/jspFiles/labour/index.jsp/ Labour Standards in Fishing]
# [http://wif.icsf.net/icsf2006/jspFiles/wif/index.jsp/ Women in Fisheries]

External links

* ICSF Website [http://www.icsf.net ICSF]

Conference websites
# [http://rights.icsf.net/ Asserting Rights, Defining Responsibilities]
# [http://icsf.net/jsp/conference/GB2006/ Emerging Concerns Workshop]
# [http://icsf.net/jsp/conference/eastAfrica/ ESA Fish Workshop]
# [http://www.icsf.net/cedepesca/ Latin America Conference]
# [http://icsf.net/jsp/conference/forging_unity/ Forging Unity]
# [http://www.icsf.net/jsp/fishfair/ West Africa Fish Fair]