In March, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri, presented his latest report titled “Fisheries and the Right to Food in the Context of Climate Change” at the 55th Human Rights Council (HRC) session in Geneva, Switzerland.
Masifundise actively participated in the HRC sessions during the week of 4-9 March 2024, including a side event organised by the World Forum of Fisher People (WFFP) and FIAN International. The event, titled “Safeguarding Fisher Peoples’ Human Rights in the Face of threats of the Blue Economy,” aimed to facilitate dialogue, raise awareness, and propose actionable strategies to address the challenges faced by fisher peoples amidst the threats posed by the blue economy initiatives.
“At the side event, we emphasised the challenges encountered by small-scale fishers in South Africa. These challenges include how the coastline is being mapped out for exploration of oil and gas and mineral mining and at the same time, there is a push for conservation through Marine Protected Areas. These developments are encroaching upon the rights to food and traditional ways of life of small-scale fishers who rely on the ocean for their livelihoods.” said Carmen Mannarino from Masifundise.
A pivotal moment during the side event occurred when Michael Fakhri emphasised that Masifundise highlighting the struggles of small-scale fishers is what prompted him to right this report “Just a quick background on how came to this report and I want to start with thanking Masifundise, it was a year ago when I was here in Geneva and they said do a report [on small-scale fishers], I sat and listened and said okay” said Fakhri.
The report holds significance for small-scale fishers globally, as it sheds light on their experiences and how the climate crisis impacts their right to food. Moreover, it provides recommendations to states, urging them to prioritise the needs of small-scale fishers, recognize the co-existence of fisherfolk and nature, and protect their human rights.
Watch the full side event here: