Challenging the might of the sea has always been a fascinating part of a· fisherman's life. It is a boon as long as he gets a good harvest and returns home safe, a curse to his family if he perishes in the sea while' fishing. Representatives of the seven member countries, and experts from the Food and Agricultural Organisation, Rome, and other agencies who gathered in Chennai, India, discussed the issue of sea safety for artisanal and small-scale fisheries in a Regional Workshop during 8-12 October, 2001.
Developments the world over haye threatened the very existence of smallscale fishermen, who have been reporting rapidly declining catches and earnings. Another casualty has been the marine resource itself, 'which,_has suffered seriously from the combined assault. of over-fishing, destructive .fishing practices and environmental degradation,' largely from land-based activities. To' complicate matters. 'further, illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing is taking place pn the high seas. The plight of the smallscale fishermen, thus, poses a·· formidable challenge, th,e like ofwhich the BQBP member-countries have, perhaps, never faced before. What is · needed is urgent action to create a level playing field for the small fishers to survive and sustaiQ their·livelihoqd..read more