Women in aquaculture: Stories from the field

JIRCAS International Symposium Proceedings
本文フルテキスト

Today, most of the world’s capture fisheries are thought to be fully or overexploited (Finegold, 2009), while climate change and population growth are becoming increasingly significant issues that are likely to impact future global food security. Amidst this, aquaculture is seen as an innovative and sustainable way of producing more food and meeting the rising demand for fish.

As aquaculture continues to grow further, the need to manage its possible impacts (e.g. ecological, social) will become even more important. One way for aquaculture to make a positive impact is to involve more female scientists. According to a 2015 report published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) titled “The Role of Women in the Seafood Industry,” women make up half of the seafood industry’s total working population worldwide and are essential contributors with key roles in fisheries, aquaculture, seafood processing and other related services. However, in the case of aquaculture, although 70% of the global workforce is female, some women have limited access to opportunities and resources (Monfort, 2015).

In order to promote women in the aquaculture industry, The Fish Site, an aquaculture and fisheries website in the UK, started a new series called Women in Aquaculture in January 2018, to shed light on the participation of women. A number of women from various countries and backgrounds have been interviewed over the past few months, including a catfish farmer in Nigeria (Lilian Elekwatchi), a women's group in the UK (the Aquagettes), a minnow farmer and bait delivery driver in the USA (Margie Saul) and a specialist in the early detection of ciliate parasites in Singapore (Dr. Giana Gomes).

The vital roles that women play in aquaculture are no surprise to those already in the industry. However, with seafood a key source of nutrition worldwide, an increase in gender equality and an awareness of the roles women play in aquaculture could be crucial for food security. Through its series, The Fish Site aims to give women in aquaculture a platform to share their insights and encourage more women to join the sector. It also hopes to increase awareness among business leaders, enlarge their knowledge about the value that women bring to aquaculture and encourage more women to be considered in new projects or policies. The Women in Aquaculture series will be discussed in more detail during the presentation, with examples of stories, roles and responsibilities in the field.

別タイトル 養殖産業で活躍する女性達 ~ 現場からのストーリー
刊行年月日
作成者 Bonnie Waycott
著者キーワード Aquaculture Female scientists Gender equity Promotion of women Website series
公開者 Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences
オンライン掲載日
国立情報学研究所メタデータ主題語彙集(資源タイプ) Conference Paper
2018
開始ページ 51
終了ページ 56
言語 eng

関連する刊行物