A National Comprehensive Approach for Small-Scale Fisheries Cooperatives to Improve Fishers Livelihoods in Solomon Islands

Abstract

Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) are the primary vehicle that supplies fish for domestic consumption and are vital means of livelihoods to local fishing communities in numerous coastal developing countries around the World, including the Solomon Islands. Given the 80% of the Solomon Islands human population residing in coastal communities, fish and fishing activities formed important means of their wellbeing. However, the current lack of a national framework to support the realization of SSFs fishers’ livelihood outcomes through fishermen organizations combined with an array of co-occurring and overlapping pressing issues surrounding SSFs and those dependent on them need attention and counter action. Cooperatives in small-scale fisheries have been widely adopted, especially by developing countries as vehicles to alleviate poverty by improving fisheries dependents livelihoods. And, this theory-based study aimed to synthesize a national comprehensive approach for SSFs cooperatives with the focus on improving livelihoods of fishers in fishing communities in the Solomon Islands, with supporting research questions. The focus was on their establishment and implications. By employing the definition and concept of cooperatives promoted by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), in small-scale fisheries cooperatives grounded in the framework proposed by Robert S. Pomroy and Neil 2 Andrew in their book ‘Small-scale fisheries management on frameworks and approached for the developing world, and which are embedded in the operation of rural and community fisheries centers (RFCs and CFCs) as has been strongly urged by the United Nation’s Food Agricultural Organization (FAO). Supporting elements for this approach were derived from proposed cooperative frameworks of other scholars and various case studies in both developing and developed countries around the world and contextualized for Solomon Islands. This study found that the establishment of small-scale fisheries cooperatives in the Solomon Islands can be realized through a contextualized community level participatory approach. The roles of the responsible government agencies and supported by relevant stakeholders for fishermen cooperatives were to facilitate their establishment, capacity building, and establish network links. The fishermen cooperatives then take full control of their operational functions and the welfare of their members, while remained committed to their community obligations. Sole operations of rural fisheries centers (RFCs) or community fisheries centers (CFCs) by fishermen cooperatives, with the acquired organizational, management, and operational skills, members of fishermen cooperatives and can gain a sense of ownership to maintain their sustainability to achieve their common goals and of wider fishing communities. Thus, this comprehensive approach to fishermen cooperative considered the traditional and cultural values that govern the identities of daily lives of Solomon Islanders and community based initiative approaches, while empowering fishermen and to promoting capacity building to manage a business organization to effectively participates and engages in economic activities of the modern world to collectively improve their livelihoods and living.