Blue economy sectors such as travel, tourism, maritime transport, fisheries, and seafood production have been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Disruption of supply side capacity, such as transport routes, limited access to ports and closures, falling demand, and increased number of sanitary and regulatory measures, are undermining these sectors. While some blue economy sectors in affected countries are subject to full closure or running at less than half their capacity, others continue to deliver essential goods and services.
This report calls for COVID-19 response measures to include support to small-scale fishers, many of whom are self-employed and don’t have income or health insurance. As many have been sidelined during important fishing seasons, the risk is that millions of fishers won’t be able to sustain their families, afford operational costs, or repay outstanding loans for equipment. In order to help fishers, especially small-scale operators, to compensate for the lack of commercial activity during the confinement period, this report recommends that governments extend fishing seasons when feasible, if the total catch remains below the maximum sustainable yield and if doing so wouldn’t disrupt fish reproductive periods. In addition, the report provides the following policy recommendations:
- Keep up the fight against illegal fishing, relying as much as possible on electronic monitoring and surveillance systems supported by targeted inspections and missions at sea and in ports.
- Exercise due restraint in scaling up trade protectionism disguised as sanitary measures in seafood value chains.
- Support the transition from fresh fish to value-added processed seafood products where feasible, to offer new economic opportunities to those working in the sector.
- Enhance coordination between fish and seafood suppliers and transport, warehousing, and logistical services to minimise loss of produce and food waste.