Impacts of lockdowns on livelihoods of small-scale fishers: boon or bane?

Abstract

In an attempt to arrest the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Philippine Government began 15 March 2020 lockdown measures in the whole country by putting many provinces in a state of “community quarantine.” This move involved a ban on land, air, and sea travel in and out of the country. While the lockdown was intended for one month only, this was extended based on the recommendation of the country’s Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases. The lockdown covered all domestic movements, including fishing activities. Until now, lockdowns continued but in varying degrees of coverage, nature, and duration, a move that impacted the fisheries sector, particularly small-scale fisheries. In neighboring Indonesia, local quarantines started in March 2020 and it limited the movement of people. At the end of Ramadan in late May, the government allowed air, land, and sea travel provided people follow “health protocols” as people moved from the capital city of Jakarta go home to the provinces. After the holidays, the country again imposed lockdowns and restricted the movements of people, including fisheriesrelated activities. The impacts of the government imposed lockdowns on the fisheries sector of two major fishing nations of Southeast Asia, whether positive or negative, were compiled by Mongabay correspondents from the Philippines and Indonesia.