Assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on small-scale fisheries and aquaculture in selected sites in Southeast Asia

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted economies worldwide, including the fisheries and aquaculture value chain. In the Southeast Asian region, although small-scale fishers and fish farmers are significant actors in the fish value chain, they are also among the vulnerable groups. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the impacts of COVID-19 on their livelihood to provide appropriate support and carry out measures to mitigate such impacts. SEAFDEC Training Department conducted a study to assess the impacts of COVID-19 on the small-scale fisheries and aquaculture sub-sectors, i.e. marine capture fisheries, mariculture, inland capture fisheries, inland aquaculture, and aquatic bank in Lao PDR, Myanmar, Philippines, and Thailand from 2020 to 2021. The small-scale fishers and farmers were interviewed in selected sites using a questionnaire based on the recommendations of FAO to describe the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic specifically on their quantity of catch/harvest, number of market channels, price of catch/harvest, access to transportation, cost, and income. It was found that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on small-scale fishers and fish farmers include reduction in catch and harvest, reduction in the number of marketing channels, reduction in the price of catch or harvest, reduction in access to transportation, reduced cost, and reduced income. The recommendations provided in this study should be considered to mitigate such impacts. The results of this study could support the development of appropriate policies to sustain the livelihood and enhance the resilience of small-scale fishers and farmers to other pandemics and disasters in the future.