Marine Invertebrate Small-Scale Fisheries in Timor-Leste: Monitoring, Management and Sustainability

Project Information

SHELLFISH

Grant agreement ID: 101026000

DOI

10.3030/101026000

Project closed

EC signature date 20 April 2021

Start date 1 February 2022

End date 31 January 2025

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 264 259,20

EU contribution

€ 264 259,20

Coordinated by

INSTITUT DE RECHERCHE POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT
France

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SHELLFISH (Marine Invertebrate Small-Scale Fisheries in Timor-Leste: Monitoring, Management and Sustainability)

Reporting period: 2024-02-01 to 2025-01-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Marine Invertebrate Artisanal Fisheries (MIAF) target species such as molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms, generally grouped as “shellfish.” Women play a key role in these fisheries and have expert skills and knowledge of the ecological and social processes underlying shellfisheries in their territories. Today, despite the fact that MIAF play a key role by providing food and nutrition security and a source of income at household, national, and global scales, these fisheries remain a frequently overlooked and historically underinvested area of fisheries research.
The overall objective of SHELLFISH is to reach a detailed understanding of the multiple social and ecological processes underlying and shaping MIAF in TL and to develop inclusive tools and strategies for their long-term accountability and sustainability.
The project is divided into three specific objectives and three cross-cutting themes:
- Objective 1: Design and implement inclusive protocols to assess the diversity, extent, and dynamics of MIAF (WP1)
- Objective 2: Identify the key ecological and social drivers of change, vulnerability, and sustainability of MIAF (WP2)
- Objective 3: Enhance gender and marine invertebrate issues in fisheries management plans and policy(WP3)
Cross-cutting issues: Gender equality, climate change, and local knowledge.
Research approach: Transdisciplinary, human rights-based, inclusive, and holistic

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The outgoing phase of the project was conducted in Timor Leste in strong collaboration with WorldFish (CGIAR) and the National University of Timor Leste (UNTL). Various activities were deployed to comprehend Marine Invertebrate Artisanal Fisheries (MIAF): assessment of targeted species, Catch Per Unit Effort surveys (CPUE), social-ecological and ethnoecological open and semi-structured interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), workshops, and training. Moreover, in collaboration with WorldFish, the nutritional profile of eleven marine invertebrate species was assessed. MIAF surveys were developed in seven localities across Timor Leste, and a total of 20 bachelor’s students from UNTL were engaged and collaborated in the collection of data under the supervision of the PI. A total of 211 marine invertebrate species were found to be used for food, ornamental, and/or commercial purposes. Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE, fisheries metrics) surveys were conducted in 2022 and 2024; these surveys showed that women were more active than men in MIAF. Therefore, women targeted and captured more species, mobilized more fishing techniques, and their total catch was higher than that of men. Open and semi-structured interviews, along with FGD and fisherwomen allowed to underpin local knowledge on i) local knowledge related to the diversity of marine invertebrate species targeted in local fisheries, species habitats, and population dynamics; ii) the dynamics of MIAF throughout the year and how MIAF interconnected with other types of food production systems and cultural activities; and iii) the social and ecological drivers of change of these fisheries. Training and summer schools enabled the development of capacity building on new skills in ethnoecology, transdisciplinary approaches, marine invertebrate species taxonomy and ecology, as well as in sustainability science.

The incoming phase of the project was conducted in France, at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development. Different activities for the dissemination of results were engaged in France as in Timor Leste, including the organization of the first international conference held at UNTL related to fisheries and marine science, the development of the first collection of marine invertebrates of Timor Leste, and the exhibition of concepts and objects related to the theme “Women and Shells” at the Forum Science4Action (Palais du Pharo, Marseille, 2024).

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Today, there is an urgent need for a global perspective in the management of marine invertebrate fisheries combined with local assessments and monitoring that integrate fishers' perceptions, views, and knowledge. SHELLFISH enabled to provide evidence-based research to understand the social, economic, ecological, and political processes that shape the dynamics of marine invertebrate artisanal fisheries in Timor Leste. The developed approaches aim to lead to transformative solutions for fisheries monitoring, management, and governance, and enhance gender equality. A key aspect of the findings of SHELLFISH relied on the development of a cross-thematic methodology to integrate ethnoecology and fisheries metrics to monitor and assess MIAF. This framework can be implemented in Timor Leste as well as scaled up to other countries where MIAF plays a key role in nutrition, food security, and well-being. Moreover, SHELLFISH provided essential mechanisms to enhance the inclusion of local knowledge, particularly fisherwomen's knowledge, in the day-to-day monitoring of coastal environments and MIAF dynamics, and in the design of management strategies to support resilient and sustainable artisanal fisheries in tropical coastal ecosystems.

Women gleaning marine invertebrate species in Timor Leste

Grandmonther looking for sea worms on the send to use as bait

University students from Timor Leste identifying mollusk species