NEOLIBERALISM AND THE "GUIDELINES" FOR ARTISAN FISHING

Jorge Varela Marquez / May 11, 2016
Ambiente, Desarrollo y Capacitación S. de R. L.

On June 10, 2014, the "Committee for Fisheries of the Food and Agriculture Organization " (COFI / FAO) adopted the "Voluntary guidelines to achieve sustainable small-scale fisheries in the context of food security and the eradication of poverty ".

The "Guidelines" are measures or governance policies that promote sustainable development through responsible fisheries to focus on human rights, and to eradicate hunger and poverty in order to benefit directly, according to FAO, about 37 million small scale fishermen and another 63 million people working in pre, post harvest activities, marketing etc.



Fishermen and officials in the City "HUA HIN" (Thailand), discussed the guidelines (Guidelines) of Small Scale Fisheries. Cc: N. Laíno

 

 

Neoliberalism imposes the liberalization of the economy and trade.  It reduces public spending and plunders the economy, natural resources and government duties to transfer them to the private sector.

 

Neoliberalism is another failure of the capitalism that emerged from the "Great Depression" and the economic collapse of the early 30s in the last century. It was strengthened in the 80`s by the economic policies of Ronald Reagan (1981-1989), who "convinced" the world that by "making the rich richer, their riches would trickle down on the poor," a fallacy that harms billions of the poor. The new failure of the global financial system known as the "Great Recession" (2007-2008) did not prevent this doctrine from continuing, driven mainly by "ad hoc" dictators that apply neoliberalism without regard to the social and environmental role of the state.

 

Thus, the "Guidelines for small scale fisheries," or others with social or environmental content, seem impossible to apply under a neoliberalism that is based on the plundering of natural resources and turns nature into a commodity that the poor cannot buy, only the rich.

 

The focus of the "guidelines" are human rights, equity and the eradication of hunger and poverty in a country with social economy.  This contrasts with neoliberalism whose focus is profits, and is directed towards the privatization of all public property.



 

Fishermen “Prachuapkhirikhan” (Thailand), launch an SOS to save us from the privatization of aquatic biodiversity. cc.Greenpeace Thai.

Fishermen “Prachuapkhirikhan” (Thailand), launch an SOS to save us from the privatization of aquatic biodiversity. cc.Greenpeace Thai.

In the "developing countries" organizations of fishermen, farmers and indigenous people are struggling trying to avoid the looting and grabbing of their land and water resources. These countries are victims of neoliberal governments that, even after committing to implement the "Guidelines," update or adjust their laws on Fisheries and Aquaculture to give away their wetlands, rivers, lakes, seas, oceans and even the fishermen to the highest bidder. Can the natural resources of the planet satiate the greed of a few before being depleted? ... Will the "voluntary fishing Guidelines " be able to impose their human and social focus on the neoliberal doctrine with its private market approach?

 

 

Traductor: Alexis Aguilar