The livelihoods of small-scale fishers around the world are in jeopardy: diminishing fishing rights, depleted stocks of fish in the ocean and higher operational costs have made it increasingly difficult for fishers to provide for their families.

For the people of Culatra- a small barrier island in the south of Portugal- with no land fit to grow vegetables or livestock- artisanal fishing has been an integral part of life for centuries. However, growing pressures are making it increasingly difficult to compete with large-scale, industrial, and often less sustainable, fisheries.

As this community has come to confront the reality of stock overexploitation, there has been an increasing desire to learn more about the consequences of human actions on the ecosystems they so depend on. Increasing evidence suggests artisanal fishing is the main path to long-term and sustainable fishing.

Nicolas Blanc
marine biologist