This is what several representatives of the sector said during the recent 3rd Conference of Social Movements for Food Sovereignty that took place in Buenos Aires. Cairo Laguna was one of the representatives, who explained the situation of artisanal fisherfolk in his country and in Central America.

“95 per cent of the production of the sector in the region is exported. This means that our population doesn’t have access to this food, and the prices are unaffordable”, said Laguna.

In addition, he talked about the concern due to the presence of transnational companies of the sector in Nicaragua, as the case of Pescanova, which has concentrated 70 per cent of the areas destined to the production of shrimp in the country and took over concessions that were in the hands of small community fisherfolk.

This was possible through an alliance with national companies and without the government halting this strategy, said Cairo. Even from a macroeconomic point of view, this situation was promoted as a benefit despite “the social consequence of fisherfolk being forced to move to the city or fishing in areas under concession, which generates conflicts since they are considered intruders”.

The National Federation of Artisanal Fisherfolk (FENAPESCA) of Nicaragua is an organization based on the cooperative model and it includes 79 grassroots organizations. The Federation is also part of the Central American Confederation of Artisanal Fisherfolk (CONFEPESCA).

Cairo said that it is necessary to strengthen the concept of Food Sovereignty in the agendas of movements and governments, including artisanal fisheries and the right of populations to access the products of seas, rivers and mangroves.

Photo: http://www.rel-uita.org