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focused on the agricultural sector; and (vi) Limited availability in pole and line tuna fishing and handline large yellowfin tuna
of long-term research to enable the understanding of the fishing. The overall increase in population, however, could put
impact of demographic change in the fishing sector. additional pressure on reef resources.

In India (Parappurathu, 2019), there were 16 million people In Myanmar (Than and Naing, 2019), roughly 25 percent of
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involved in fishing and allied activities in 2017, of whom 65 the population are below 15 years old, but the proportion of
percent were male and 35 percent were female. There was an young people in the population has been decreasing steadily
increasing trend in the number of marine fisherfolk population owing to declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy,
between 1980 and 2010, but a decreasing trend between with most men and women living into their 60s. Between 1973
2010 and 2016. Family size was decreasing and the sex ratio and 2014, the number of people aged 60 and over increased
was skewed in favour of males. Literacy rate rose over the from a little over 1.5 million to 4.5 million, with more females
years and there was improvement in the level of educational than males. In terms of migration, males in the 40 to 54 age
attainment among fisherfolk. The study further indicated that range have higher migration rates than women. The authors
although the literacy rate was slightly higher for males than did not present data specific to fishing communities. However,
females, both were lower than the national average, and that the implications of an ageing population, for example, the
the marine fisherfolk population living below the poverty need for a supportive environment for older persons such as
line was higher (61 percent) than the national average (29.5 social protection, affordable access to basic primary health
percent). There was a trend of male migration between care services, sufficient universal pension schemes, work
States to work as fishing labourers and for women to work in opportunities for older persons, and infrastructure that will
shrimp processing factories. Furthermore, smallscale fishers ensure their well-being, were a common concern.
previously engaged in traditional non-motorised fishing
were moving to mechanised trawl/purse seine as labourers, Case study: Cambodia and Thailand
attracted by the timely payment of remuneration. Between
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1980 and 2016, the number of non-motorised fishing vessels In a study entiled “Demographic changes in fishing
declined from 134 741 to 25 689. communities in Cambodia and Thailand”, in-depth interviews,
focus group discussions and key informant interviews were
In Indonesia (Koeshendrajana, 2019), there was a 51 percent conducted at Khlong Yai district (Trat province, Thailand),
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decrease in the number of fisher households between 2003 Kampong Svay district (Kampong Chhnang province,
(1.6 million) and 2013 (780 037). Data for 2013 showed that Cambodia), Srae Ambel district (Koh Kong province,
many of the fishers belonged to the 40–49 age group, with Cambodia), and Tuek Chhou district (Kampot province,
more than half of them in the 30–49 age group. Furthermore, Cambodia). In Thailand, the study area was on marine
more than 30 percent of fishers with non-motorised fishing fisheries, while for Cambodia, both inland and marine areas
vessels belonged to the age group 50 and above; one-fourth were covered.
of the fishers using inboard motorised vessels and 30 percent
using outboard motors belonged to the same age group. The In Thailand, the number of fishers is decreasing while the
data showed fluctuations in the number of fishers between young generation are going to urban areas to work. Fishing
2012 and 2016, but there was an overall decrease between communities are ageing, and they are getting increasingly
the two periods, from 2.7 million in 2012 to 2.6 million in dependent on cross-border migrant workers to sustain fishing.
2016. The sector is further challenged by the strict regulations that
were introduced by the Thai government to combat illegal,
In the Maldives (Shakeel, 2019), the youth represented 68 unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, such as the need
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percent of the working age population and 47 percent of the for extra paperwork that they are not used to doing, and
total population in 2014. Available data showed that people the difficulty in managing crew since only those who are
directly involved in fishing represented 3.6 percent of the registered with a particular boat can go fishing. Any mistake
working age population in 2014. Furthermore, the number of they make is followed by a ban on fishing for several months,
fishers has been decreasing since 2014 from 8 596 to 7 045 which makes it extremely difficult for them to resume fishing
presently. The predominance of young people in the working after that.
age population has led to changes in the fishing industry,
among these being: (i) operation of larger tuna fishing boats; On the other hand, in Cambodia, fish catches are decreasing
(ii) use of modern devices on tuna fishing boats, such as fish especially in the inland area, making it more and more
Credit : Dexter Yard
finding devices, bird radars, GPS and vessel locating devices; difficult to sustain a livelihood dependent on fishing. Many
(iii) operation of multi-day fishing trips by tuna fishing boats; youths migrate to urban and cross-border areas, leading to
(iv) increased participation of the youth in fishing, particularly labour shortage in fishing and fish processing.

INFOFISH International 3/2020 ● www.infofish.org