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complicated and can negatively or positively affect the fishing
profession as well as the vibrancy of fishing communities.
From the case studies in Cambodia and Thailand, fishing
communities tend to have a higher percentage of ageing
fishers compared to the national average. The relative
With more young people migrating for
economic reasons, smallscale fishing attractiveness of fishing as a livelihood is lower when there
communities such as this one in Cambodia, is better opportunity for non-fish occupations, especially
are struggling to adapt. accelerated by a decrease in fishing resources as well as by
In the study areas, the ageing population is increasing, but laws and regulations surrounding fisheries. At the same time,
to a different degree and for different reasons. The study fishers have strong identity as fishers, and they may continue
found that the nature of demographic change in fishing to fish even when it is not economically viable.
communities is shaped by drivers such as (i) decrease in fish
resources (which hit the inland fisheries in Cambodia the Therefore while fishing communities will continue to exist,
most); (ii) labour shortage (which hit Thailand the most, but the vibrancy of the community may be threatened, affecting
also inland fisheries in Cambodia because of out-migration); the older fishers. In order to cope with the demographic
(iii) changes in laws and regulations (in Thailand owing to changes in fishing communities, the study recommended
the efforts to combat IUU fishing, whereas in Cambodia the the need for support to these fishing communities, including
struggle to protect fishing areas is becoming more difficult); strengthening their local organisations to voice their concerns
(iv) group building initiatives that can improve the fishers’ and participate in the governance of the fishing industry and
sense of being fishers; as well as (v) their strong identity as the management of fishing grounds. It also recommended
fishers; and (vi) drivers outside fishing that pull youths out the promotion of safe migration and non-fishing occupations
from fishing communities to migrate to urban areas and in order to diversify livelihoods in the fishing communities.
across the border for career development (a common finding Elderly care provision is also an urgent measure that is
in all the study areas). In other words, the fishers are getting needed for these communities where the ageing population
older, but the reasons for this as well as the speed at which is increasing rapidly. Without state provisions, the existing
the process is happening differs under different contexts. gender norms would expect women and daughters to take

The decrease in fishers, especially young people, has led to up the care work, affecting the ability of these households to
(i) difficulty in maintaining middle-sized boats, especially in earn, contribute to fishing, as well as for women to explore
Thailand; (ii) reliance on remittances and non-fishing income; career possibilities outside the community.
(iii) difficulty to diversify in areas such as fish processing
because of the lack of fish as well as labour; (iv) less collective Overall, there is a need to better understand the specific
power; and (v) crisis in elderly care. In both Thailand and contexts of fishing communities and the demographic
Cambodia, the demographic changes are happening fast and change that is happening, as well as the drivers (within and
since it is a new phenomenon for them, fishing communities outside the fisheries) and the impacts of such change on the
are still striving for better ways to weather the change. fishing industry, livelihoods diversification, climate change
adaptation, and gender roles and relations.
More research and community References

support needed 1. FAO. 2016. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture
2016. Contributing to food security and nutrition for all.
The sustainability of the fishing industry depends, among Rome. 200 pp.
others, on the state of fishery resources and the women and
men in fishing communities who catch, process, and market 2. Tietze, U., Groenewold, G. and A. Marcoux. 2000.
the fish. An ageing or decrease in the young population Demographic change in coastal fishing communities and
of fishers has consequences on how fishing and related its implications for the coastal environment. FAO Fisheries
activities are conducted, the adoption of new technologies, Technical Paper, No. 403. Rome, FAO.
and the availability of labour, to name a few. Unlike what 3. Miki, N, Soejima, K, and I Seki. 2018. Changes in fishing
is often expected, i.e. that the low number of fishers can communities and fisher women in Japan. Presentation
lead to improved conservation of fishery resources (Tietze during the 7th Global Conference on Gender in
et al. 2000) and the restoration of the fishing professions, Aquaculture and Fisheries. Expanding the Horizons. 18-21
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the implication of the demographic change can be more October 2018, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.

INFOFISH International 3/2020 ● www.infofish.org