Colombia begins awareness raising activities on the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines through the country’s fisheries nodes
As part of the participatory process to develop the National Action Plan for Small-Scale Fisheries (PAN-PPE), under the project "Improving equitable, climate-resilient and sustainable small-scale fisheries through the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines," funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and within the framework of an agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in coordination with the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority (AUNAP), activities are being carried out to strengthen Fisheries Nodes (in Spanish - Nodos de Pesca) as territorial governance spaces that support the development of Colombia's fisheries sector.
Fisheries Nodes are local or regional platforms for dialogue, consensus-building, and collaborative decision-making within a framework of interinstitutional public, private, and community sector management. Their purpose is to define and implement strategies and mechanisms through participatory planning to support the implementation of Colombia's public policy on fisheries and aquaculture.
These forums seek to introduce and promote, through participatory and educational approaches, the adoption of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) by recognizing the experiences of women and men fishers, assessing the level of implementation of the Guidelines across territories, and identifying strategic actions to strengthen their application.
With the reactivation of 21 Fisheries Nodes and the establishment of one additional node, under the leadership of MADR, with technical support from FAO and in coordination with AUNAP, Colombia aims to evaluate and update its Comprehensive Policy for the Sustainable Development of Fisheries, the national policy framework designed to promote the sustainable use of fisheries resources and improve conditions across the fisheries sector.
In this context, the creation of the new Catatumbo Basin Fisheries Node, established in the municipality of Tibú, Norte de Santander, is particularly noteworthy. This region encompasses eleven municipalities within the department and, for the first time, has a formal territorial governance body for the fisheries sector through the activation of a platform for coordination and the development of territorial work agendas that foster the adoption of sectoral guidelines.
The Comprehensive Policy for the Sustainable Development of Fisheries in Colombia was developed in 2015 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR). It embraces a vision that integrates fisheries resource management, citizen participation, territorial governance, differentiated approaches, recognition of ethnic communities, ecosystem sustainability, and integrated water resources management. After ten years of implementation, it has become essential to evaluate, revise, and update the Policy by incorporating lessons learned, new technical tools, international standards such as the SSF Guidelines, and contemporary approaches to socio-ecological governance.
In this regard, the SSF Guidelines provide a key reference for updating the Policy by strengthening the implementation of its strategic priorities, incorporating a human rights-based approach, prioritizing small-scale fisheries, promoting interinstitutional and territorial coordination, and guiding the development of a roadmap with concrete actions to enhance the sustainability and resilience of Colombia's fisheries sector.
At the same time, Colombia has launched the process to develop the National Action Plan for Small-Scale Fisheries (PAN-PPE). This inclusive process ensures the active and meaningful participation of stakeholders involved in small-scale marine and inland fisheries, including municipal- and national-level representatives, Indigenous Peoples, women and men working in the fisheries sector, and other interested stakeholders. Together, they will identify key challenges and jointly develop solutions.
The dissemination of the SSF Guidelines through the Fisheries Nodes marks the first phase of this national process. During the territorial meetings, contributions, priorities, and recommendations from fishing communities will be collected to inform the development of the PAN-PPE. Regional and national consultation and validation meetings will then be held to consolidate a roadmap that defines actions, responsibilities, and monitoring mechanisms for the progressive implementation of the Guidelines in Colombia.
Through this process, Colombia will establish an operational, participatory, and territorially grounded instrument that will help transform small-scale fisheries into a more sustainable, resilient, equitable, and inclusive sector, strengthening the livelihoods of fishing communities and their contribution to food security, the conservation of aquatic ecosystems, and the country's rural development.
