Green Pages
FisherFolkFirst
Developing ocean stewardship and sustainable livelihoods for fisherfolk.
Story & Photos By Marta Calosso & John Claydon, Founders & Directors, FisherFolkFirst
The Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) is the most important fishery in the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI). It also has the potential to be one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world. Almost all lobsters are caught by a small number of free-diving fishers using a low intensity technique—”hooking” each lobster by hand. Although TCI’s fishers can dive to impressive depths, lobsters in deeper water are left untouched. And, unlike many other fishers elsewhere, they can fish without generating any unwanted bycatch, without leaving any plastic waste, and without damaging the habitats where they fish. TCI’s free-diving fishers also catch fish with Hawaiian slings and collect queen conch by hand from the seafloor.
While the fleet and fishing methods have remained largely unchanged for over 50 years, fishing regulations have evolved constantly over this period. They now include a combination of size limits, closed seasons, quotas, bans, gear restrictions, and licencing requirements that address over 20 different species, many of which are of conservation concern, and include almost 30 separate areas closed to fishing.

Haitian fish workers are delighted to see the regulations poster also written in Creole with Marta Calosso, FisherFolkFirst, at Caicos Fisheries Ltd. processing plant, South Caicos.
These laws are designed to support sustainable livelihoods, but despite their increasing complexity, the only reference for fishers has been the legislation itself—which is currently over 120 pages. There has never been an easily accessible summary document, and little or no information has been provided to explain the ecological reasons behind the rules. These issues are exacerbated for the large component of non-English speaking fisherfolk from Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and for those who struggle with literacy. As a consequence, fisherfolk do not fully understand the regulations. Therefore, they are less inclined to support restrictions to their fishing, compliance is compromised, and small-scale fishers are less able to engage in decision-making processes.
FisherFolkFirst, a nonprofit organisation registered in the Turks & Caicos, sought to address this problem by working with the TCI fishing community and the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management (DFMRM) to identify the most appropriate way to convey information about the fishing regulations. The goal was to reach all fisherfolk, including non-English speakers, and to cover a wide range of educational backgrounds and levels of literacy.
FisherFolkFirst employed a co-design approach that engaged fishers, fish workers, seafood processors, and fisheries officers in almost all steps of the process, from planning to implementation. In fact, the original idea for the project arose from a conversation with a former commercial fisher who currently works for the DFMRM. He stressed the importance of explaining the ecological reasons behind the fishing regulations, “not just telling fishermen what they are not allowed to do.”

John Claydon, FisherFolkFirst, shows the fishing regulations poster to fish workers at Provo Seafood processing plant, Five Cays, Providenciales.
Together, they developed a combination of materials tailor-made for fisherfolk. These include: hundreds of three-fold brochures that were distributed throughout the Islands; portable pull-up banners that were put on display at every DFMRM office and are also available to transport to consultation meetings, school visits, and other outreach activities carried out by the DFMRM; and weatherproof posters that were placed at strategic landing sites and other places frequented by the fishing community. All materials were created in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole which are the major languages spoken by fishers in the TCI. The materials rely heavily on images to cater to those struggling with literacy and everything was made as visually engaging as possible. They also have a QR code linking to a cellphone-friendly website that was developed as part of the project. The website shows the fishing regulations in more detail and can be updated to reflect any changes to the rules. Everything is in three languages and the website is designed to be navigable and intuitive for those who struggle with literacy.
FisherFolkFirst also produced a 12-minute video, primarily targeting commercial fishers, with versions narrated in English, Spanish, and Creole. By emphasizing species’ ecology, the video explains how the regulations work, why they are there, and how they benefit fishers’ livelihoods. In addition to being a resource for fisherfolk, the video will be used by the DFMRM for training and is available on YouTube and on the FisherFolkFirst website.
The video was made with fishers, for fishers and would not have been possible without their invaluable assistance. Everyone in the video is a commercial fisher; they played a major role in deciding what footage would be most suitable for an audience of fellow fishers; three different women with ties to the fishing community narrated the video; and fisherfolk helped to translate the script into Spanish and Creole, which really helped to make the message more accessible to the Dominican and Haitian communities.

Fishing business owners help John Claydon, FisherFolkFirst, with translation into Haitian Creole at a local restaurant in Providenciales.
The co-design approach employed during the project brought many value-added benefits. It improved the project’s outcomes by tapping into local knowledge and expertise; it empowered the fishing community by recognising the value of their perspectives and concerns; it built collaborations and partnerships; it bridged the gap between fisherfolk and government; and, finally, it enhanced the project’s enduring legacy and impact.
Overall, the project was incredibly well-received by fisherfolk and by the TCI public in general, with broader interest expressed by the tourism industry, teachers, and politicians, among others. Although this project is all about fishing regulations, getting fishers to comply with the rules was not the main goal. The real purpose was to empower fisherfolk of all genders and nationalities, to develop “Ocean Literacy” (a better understanding of our influence on the ocean and the ocean’s influence on us) among fisherfolk, and to foster stewardship of their marine resources. These are all important steps to building sustainable livelihoods for fishing communities.
FisherFolkFirst is a nonprofit organization registered in the TCI and strives for environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable small-scale fisheries where fisherfolk are empowered, coastal and marine environments are healthy, and where fisherfolk have secure prosperous futures. FisherFolkFirst’s project “Developing biodiversity stewardship among TCI fishers through outreach and education” was funded by the UK Government’s Darwin Plus Local grant scheme and through the support of local businesses in the TCI. The fishing regulations website and video can be viewed at www.fisherfolkfirst.org/tci-fishing-regulations .
To learn more about FisherFolkFirst visit www.fisherfolkfirst.org or email Marta Calosso at ma***********@fi*************.org.
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This spectacular shot was captured by Seth Willingham, also known as @waterproject on Instagram. He’s been a professional photographer for 15 years, traveling the world capturing images of nature from beautiful destinations. He says, " From the moment I first saw Turks & Caicos from the airplane window I knew this place was going to be different. On our first night at Grace Bay, we were blessed with a glorious sunset and the colors of the sky and water were truly mind blowing."
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