From Hook to Cook. Coding for Crayfish in a Crisis

Building resilience to pandemics and other global crises is becoming crucial for communities who work, harvest and market food. If they can do this in a sustainable way, then it will strength human and climate health. Such is the case for South Africa’s small-scale fishers. They are beginning to realise the value of technologies to ensure what they hook, gets to the cook.

The west coast rock lobster fishery has been a crisis well before the COVID-19 pandemic became known. Historical over-exploitation, slow recognition of traditional fishers’ rights, and rampant poaching, have been hallmarks of this fishery.

But nothing prepared them for the closure of international markets earlier this year. This has buckled small-scale fishing communities who find themselves in a growing sea of poverty and associated social problems.