The Social Progress Index, based on a survey of 969 households in Chocó, reveals that fishing families face major challenges in health and nutrition, and there is an urgent need to promote equitable and supportive policies for the artisanal fishing sector. In addition, the study points out that younger generations lack the interest to continue fishing.

The survey was conducted in 44 coastal communities in the municipalities of Juradó, Bahía Solano, Nuquí, Bajo Baudó and Litoral del San Juan.

Within the framework of the project “Sustainable and Inclusive Ocean Economy in Colombia” funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation – Norad; MarViva Foundation, in alliance with the Latin American Center for Competitiveness and Sustainable Development (CLACDS), of the Central American Institute of Business Administration (INCAE Business School), publishes the first application of the Social Progress Index tool in the coastal communities of the five municipalities of the Pacific coast of Chocó, focused on three dimensions: basic needs, foundations of well-being and opportunities. Among the most important results, the following stand out:

Fishing households face greater challenges in terms of health and nutrition than non-fishing households. This disparity highlights the urgent need for policies that ensure equitable access to health and nutrition services for the entire population.

Surveyors recognize the important contributions of the fisheries sector to communities, including its economic impact on families, the boost to the local economy, and its role in food supply. However, they also pointed out several difficulties, such as the lack of support for the sector by the government, the increase of unregulated practices, and the lack of care for the environment.

Also, the research reveals that in both the fishing and non-fishing sectors, most households face economic difficulties and perceive low incomes. Even so, the situation is particularly serious in the fishing sector, where self-employment and precarious employment conditions predominate. These factors contribute to economic instability and affect the well-being of local communities.

Likewise, the results reveal a worrying panorama for the fishing activity among households in the sector, considering that five (5) out of ten (10) parents do not want their children to continue fishing, which could threaten the sustainability of this practice.

According to Juliana Valdés Pereira, MarViva’s local governance coordinator, “This information is very important because it allows us to have updated data about the challenges and barriers faced by coastal communities to guarantee and to have access to social and culturally appropriate wellbeing conditions, but also this information allows us to understand their expectations and visions for the future. From MarViva, we consider that sustainable development of coastal communities involves understanding these challenges to establish action routes that allow the construction of alternatives for life and the future, always considering environmental care and socio-cultural wellbeing”.

These findings evidence that it is essential to implement policies that guarantee equitable access to basic rights and support and address the specific challenges of the fishing sector to foster social and economic development and ensure the food security of local communities.

About the SPI:

The IPS is a social and environmental metric that complements GDP as a development indicator and serves societies to measure the results of the actions and policies they execute to improve people’s lives but also to evidence those strategic axes in which adequate and concrete routes of action are still needed to improve the well-being of communities. The SPI proposes a solid and holistic measurement model that can be used by governments, businesses, and civil society leaders to accelerate progress towards a society with a better living standard.

The publication is available here.