Accountability & Fisher Organizing
Improving Fisher Empowerment
and Strengthening Fisher-led Organizations
Our work to improve fisher empowerment and strengthen fisher-led organizations is focused on an end-goal where fishers’ and fish workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively are respected and worker-led organizations are able to engage in co-governance of marine fisheries in meaningful ways and influence legal frameworks that ensure prevention, remedy, and deterrence of labor abuse and harvesting violations.
Accountability & Fisher Organizing Reports
By Eric Mawuko Atsiatorme and Dorcas Akosua Agbesi
July 24–25, 2025 proceedings
This report describes the outcomes of a two-day Fisher Learning Exchange in Ghana. The exchange brought together fisher and fisher worker organizations from across the country to explore how they are supporting their members and advancing sustainable fisheries management.
By Rosario Espinoza Martínez and Pablo Yáñez
May 20-21 2025 proceedings
This report describes the workshop proceedings as leaders of fishing cooperative federations in Mexico and Central American gathered to characterize fishing cooperatives and their relationship with authorities in each county for the sustainability of fishery resources; describe the challenges and opportunities for strengthening and dignifying the fishing sector; and identify possibilities for action.
Understanding the Capacity of Ghanaian Women’s Organizations to Contribute to Fisheries Management Solutions for Human Wellbeing and Ecological Sustainability
By Baviina Safia Musah, Doris Owusu, Heidi Schuttenberg
July 2025
Ghanaian women within fisheries are organizing to assert their voices, improve labor conditions, and influence sector governance. This report offers a deep analysis of women’s roles across the harvesting, processing, trading, and support services, and highlights the diversity of their contributions and the systemic vulnerabilities they face.
Session by Session Report
By Labor Justice
September 2025
This report describes the convening’s workshop sessions, focused on understanding and enhancing participating organizers’ capacity to campaign, engage in collective bargaining, negotiate with supply chain actors, navigate retaliation, organize workers, and identify and pursue opportunities for deeper regional collaboration to advance workers’ rights and demands.Lessons from Ecuador, Ghana, Indonesia, Mexico, Taiwan, and Thailand
By Judy Gearhart and Connor MoynihanMay 2025
This paper presents lessons from fisher organizing in diverse sectors. The research reviews organizing trends in six countries and identifies common challenges and factors contributing to fisher organizing. In all six countries — Ecuador, Ghana, Indonesia, Mexico, Taiwan, and Thailand — new organizing initiatives have recently emerged.
This research considers a range of dynamics that affect fisher organizing and their ability to access information, seek remedy, and influence policy outcomes. The findings highlight areas where more work and strategizing are needed to build stronger and more influential fisher organizations.
Three Interconnected Pillars
FGP focuses on three contributing factors that play a critical role in improving governance of environmental sustainability and labor rights in marine fisheries.
FGP’s Accountability & Fisher Organizing working group is focused on improving fisher empowerment and strengthening fisher-led organizations.