Traditional and artisanal fishing communities use methods that affect welfare of target species and bycatch, with practices shaped by centuries of cultural knowledge and economic necessity.
Traditional fishing community welfare practices span a wide spectrum — from highly selective, low-bycatch methods used by communities with deep ecological knowledge, to destructive blast and poison fishing that cause mass non-target mortality. Supporting welfare improvements in traditional fishing communities is most effective when it works within existing knowledge systems, addresses economic drivers of harmful practices, and provides technical support for bycatch reduction rather than imposing external regulations that communities cannot implement.