Spring 2019 Update: This project has been put on hold indefinitely
Due to a series of unfortunate, personal crises, I have been forced to press pause. The ideas remain as does the hope that one day this work can resume.
Picture fishing: Performing global fisheries diversity
An initiative of images and short essays highlighting the variation of fishing people, places and practices.
A failure by policy and politics to imagine or recognize fisheries diversity undercuts progressive protection and support for the global majority of fishers and fishworkers — who remain decidedly small-scale. Governance and science often narrowly define fisheries as arrays of capital and labor, ignoring webs of diverse fishing practices, traditions, values and meanings.
Against this reductionist view, this crowd-sourced research project — "Picture Fishing" — intends to visually highlight global fisheries diversity. The project seeks imagery and text from researchers, activists and fishers themselves to imagine and perform existing fisheries diversity. Relying on political ecology theories and a politics of performativity, the project envisions journal publications, exhibits and, ultimately, a book of fishery imagery.
For more information, please see the theoretical and practical explanation. We've also created an image gallery with a mock web map and submissions and this FAQ document to provide more insight, background and instruction. Expressions of interest and additional queries should be directed to Adam Jadhav at ajadhav@berkeley.edu. Submissions (images and text) for the project can be processed through this Google Form (opens in a new window, requires Google Account).