The workshop on social protection for the fisheries and aquaculture sector, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Brazilian government, focuses on advancing social protection in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Through a South-South cooperation exchange, this workshop serves as a platform for countries to share ideas, strategies, and experiences in designing and implementing social protection programmes in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Divided into two parts, the workshop aims to facilitate detailed discussions and learning opportunities. The first segment will host an in-depth exchange between Brazil and the countries of the “Social Protection for the Fisheries and Aquaculture Project”, also known as the SocPro4Fish, (Colombia, Paraguay, and Tunisia). This part will focus on Brazil's 30 years of experience implementing an unemployment insurance during fishing closures (Seguro Defeso), with the aim that this could inform other similar processes being undertaken in Colombia, Paraguay and Tunisia.

The second part of the workshop offers a broader platform for countries, within and beyond the SocPro4Fish project, to discuss and present their social protection programmes reaching the fisheries sector. This segment includes presentations and discussions, exploring the different dimensions of social protection programmes as concerned to the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Topics range from the delivery cycle of these programs to fishers and social registers, revolving funds, community initiatives, alternative livelihood programs and productive inclusion strategies for fishers during closed seasons. It also will feature interactive working groups aimed at examining the coherence between existing fisheries management and social development policies, emphasizing the role of registries in expanding social protection coverage within the fisheries sector. In addition, a panel of fishers will highlight their challenges, vulnerabilities and welfare needs, offering a first-hand perspective on the realities on the ground.