A new policy in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil, aims to economically displace thousands of artisanal fishers from one‐third of the region. The legislation disregards several FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainability in Small‐Scale Fisheries' guiding principles (SSF guidelines). Considering that 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of these guidelines, this policy represents a significant setback for fish and fisheries worldwide. In this paper, we show that the legislation is part of long‐term agenda against small‐scale fishers in the Pantanal, aiming to use narratives around overfishing to justify physical and economic displacements—albeit no empirical evidence showing impact on fish stocks. We also show that, as in many other small‐scale fisheries worldwide, overfishing narratives are, in fact, used to open space for industrial activities and large infrastructure projects. The Pantanal is a telling story of that, since the new legislation will likely open space for the construction of over 50 small hydroelectric dams in the Pantanal and surrounding area. We argue that, first, it is urgent to abolish the new legislation and promote a pro‐fishers agenda in the Pantanal to protect the region. However, since this is not unique for the region, it is critical to implement international programmes that celebrate and support local fisheries worlwide and avoid physical and economic displacements. Stands out turning SSF guidelines into international agreements, implementing citizens science programmes and expanding the fisher's tenure rights through innovative mechanizes of ownership. By better protecting local small‐scale fishers in the Pantanal and worldwide we are more likely to guarantee a sustainable future for ecosystems and its peoples.

中文翻译：

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巴西潘塔纳尔湿地数千名渔民的经济流离失所：全球小规模渔业边缘化的一个生动故事。


巴西潘塔纳尔湿地的一项新政策旨在经济上取代该地区三分之一地区的数千名手工渔民。该立法无视粮农组织《确保小规模渔业可持续性自愿准则》的几项指导原则（小规模渔业准则）。考虑到 2024 年是这些准则颁布 10 周年，该政策对全球鱼类和渔业来说是一个重大挫折。在本文中，我们表明该立法是针对潘塔纳尔湿地小规模渔民的长期议程的一部分，旨在利用有关过度捕捞的叙述来证明物理和经济迁移的合理性——尽管没有经验证据表明对鱼类种群的影响。我们还表明，与世界各地许多其他小规模渔业一样，过度捕捞的叙述实际上被用来为工业活动和大型基础设施项目开辟空间。潘塔纳尔湿地就是一个生动的例子，因为新立法可能会为潘塔纳尔湿地及周边地区建造 50 多个小型水电站开辟空间。我们认为，首先，迫切需要废除新立法并在潘塔纳尔湿地推行有利于渔民的议程，以保护该地区。然而，由于这并非该地区独有，因此实施国际计划至关重要，以庆祝和支持全球当地渔业并避免物质和经济上的迁移。突出将小规模渔业准则转化为国际协议，实施公民科学计划，并通过创新的所有权机制扩大渔民的保有权。通过更好地保护潘塔纳尔湿地和世界各地的当地小规模渔民，我们更有可能保证生态系统及其人民的可持续未来。