WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/RL/W/197 
24 November 2005 
 (05-5574) 
Negotiating Group on Rules  
  
 
DEFINITIONS RELATED TO ARTISANAL, SMALL-SCALE 
AND SUBSISTENCE FISHING 
 
Note by the Secretariat
 
 
 
Introduction and Background  
 
 At its September 2005 formal meeting, the Negotiating Group on Rules requested the Secretariat to research and compile information on definitions currently in use for the terms 
"artisanal" fishing and fisheries, "small-scale" fi shing and fisheries, and "subsistence" fishing and 
fisheries.  This document sets forth the results of this research.     The document consists of three sections.  Sections I and II are in the form of an analytical table, breaking down the various elements of th e definitions found into the following headings:  
Source of Definition, Description of Activity, Operator(s), Economic Orientation, Location of 
Activity, Nature of Activity, Attributes of Vessels/Gear.  Section I covers "artisanal" and "small-
scale" fishing and fisheries jointly, as many sources consider these terms synonyms.  Section II covers 
"subsistence" fishing and fisheries.     Within Sections I and II, the definitions are sub-categorized as between those drawn from 
inter-governmental and non-governmental sources on the one hand, and national and sub-national 
governmental sources on the other hand.     Section III contains the full definitions and ci tations referred to in the table, again sub-
categorized by type of source (i.e. intergovernment al and non-governmental versus national and sub-
national governmental).  Website addresses are included for each source referenced.   
 
 It should be noted that this document does not  purport to be exhaustive.  It reflects the 
information that was obtainable from readily accessible sources.  The inclusion or exclusion of any given source has no implications for the legal status  of the source or of any definition drawn from it, 
and is without prejudice to the position of  any Participant in the negotiations.  
 TN/RL/W/197 
Page 2 SECTION I:  COMPILATION OF CERTAIN DEFINITIONS RELATED TO ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE  FISHING AND FISHERIES  
SOURCE OF 
DEFINITION DESCRIPTION OF 
ACTIVITY OPERATOR(S) ECONOMIC 
ORIENTATION LOCATION OF 
ACTIVITY NATURE OF 
ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES OF 
VESSELS/GEAR 
INTER-GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-
GOVERNMENTAL  
SOURCES       
FAO1 "artisanal fisheries" 
– sometimes 
referred to as 
"small-scale 
fisheries" fishing households, 
as opposed to 
commercial 
companies 
 can be subsistence or 
commercial, 
providing fish for 
local consumption or 
export 
 short fishing 
trips, close to 
shore using small amount 
of capital and 
energy,  vessels, if used, 
relatively small; can 
range from gleaning or 
a one-man canoe in 
poor developing 
countries to more than 
20 meter trawlers, 
seiners, or long-liners 
in developed countries 
 
FAO Fisheries Global Information System
2 
 
   "small-scale 
fisheries" also 
referred to as 
"artisanal fisheries" as above as above as above as above, and can be 
very specialized but 
in general target a 
very wide range of 
species, using a 
broad variety of 
gear, generating 
diverse fishing 
strategies and 
flexibly adapting to 
seasonal or inter-
annual natural 
variability.  
 as above, and typically 
use a broad variety of 
gear 
                                                      
1 UN Food and Agricultural Organization, fisheries glossary. 
2 Topics and Issues Fact Sheet – Go vernance of small-scale fisheries.  
  TN/RL/W/197
 Page 3SECTION I:  COMPILATION OF CERTAIN DEFINITIONS RELATED TO ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE  FISHING AND FISHERIES  
SOURCE OF 
DEFINITION DESCRIPTION OF 
ACTIVITY OPERATOR(S) ECONOMIC 
ORIENTATION LOCATION OF 
ACTIVITY NATURE OF 
ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES OF 
VESSELS/GEAR 
World Bank3 "small-scale or 
artisanal fishers" 
 fishing households, 
single-person 
operations; vessels, 
if used, crewed by 
one to three fishers 
 not specified not specified low capital; often 
target larger 
demersals, although 
activities so diverse 
as to be difficult to 
categorize shore-based, using cast 
nets, traps, etc.; small, 
non-mechanized 
canoes or rafts; or 
small motorized 
dinghies or boats  
 
Asian Development Bank
4 "artisanal (or small-
scale) fisheries" 
 typically family-
based not specified near-shore 
waters and 
inland water 
bodies uses labour-
intensive fishing 
technologies small craft (usually 
smaller than 12 meters 
long), and fishing gear 
such as beach seine and 
gill nets, hook and line, 
and traps. 
 
Secretariat of the Pacific Community
5 "artisanal fishing" not specified may or may not 
involve sale of a 
portion of the catch 
 not specified small-scale fishing not specified 
Southern African 
Development 
Community6  "small-scale 
commercial 
fisheries" 
 not specified generate profits and 
earn income large 
enough to meet the 
basic needs of life, 
employ staff or 
operate as profit-
sharing collective 
enterprises 
 not specified not specified not specified 
                                                      
3 Saving Fish and Fishers – Toward Sustainable and Equitable Governance of the Global Fishing Sector , May 2004.  (Report No. 29090-GLB) 
4 Policy on Fisheries, 1977. 
5 Marine Resources Division glossary. 
6 Protocol on Fisheries.  
 TN/RL/W/197 
Page 4 SECTION I:  COMPILATION OF CERTAIN DEFINITIONS RELATED TO ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE  FISHING AND FISHERIES  
SOURCE OF 
DEFINITION DESCRIPTION OF 
ACTIVITY OPERATOR(S) ECONOMIC 
ORIENTATION LOCATION OF 
ACTIVITY NATURE OF 
ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES OF 
VESSELS/GEAR 
International Commission for the Conservation of 
Atlantic Tunas 
(ICCAT)
7 
 "artisanal" not specified catch effort that is 
neither industrial nor 
recreational in nature not specified uses simple fishing 
methods not specified 
Marine Conservation 
Society8 
 "artisanal" not specified not specified not specified  small-scale, 
traditional not specified 
Fishbase.org9 "artisanal fisheries" 
 skilled but non-
industrialized 
operators 
 normally for 
subsistence, but 
sometimes the catch 
may be sold 
 usually, short 
fishing trips, 
inshore not specified usually, small vessels; 
but in developed 
countries, may include 
trawlers, seiners, or 
long-liners 
 
Internet Guide to International Fisheries Law
10 "artisanal fishing", 
also know as 
"subsistence" or 
"aboriginal" fishing 
 coastal or island 
ethnic and 
indigenous groups fishing for 
subsistence needs not specified traditional methods not specified 
                                                      
7 Glossary of fishery terms. 
8 Fishonline.org glossary. 
9 Glossary. 
10 Intfish.net glossary.  
  TN/RL/W/197
 Page 5SECTION I:  COMPILATION OF CERTAIN DEFINITIONS RELATED TO ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE  FISHING AND FISHERIES  
SOURCE OF 
DEFINITION DESCRIPTION OF 
ACTIVITY OPERATOR(S) ECONOMIC 
ORIENTATION LOCATION OF 
ACTIVITY NATURE OF 
ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES OF 
VESSELS/GEAR 
NATIONAL & SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENT 
SOURCES 
       
Argentina – Draft 
Federal Law11 "artisanal fishing" physical persons goal of supporting the 
operator's family 
 not specified volume of fishing to 
be specified by 
administering 
authority 
 specifications of 
vessels and techniques 
to be specified by 
administering authority 
 
Argentina – Province of Buenos Aires – Draft 
law 
12 
    
 
    
 
     
 
   "artisanal fishing" physical or legal 
persons, categorized 
non-exclusively as: 
 
Artisanal vessel 
master - Artisanal 
fisher who works as 
master (skipper) 
aboard an artisanal 
vessel, whatever the 
mode of 
compensation 
 
Artisanal vessel 
owner - Artisanal 
fisher[s] owning 
[an] artisanal 
vessel[s].  If more 
than one person, all 
are considered 
owners of the vessel.  
 not specified coastal, offshore 
subject to limits 
 extractive fishing 
activity intended to 
catch, extract and/or 
harvest living 
aquatic resources, 
undertaken by 
physical or legal 
persons in a direct 
and habitual form "Artisanal vessel" – 
open inshore and river 
vessels of unlimited 
length, or covered 
vessels up to 13 meters 
in length conforming to 
the limits established 
on maximum distance 
from shore and length 
of absence; propelled 
by oar, sail, outboard 
or inboard motor.   
                                                      
11 Draft Federal Law on Continental Fishing, date unspecified. 
12 Draft Law on Artisanal Fishing, Province of Buenos Aires, May 2002.  
 TN/RL/W/197 
Page 6 SECTION I:  COMPILATION OF CERTAIN DEFINITIONS RELATED TO ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE  FISHING AND FISHERIES  
SOURCE OF 
DEFINITION DESCRIPTION OF 
ACTIVITY OPERATOR(S) ECONOMIC 
ORIENTATION LOCATION OF 
ACTIVITY NATURE OF 
ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES OF 
VESSELS/GEAR 
 Argentina – Province of Buenos Aires – Draft 
law
12 (Cont'd) 
  
Artisanal shellfish 
harvester – artisanal 
fisher person 
engaged in the 
extraction 
of molluscs, 
crustaceans, 
echinoderms, and 
shellfish in general 
 
Artisanal bait-caster 
– artisanal fisher 
engaged in fishing 
by bait casting, 
without using a 
vessel.   
 
Australia13 "artisanal fishing" coastal or island 
ethnic groups not specified coastal and 
island regions using traditional 
methods 
 not specified 
Chile14 
 
     
 
   "artisanal fishing"  natural persons who 
in a personal, direct 
and habitual manner 
work as artisanal 
fishers; legal 
persons composed 
exclusively of 
natural persons 
registered as 
artisanal fishers.   
 not specified not specified artisanal fishing as 
such, artisanal algae 
harvesting, and 
artisanal shellfish 
harvesting Artisanal vessels – not 
more than two per 
owner, totalling not 
more than 50 gross 
registered tons.  
                                                      
13 Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. 
14 General Law on Fishing and Aquaculture, 2002.    
  TN/RL/W/197
 Page 7SECTION I:  COMPILATION OF CERTAIN DEFINITIONS RELATED TO ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE  FISHING AND FISHERIES  
SOURCE OF 
DEFINITION DESCRIPTION OF 
ACTIVITY OPERATOR(S) ECONOMIC 
ORIENTATION LOCATION OF 
ACTIVITY NATURE OF 
ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES OF 
VESSELS/GEAR 
  Chile – Cont'd  
 
artisanal fisher
 – one 
who works as owner 
or crew in an 
artisanal vessel, 
whatever the mode 
of compensation. 
 
artisanal vessel-
owner :  Artisanal 
fisher in whose 
name up to two 
artisanal vessels 
operate, which in 
total cannot exceed 
50 gross registered 
tons.   
 
"artisanal fishing" not specified not specified estuaries, lakes, 
lagoons, rivers, 
at sea fishing with or 
without vessels Vessels, if used, 
between 0.46 and 0.99 
net registered tons  Guatemala  15 
 
"small-scale 
commercial 
fishing" not specified for profit not specified fi shing with vessels Vessels between 1.00 
and 1.99 net registered 
tons 
 
Korea16 
  
 
 definition of 
"small-scale" 
fisheries can be 
inferred from 
provisions of not specified not specified "coastal fishery 
licenses" given 
to certain 
vessels that 
operate near fishing with vessels Vessels under 8 gross 
tons, or under 10 gross 
tons for certain 
fisheries, are eligible 
for "coastal fishery 
                                                      
15 Law on Fishing and Aquaculture, Decree 80-2002.  This law refers to both "artisanal fishing" and "small-scale commercial fishi ng", and both are included above, for 
the sake of completeness.   
16 Elements derived from Korea's submission to the Negotiating Group on Rules entitled, "Fisheries Subsidies:  Small-Scale Fisher ies", TN/RL/GEN/92.  
 TN/RL/W/197 
Page 8 SECTION I:  COMPILATION OF CERTAIN DEFINITIONS RELATED TO ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE  FISHING AND FISHERIES  
SOURCE OF 
DEFINITION DESCRIPTION OF 
ACTIVITY OPERATOR(S) ECONOMIC 
ORIENTATION LOCATION OF 
ACTIVITY NATURE OF 
ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES OF 
VESSELS/GEAR 
   
Korea – cont'd certain laws shore licences"; operators of 
vessels under 5 gross 
tons are exempt from 
re-stocking fees; 
vessels under 2 gross 
tons are exempt from 
permits for vessel 
modifications. 
 
Peru17 "artisanal fishing" not specified for profit not specified use of manual labour 
predominant 
 small vessels, or none 
United Kingdom - 
Joint Nature Conservation Committee
18 
 "artisanal fisheries" not specified not specified typically, 
inshore waters traditional or basic 
methods, relatively 
few technical aids small boats 
United States19 "artisanal fishing" not specified not specified not specified not specified traditional or small-
scale gear or boats 
 
United States - North Carolina Division of 
Marine Fisheries
20 
 "artisanal fishery" not specified commercial not specified traditional or small-
scale gear and boats traditional or small-
scale gear and boats 
Venezuela21 
   
 "artisanal fishing" fishers individually 
or in cooperatives or 
other organizations not specified not specified predominant use of 
manual labour; 
drawing on fishers' 
experience, 
knowledge of not specified 
                                                      
17 General Fishing Law, Decree Law 25977, 1992.   
18 A Glossary of Marine Nature Conservation and Fisheries. 
19 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration glossary. 
20 Glossary of fisheries terms. 
21 Law on Fishing and Aquaculture, 2003.    
  TN/RL/W/197
 Page 9SECTION I:  COMPILATION OF CERTAIN DEFINITIONS RELATED TO ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE  FISHING AND FISHERIES  
SOURCE OF 
DEFINITION DESCRIPTION OF 
ACTIVITY OPERATOR(S) ECONOMIC 
ORIENTATION LOCATION OF 
ACTIVITY NATURE OF 
ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES OF 
VESSELS/GEAR 
   
 
 Venezuela – cont'd   nature, and skills 
that pass from 
generation to 
generation, and 
using traditional 
fishing methods 
and/or methods that 
have evolved 
therefrom 
 
   
 TN/RL/W/197 
Page 10  
SECTION II:  COMPILATION OF CERTAIN DEFINITIONS RELATED TO SUBSISTENCE  FISHING AND FISHERIES 
SOURCE OF 
DEFINITION DESCRIPTION OF 
ACTIVITY OPERATOR(S) ECONOMIC 
ORIENTATION LOCATION OF 
ACTIVITY NATURE OF 
ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES OF 
VESSELS/GEAR 
INTER-GOVERNMENTAL 
AND NON-
GOVERNMENTAL  SOURCES        
FAO 22 
  "subsistence fishing" not specified the fish caught are 
shared and 
consumed directly 
by the families and 
kin of the fishers 
rather than being 
sold through 
intermediaries at the 
next larger market  
   not specified pure subsistence 
fisheries are rare, as 
part of the products 
are very often sold 
or exchanged for 
other goods or 
services. not specified 
Southern African 
Development Community
23 
 "subsistence 
fisheries" not specified the fishers regularly 
catch fish for 
personal and 
household 
consumption, and 
engage from time to 
time in the local sale 
or barter of excess 
catch 
 not specified not specified not specified 
                                                      
22 Fisheries Glossary.  Topics and Issues Fact Sh eet – Governance of small-scale fisheries.   
23 Protocol on fisheries.  
  TN/RL/W/197
 Page 11SECTION II:  COMPILATION OF CERTAIN DEFINITIONS RELATED TO SUBSISTENCE  FISHING AND FISHERIES 
SOURCE OF 
DEFINITION DESCRIPTION OF 
ACTIVITY OPERATOR(S) ECONOMIC 
ORIENTATION LOCATION OF 
ACTIVITY NATURE OF 
ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES OF 
VESSELS/GEAR 
Fishbase.org24 "subsistence 
fisheries" not specified the species is 
consumed locally 
only, mostly by the 
fishers themselves 
 not specified not specified not specified 
NATIONAL AND 
SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENT SOURCES        
Guatemala 25 "subsistence fishing" not specified direct consumption 
by fisher and 
dependents, not for 
profit 
 estuaries, lakes, 
lagoons, rivers, at 
sea fishing with or 
without vessels vessels, if used, not 
more than 0.45 net 
registered tons  
Peru26 "subsistence fishing" not specified non-commercial, for 
domestic 
consumption or 
barter, not for profit 
 not specified not specified not specified 
Tonga 
 
    "subsistence fishing" not specified primary purpose is 
providing food for 
domestic 
consumption; does 
not include sale, 
exposure for sale, or 
barter of the fish 
unless wholly 
incidental to the 
primary purpose of 
subsistence fishing not specified not specified not specified 
                                                      
24 Glossary. 
25 The Fishing and Aquaculture  Law, Decree 80-2002.   
26 General Fishing Law, Decree Law 25977, 1992.    
 TN/RL/W/197 
Page 12 SECTION II:  COMPILATION OF CERTAIN DEFINITIONS RELATED TO SUBSISTENCE  FISHING AND FISHERIES 
SOURCE OF 
DEFINITION DESCRIPTION OF 
ACTIVITY OPERATOR(S) ECONOMIC 
ORIENTATION LOCATION OF 
ACTIVITY NATURE OF 
ACTIVITY ATTRIBUTES OF 
VESSELS/GEAR 
Venezuela27 "subsistence fishing" not specified fundamentally 
oriented to obtaining 
food for the fisher 
and his/her 
dependents, without 
a commercial 
objective 
 can be subdivided 
based on location 
and distance from 
the coast (coastal, 
offshore, etc.) can be subdivided 
by fishing methods 
used (but none 
specified) can be subdivided 
by fishing methods 
used (but none 
specified) 
                                                      
27 Law on Fishing and Aquaculture, 2003.    TN/RL/W/197 
 Page 13 
 
 
 SECTION III:  FULL DEFINITIONS AND CITATIONS28 
 
INTER-GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL SOURCES 
 
Food and Agriculture Organization (UN) fisheries glossary:  "Artisanal fisheries " – Traditional 
fisheries involving fishing households (as opposed to  commercial companies), using relatively small 
amount of capital and energy, relatively small fish ing vessels (if any), making short fishing trips, 
close to shore, mainly for local consumption.  In practice, the definition varies between countries, e.g., 
from gleaning or a one-man canoe in poor developing  countries, to more than 20 meter trawlers, 
seiners, or long-linters in developed ones.  Arti sanal fisheries can be subsistence or commercial 
fisheries, providing for local consumption or export.   Sometimes referred to as "small-scale" fisheries .   
  "Subsistence fishery
" – a fishery where the fish caught are shared and consumed directly by 
the families and kin of the fishers rather than being bought by middle -men or –women and sold at the 
next larger market.   
 
 (www.fao.org/fi/glossary)  FAO Fisheries Global Information System  (Topics and Issues Fact Sheet – Governance of small-
scale fisheries):  "Small-scale fisheries
" – Also referred to as artisanal fisheries, defined as above.  
Artisanal fisheries can be very specialised but, in ge neral, target a very wide range of species, using a 
broad variety of gears, generating  diverse fishing strategies and flexibly adapting to seasonal or inter-
annual natural variability.   Pure "subsistence fisheries
" are rare, as part of the products are very often sold or exchanged 
for other goods or services.   
 
 (http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/topic?qi d=tp_164000_F12 269&xp_tool=print&bsize=9999
&rn=9999&r1=1&st_extra=&st_table= &xp_child=&st_gr oup=&xp_banner=none) 
 
World Bank – Saving Fish and Fisheries – Toward Sustainable and Equitable Governance of the 
Global Fishing Sector .  (World Bank Agriculture and Rural Development Department, May 2004, 
Report No. 29090-GLB).  "Artisanal or small-scale fishers " – Low-capital, single-person operations, 
such as those using cast nets and small traps, carried  out from the shore without even the use of a boat 
or dinghy, or from small non-mechanized canoes or rafts, or from small motorized dinghies and boats 
crewed by one to three fishers.  Small-scale fisher s often target the larger demersals, although small-
scale fisheries are so diverse and encompass such a wide  range of users and fisheries that it is difficult 
to characterize them.   
  (http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTA RD/Resources/SavingFishandFishers.pdf) 
 Asian Development Bank (Glossary):  "Artisanal fishery
" – Small-scale fishery generally limited to 
near-shore waters and inland wate r bodies, and employing labour-intensive fishing technologies.   
 
 (Policy on Fisheries):  "Arti sanal (or small-scale) fisheries " – Generally limited to near-shore 
waters and inland water bodies, and employ labour-intensive fishing technologies.  Artisanal fishing 
operations are typically family-based, using small cr aft (usually smaller than 12 meters long) and 
fishing gear such as beach seine and gill nets, hook and line, and traps.  
  
 (www.adb.org/Documents/Policies/Fi sheries/default.asp?p=policies) 
 
                                                      
28 The definitions shown above are no t necessarily verbatim transcrip tions from the source documents, 
but may have been paraphrased for ease of comprehension.   TN/RL/W/197 
Page 14  
 
 Secretariat of the Pacific Community (Marine Resources Division glossary) – "Artisanal fishing" – 
small-scale fishing, which may or may no t involve sale of a portion of the catch. 
  (www.spc.int/coastfish/Asi des/Glossary/Glossary.htm) 
 
Southern African Development Community (Protocol on Fisheries):  "Small-scale commercial 
fisheries " – fisheries that generate profits and earn in come large enough to meet  the basic needs of 
life, employ staff or operate as profit-sharing collective enterprises.   "Subsistence fisheries"
 – fishing activities whose fishers regularly catch fish for personal and 
household consumption and engage fro m time to time in the local sale or barter of excess catch.  
  "Subsistence fishers
" – fishers who regularly catch fish for personal and household 
consumption and who engage from time to time in the local sale or barter of excess catch.    
 (www.intfish.net/treaties/sadc.htm) 
 ICCAT – International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (Glossary of fishery 
terms):  "Artisanal
"  - Refers to catch or effort that is ne ither industrial nor recreational in nature, and 
which is generated using si mple fishing methods.   
 
 (www.iccat.es) 
 Marine Conservation Society (Fishonline.org glossary):  "Artisanal" – Term used to describe small-
scale, traditional fisheries.    
 (www.fishonline.org/information/glossary) 
 Fishbase.org (Glossary):  "Artisanal fisheries
" -  Fisheries involving skilled but non-industrialized 
operators; typically a small-scale, decentralized operation; normally subsistence fisheries although 
sometime the catch may be sold.  Usually fishing trips are short and inshore and fishing vessels are 
small, but in developed countries the term may apply to trawlers, seiners or long-liners.  Also called 
"small-scale " fisheries.   
  "Subsistence fisheries
" – The species is consumed locally only, mostly by the fishers 
themselves.    
 (www.fishbase.org/Glossary) 
 Internet Guide to Int ernational Fisheries Law (Intfish.net glossary):  "Artisanal fishing
" – Also 
known as subsistence or sometimes aboriginal fishing.   Refers to fishing for subsistence needs by 
coastal or island ethnic and indigen ous groups using traditional methods. 
 
 (www.intfish.net/glossary/terms/a.htm) 
  TN/RL/W/197 
 Page 15 
 
 
  
NATIONAL AND SUBNATIONAL GOVERNMENT SOURCES 
  
Argentina (Draft Federal Law on Continenta l Fishing, date unspecified) 
 
 "Artisanal fishing
" – Fishing carried out by physical persons with the goal of supporting their 
families, and of which the volume of fishing, the v essels, and the techniques used are to be specified 
by the administering authority.   
 (http://www.cedepesca.org.ar/proy ecto_de_ley_pescacontinental.htm) 
 
Argentina ( Draft Law on Artisanal Fishing, Province of Buenos Aires, May 2002) 
  "Artisanal fishing
" – All extractive fishing activity intende d to capture, extract and/or harvest 
living aquatic resources, undertaken by physical or legal persons in a direct and habitual form, by 
bait-casting from land, or with the use of an artisanal vessel.     "Artisanal fishers
" – categorized non-exclusively as follows.  A person can be included in 
more than one category:   
  "Artisanal vessel master
" – Artisanal fisher who works as master (skipper) aboard an 
artisanal vessel, whatever the mode of compensation.    "Artisanal vessel owner
" – Fisher[s] owning [an]artisanal vessel[s].  If the owners are 
more than one person, all are consid ered owners of the artisanal vessel. 
 
  "Artisanal shellfish harvester " – Person engaged in the extraction of molluscs, 
crustaceans, echinoderms, and shellfish in general.   
   "Artisanal bait-caster
" – Person engaged in fishing by  bait-casting, without using a 
vessel.   
 
 "Artisanal vessel " – (a)  Open inshore and river v essels of unlimited length, or covered 
vessels up to 13 meters in length, conforming to the maximum distance and time of absence limits to be established by the Argentine Naval Prefecture.  (b) Boats propelled by oar, sail, outboard and 
inboard motors.   
 
Australia  (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry):   
  "Artisanal fishing
" – Fishing for subsistence by coastal or island ethnic groups using 
traditional methods.    
 (www.affa.gov.au/content/output.c fm?ObjectID=D2C48F86-BA1A-11A1-
A2200060B0A06448) 
  (www.cedepesca.org.ar/proyecto_ de_ley_pesca_artesanBsAs.htm) 
Chile (General Law on Fishing and Aquaculture, 2002):   
 
 "Artisanal fishing"
 – extractive fishing activity undertaken by natural persons who in a 
personal, direct and habitual manner work as ar tisanal fishers.  The law distinguishes between 
artisanal vessel-owners, artisanal shellfish harvester s, artisanal algae harvesters, and artisanal fishers 
as such.  Artisanal fishing also includes extractiv e fishing undertaken by legal persons, so long as TN/RL/W/197 
Page 16  
 
 these are composed exclusively of natural persons regi stered as artisanal fish ers as stipulated in the 
law.     "Artisanal fisher"
 as such – one who works as owner or crew in an artisanal vessel, whatever 
the mode of compensation.   
 
 "Artisanal vessel-owner"  – The artisanal fisher in whose name up to two artisanal vessels 
operate, which in total cannot exceed 50 gross register ed tons.  This person also should be the owner 
of the vessels as registered with the maritime authority .  If the owners of an artisanal fishing vessel are 
two or more persons, all of them are considered artisanal vessel-owners, with joint responsibility for 
any fines that may be imposed under the law.   
  (www.sernapesca.cl/paginas/regulaci on_sectorial/listado2.php?c=001006001001) 
 Guatemala (Law on Fishing and Aquaculture, Decree 80-2002):   
 
 "Artisanal fishing"
- activity undertaken without vessels, or with vessels between 0.46 and 
0.99 net registered tons; it can take place in est uaries, lakes, lagoons, rivers, and at sea.    
  "Subsistence fishing"
 – fishing undertaken without vessels, or with vessels of not more than 
0.45 net registered tons, without a profit motive, and the only aim of which is to obtain fisheries 
products for direct consumption by the fisher and hi s/her family; it can take place in estuaries, lakes, 
lagoons, rivers, and at sea.     "Commercial fishing"
 – activity undertaken with the goal of earning a profit.   
 
 "Small-scale commercial fishing"  – Activity undertaken with vessels between 1.00 and 1.99 
net registered tons.     "Medium-scale commercial fishing
" – Activity undertaken vessels between 2.00 and 30 net 
registered tons.  
 "Large-scale commercial fishing"
 – Activity undertaken with vessels of 30.1 to 150 net 
registered tons.     (www.elaw.org/resources/text.asp?id=2984)  
Korea (Submission to the Negotiating Group on Rules, "F isheries Subsidies: Small-Scale Fisheries", 
TN/RL/92)   "Small-scale fisheries
" – The definition for small-scale fisheries can be inferred from specific 
provisions of several laws.  From the Fisheries Act, the provincial governments of the vessel registration issue “coastal fishery licences” for vessels under 8 GT
29 which operate near shore, and for 
vessels under 10 GT for certain types of fisheries. 
  Among vessels with coastal fishery licenses, the Fisheries Resources Promotion Act stipulates 
that operators of vessels under 5GT are exempt fro m fisheries resource re-stocking fees.  The Korean 
government imposes fisheries resources re-stocking fees for all vessels with fishing licenses and uses 
the fee as a financial resource for the stock replenishing projects.  However, vessels under 5GT are 
                                                     
 
29 The length of vessel may vary by vessel types, but normally in Korea, vessels of 10 GT are 
approximately 13 meters, 8 GT are 12 meters, 5 GT are 10meters. 
  TN/RL/W/197 
 Page 17 
 
 
 exempt from such fees because of their small-scale a nd subsistence nature, that is, because the fishing 
intensity by such vessels is not substantial and the impact on the resources is negligible. 
  The Fishing Vessels Act and its Enforcement Regulation stipulate that every fishing vessel 
should receive a permit for modification of vessels.  However, vessels under 2 GT are exempt from 
such a permit for modification. This kind of exem ption is a form of special consideration for small-
scale fisheries even though it may not constitute the financial contribution by the government in the 
meaning of Article 1 of the SCM Agreement in the first place.  Peru  (General Fishing Law – Decree Law 25977, 1992):   
 
 "Artisanal fishing
" – small-scale or artisanal commercial fishing is undertaken using small 
vessels or none, and using a pre ponderance of manual labour.   
  "Subsistence fishing
" – Non-commercial fishing undertaken for the purpose of domestic 
consumption or barter, not for profit.   
  (www.elaw.org/resources/text.asp?ID=2497)  Tonga ( The Fisheries Act 18 of 1989):   
 
 "Subsistence fishing"
 – fishing for the primary purpose of providing food for domestic 
consumption but does not include the sale exposure for sale or barter of the fish caught unless wholly incidental to the primary purpose of subsistence fishing.     (http://www.elaw.org/resources/text.asp?id=2498) 
 
United Kingdom Joint Nature Conservation Committee (A Glossary of Marine Nature 
Conservation and Fisheries):     "Artisanal fisheries
" – Typically, fisheries undertaken in  inshore waters from small boats 
using traditional or basic methods with  relatively few technical aids.   
 
 (www.jncc.gov.uk/page-1578)  United States (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration glossary):   
 
 "Artisanal fishing
" – A fishery based on traditional or small-scale gear and boats. 
  (www.st.nmfs.gov/st4/documents/F_Glossary.pdf)  United States - North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (Glossary of fisheries terms):   
 
 "Artisanal fishery" – Commercial fishing using traditional or small-scale gear and boats.   
  (www.ncfisheries.net/stocks/defsa_c.htm)  Venezuela (Law on Fishing and Aquaculture, 2003):   
 
 "Subsistence fishing
" – Fishing that is fundamentally oriented to obtaining food for the fisher 
and his/her dependents, without a commercial objective.     "Artisanal fishing"
 (a subcategory of commercial fishing) – Commercial fishing activity 
undertaken by fishers individually or in cooperatives or other organizations, us ing principally physical TN/RL/W/197 
Page 18  
 
 labour, and drawing on their experi ence, knowledge of nature, and sk ills that pass from generation to 
generation, and using traditional fishing methods, a nd/or methods that have evolved therefrom.  
Artisanal fishing can be subdivided into multiple variations, by location and distance from the coast 
where undertaken (coastal, offshore), as well as by fishing methods used.    
 (comunidad.vlex.com/pantin/pesca.html) 
 
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