The IPC-IG is finalising an assessment of the Seguro-Defeso programme

By IPC-IG
Barcos de pesca

 

The Seguro-Defeso is a programme of the Brazilian federal government that allows professional artisanal fisherman to request unemployment insurance benefits during the period of Defeso (closed season). 
 
The IPG-IG, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), carried out an impact assessment of the programme on the socioeconomic conditions of beneficiaries, 30 years after its implementation. The study covers fishermen across the country. 
 
This evaluation considered the design, implementation and management of the programme, seeking to evaluate whether benefit payments can be associated with improvements in socioeconomic indicators of beneficiaries, such as household conditions, educational level of children and adolescents in the household, among others. 
 
The Seguro-Defeso establishes the payment of one minimum wage per month (over up to 5 months per year) to artisanal fishermen during the closed season, subject to compliance with certain requirements. The artisanal fisherman must be registered in the General Fisheries Registry, which allows individuals, legal entities and vessels to legally carry out fishing activities. 
 
A problem encountered by researchers was the lack of updated research on the Defeso. Fishing sector statistics are essential to assess the effectiveness of closed seasons, as well as for the adoption of other measures for the sustainable management of fishery resources, before the periods of Defeso are established. However, such statistics have not been systematically collected at the national level since 2011. 
 
One of the research objectives was to investigate the impact of the programme among vulnerable and poor beneficiaries. The results show that most families are far below the poverty line and depend on fishing as their only income. Therefore, the benefit is aimed at families that most need an income supplement during closed season. 
 
In the upcoming months, the IPC-IG will publish a series of One Pagers and a Policy Research Brief with more details on the research. The final report has already been validated by partners and the results will be presented to the Ministry of Fishing and Aquaculture to contribute to the review of the Seguro-Defeso policy. 

A webinar on the topic will also be featured on the socialprotection.org platform. 

 

Photo: Tadeu Jnr / Unsplash

 

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