Sustainability and climate change: gender perspective in the traditional fishing sector in Ecuador

The study investigates gendered perceptions of sustainability and climate change within Ecuador’s traditional fishing sector, where both artisanal and industrial practices can degrade marine ecosystems. Despite women’s substantial participation across the fisheries value chain, gender-disaggregated data and gender-responsive policies remain limited. The research aims to validate a measurement instrument and to identify and compare how women and men perceive sustainability and climate change in artisanal fisheries, acknowledging that climate impacts and adaptation capacities are gender-differentiated. Ecuador’s coastal provinces of Manabí and Esmeraldas host large artisanal fleets and increasing female participation, making this context critical for understanding how gender perspectives can inform sustainable management and climate resilience in fisheries.

Prior studies highlight that gender biases permeate fisheries data and governance, often marginalizing women’s roles despite their significant contributions to processing, marketing, management, and conservation. Research indicates women frequently design sustainable management plans, engage in sustainable harvesting, establish marine reserves, and form cooperatives that promote sustainable value chains. Climate change affects fisheries via temperature and acidity changes that alter species distribution and abundance, with gendered impacts shaped by cultural norms, access to resources, and decision-making power. Women often face greater constraints in adaptation due to limited access to resources and exclusion from governance, despite important local ecological knowledge. Few studies incorporate a gender lens on sustainability and climate change within fisheries, underscoring the need to assess perceptions by gender to inform targeted, equitable interventions.

Study area: Coastal Ecuador (provinces of Manabí and Esmeraldas) featuring humid tropical climate (mean ~25–25.7 °C), marked rainy season (Dec–May), and variable rainfall (up to ~4700 mm in northern areas). Forty artisanal fishing ports were sampled (29 in Manabí, 11 in Esmeraldas). Population: 121,930 in Ecuador’s traditional fishing sector (94.18% men; 5.82% women). Sampling: Convenience sampling of individuals engaged in artisanal fishing in the selected ports, based on willingness, availability, and activity criteria; excluded non-artisanal fishers, other provinces, and non-volunteers. Sample: 1464 participants (men n=1213, 82.86%; women n=251, 17.14%); 87.97% from Manabí and 12.03% from Esmeraldas; mean age 42; basic education predominated (12.30%, n=180). Instrument design and validation: An ad hoc questionnaire, “Gender perceptions as regards sustainability and climate change,” with two sections: (1) sociodemographics (11 items: gender, age, guild, professional category, type of fishing, education, ethnicity, number of children, etc.); (2) perceptions on two dimensions—sustainability (11 items) and climate change (7 items). Development followed five steps: (1) Item generation from literature (11 sustainability items; 7 climate change items). (2) Content validity by 10 experts rating pertinence, relevance, and clarity on a 4-point Likert scale; CVR threshold >0.5823. Reported indices: Total CVI for sociodemographic adequacy 0.935; sustainability items CVIs (clarity 0.792; pertinence 0.870; relevance 0.896; total 0.852); climate change items clarity 0.877; total CVI 0.9455. (3) Understandability via pilot test (N=30) leading to rewording of items referencing unfamiliar terms (e.g., paternoster line; phenology). (4) Construct validity: EFA and CFA using split samples (approx. 40% for EFA, n1=200; 60% for CFA, n2=300). EFA (SPSS) indicated two expected factors explaining 42.20% of variance; sample adequacy KMO=0.71; Bartlett’s test χ2=1255.483, df=118, p=0.001. Example loadings: Sustainability item V20=0.519; climate items V30=0.510, V31=0.515, V32=0.500, V33=0.384, V34=0.427, V35=0.531; some items showed moderate cross-loadings (e.g., V21, V22, V33, V34). CFA (AMOS) validated model fit: RMSEA=0.072; CFI=0.898; TLI=0.822; NFI=0.886; GFI=0.978; AGFI=0.950; PRATIO=0.571; PCFI=0.513; PNFI=0.506; AIC=180.759; PGFI=0.435. (5) Final questionnaire: 11 sociodemographic questions and 18 perception items (two dimensions). Reliability: Cronbach’s alpha=0.70 for sustainability and climate change dimensions. Administration: In-person data collection over 7 months (July 2022–January 2023) by a trained 34-person team, coordinated with fishing associations/cooperatives, conducted at organizational sites and via home visits. Analysis: Frequencies to identify perceptions by item and gender; comparisons between women and men conducted using the Wilcoxon test for independent samples (SPSS). Ethics: Participants informed about study aims; anonymity and welfare safeguarded.

• Instrument validity and reliability: Content validity met expert agreement thresholds (CVR>0.5823). CVIs: sociodemographic adequacy 0.935; sustainability items total 0.852 (clarity 0.792; pertinence 0.870; relevance 0.896); climate change items total 0.9455 (clarity 0.877). Construct validity supported: KMO=0.71; Bartlett χ2=1255.483, df=118, p=0.001; two-factor structure explained 42.20% variance. CFA fit indices: RMSEA=0.072; CFI=0.898; TLI=0.822; NFI=0.886; GFI=0.978; AGFI=0.950; AIC=180.759; PGFI=0.435. Reliability acceptable: Cronbach’s α=0.70. - Sample: N=1464 (men 82.86%, women 17.14%) from 40 ports; majority in Manabí (87.97%). - Sustainability perceptions: Overall, many respondents view traditional fishing as not very sustainable long-term (47.10%, n=690). Women more frequently rated artisanal fishing as somewhat unsustainable long term (57.0%, n=143) vs men (45.1%, n=547). Perceived decreased catch rates in recent years: men 51.4% (n=623) vs women 50.6% (n=127, stronger intensity reported). Increased fishing effort: men 45.8% (n=555); women 55.0% (n=138). Longlines/paternoster perceived unsustainable: men 28.6% “quite unsustainable” (n=347) vs women 36.3% “somewhat unsustainable” (n=91). Quota compliance: men often met (38.7%, n=470) vs women rarely met (52.2%, n=131). Minimum sizes respected often: men 46.8% (n=568) vs women 30.7% (n=77). Closed seasons respected: men 56.3% (n=683) vs women 41.8% (n=105). Measures to support sustainability: subsidies helpful—men 42.9% (n=520) “significantly,” women 65.7% (n=165) “a lot”; sustainable label valuable—men 55.4% (n=672), women 53.4% (n=134); protected marine areas helpful—men 43.6% (n=529), women 51.4% (n=129); prioritizing artisanal over industrial fishing—men 44.4% (n=538) “quite important,” women 64.9% (n=163) “help a lot.” - Climate change perceptions: Overall, many indicated climate change may significantly negatively impact catch rates (50.30%, n=736). Women more often indicated strong negative impacts on catch rates (55.3% or 55.4%, n≈139) than men (49.2%, n=597). Variation in El Niño/La Niña impacts distribution/availability: men 44.0% (n=534), women 49.8% (n=125). Future catch rates likely to decrease due to climate change: men 48.6% (n=589), women 52.2% (n=131). Species size likely to decrease: men 46.6% (n=565), women 48.2% (n=121). Species composition may change: men 52.7% (n=639), women 41.8% (n=105) report high likelihood. Phenology (seasonality) of catches may change: women 52.2% (n=131) vs men 39.2% (n=476). Invasions by other species: many men rated high likelihood as low (65.6%, n=796), while women more often indicated increases (40.6%, n=102). - Gender differences (Wilcoxon): Women showed significantly more positive attitudes toward sustainability (mean 3.03±0.69) than men (2.92±0.63), W(1464)=199500.00, p=0.0094; and toward climate change (women 3.35±0.64 vs men 3.27±0.53), W(1464)=208409.00, p<0.0001.

The validated two-dimensional instrument reliably captured gendered perceptions of sustainability and climate change among artisanal fishers, addressing the study objective. Findings indicate broad awareness of declining catches and increased effort, with women consistently reporting greater concern and stronger support for conservation and governance measures (e.g., subsidies during closures, marine protected areas, prioritizing artisanal fisheries). Climate change is widely recognized as negatively affecting catch rates, species distributions, sizes, and seasonality, with women perceiving stronger impacts. These differences align with literature on gendered roles and access to resources, where women’s involvement in processing/marketing and community management may heighten sensitivity to sustainability and climatic risks. The results underscore the importance of integrating gender perspectives into fisheries management and climate adaptation strategies to enhance ecological sustainability and social equity.

The study contributes a psychometrically sound, concise instrument to assess gendered perceptions of sustainability and climate change in Ecuador’s artisanal fishing sector and documents significant gender differences: women exhibit more sustainability-oriented and climate-aware attitudes than men. These insights can inform policies and programs that promote gender equality, enhance compliance with sustainable practices (e.g., closed seasons, minimum sizes), and support adaptive measures (e.g., subsidies, marine protected areas, sustainable labeling, prioritizing artisanal fishing). Future research should examine how specific gender roles and access to resources shape individual perceptions and behaviors, triangulate survey results with qualitative methods (e.g., interviews), and include additional stakeholders to refine interventions that foster sustainable fisheries and climate resilience.

• Self-reported perceptions may be subject to social desirability and response biases. - Sociocultural factors in fishing communities (values, hierarchies, beliefs) can hinder knowledge transfer and implementation of sustainable practices. - Convenience sampling limits generalizability beyond sampled ports and participants. - The study relies on a single method (questionnaire); authors recommend triangulation with interviews and inclusion of additional fisheries stakeholders.