ICSF

What ICSF does

ICSF (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers) is a non-governmental, non-profit advocacy and research organization headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Founded in 1984 following the International Conference of Fishworkers in Rome, ICSF works to promote and protect the rights of small-scale, artisanal fishworkers globally, addressing marginalization, tenure insecurity, gender inequality, climate impacts, and inadequate policy support. Its core offerings are knowledge products rather than software: two periodicals (Yemaya Newsletter focusing on gender in fisheries, and SAMUDRA Report covering global fisheries policy), an annotated bibliography, a photo gallery of approximately 10,000 images from 64 countries, a cartoons database, a fishworker organizations directory, and an Indian legal instruments database. All publications are distributed as free downloads via icsf.net.

ICSF's business model is non-commercial. The organization is funded through grants, donations, and institutional partnerships; it does not sell products or services, has no disclosed pricing, and operates without equity investors or commercial revenue mechanics. Its go-to-market is advocacy-driven: ICSF engages in UN forums (FAO COFI, CBD, ILO, UN-DOALOS), co-organizes recurring international summits (the 2nd SSF Summit in Rome, 2024 with 285 participants from 78 countries; the 3rd SSF Summit scheduled for September 2026), and partners with regional bodies (GFCM), civil society organizations (NAFSO, EMEDO, IPC), and research institutions (WorldFish, SwedBio). The primary customer segment is a horizontal one — small-scale, artisanal fishers and fishworkers globally — served indirectly through policy influence, capacity-building, and documentation rather than direct sales.

Name

ICSF

Legal name

International Collective in Support of Fishworkers

Website

https://icsf.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ICSF (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers) is a non-profit advocacy and research organization that promotes the rights of small-scale, artisanal fishworkers globally through publications, policy engagement at UN forums, and partnerships with civil society organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Adyar

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ICSF is a non-profit advocacy and research collective that promotes and protects the rights of small-scale, artisanal fishworkers globally. Its core offerings are two periodical publications — the gender-focused Yemaya Newsletter and the quarterly SAMUDRA Report — supported by online resource repositories (photo gallery, cartoons, bibliography, fishworker organizations directory, Indian legal instruments database) and policy advocacy at UN forums including FAO, CBD, ILO, and UN-DOALOS.

Product overview

ICSF (International Collective in Support of Fishworkers) is an advocacy organization that offers a portfolio of publications, resources, and knowledge repositories rather than a unified software product. Its core offerings include two periodical publications: the Yemaya Newsletter (gender-focused) and the SAMUDRA Report (quarterly policy analysis). These are complemented by resource databases covering publications and films from 1986 onwards, a photo gallery with approximately 10,000 images from 64 countries, a cartoons database, a fishworker organizations directory, an annotated bibliography, and an Indian legal instruments database. The organization focuses on advocacy for small-scale fisheries and does not offer software products, APIs, or AI-powered tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Yemaya Newsletter: ICSF's gender-focused newsletter addressing women's roles in fisheries and aquaculture
• SAMUDRA Report
• ICSF Archives

Products and services

• Yemaya Newsletter A periodical newsletter addressing women's roles in fisheries and aquaculture, featuring articles on gender justice, coastal communities, and women's contributions to small-scale fisheries. Distributed as free PDF downloads and online articles.
• SAMUDRA Report A quarterly report covering global fisheries issues, small-scale fisher perspectives, policy analyses, and news from fishing communities worldwide. Distributed as free PDF downloads and online articles.
• ICSF Publications and Films Catalogue A catalogue of publications and films produced by ICSF from 1986 onwards, covering diverse topics in small-scale and artisanal fisheries. Made available as a free resource repository on the ICSF website.
• ICSF Photo Gallery A collection of approximately 10,000 photographs from 64 countries documenting fishing and fishworkers in action, published in SAMUDRA Report and Yemaya Newsletter issues. Free to access via the ICSF website.
• ICSF Cartoons Database A searchable database of illustrations and cartoons by Sandesh published in ICSF publications, free to download from the ICSF website.
• Fishworker Organizations Database A free database providing access to fishworker organizations from several countries, searchable by organization name or country.
• ICSF Bibliography An annotated online bibliography on small-scale fisheries and fishing communities, classified under eight themes including Right to Resources, Gender, Climate Change, and SSF Guidelines.
• Legal Instruments Database A database of Indian national and state-level laws relevant to marine, inland fisheries and aquaculture, including full texts of Acts, Rules, Amendments and notifications.

Quantifiable outcome

• SSF Guidelines endorsed by FAO COFI in 2014 - the only international instrument dedicated to small-scale fisheries
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2014ICSF worked with FAO throughout the SSF Guidelines development process. The SSF Guidelines were endorsed by FAO COFI in June 2014. ICSF continues to collaborate with FAO on implementation of the guidelines and hosts related resources on its website.
• WORLDFISHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWORLDFISH supported the construction of modern drying racks for women fish processors in Tanzania, in collaboration with EMEDO. This initiative improved fish processing efficiency and climate resilience for women in the Akina Mama na Maendeleo group.
• EMEDO (Environmental Management and Economic Development Organization)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMEDO is ICSF's partner in Tanzania working on gender empowerment in fisheries. Together they supported the Akina Mama na Maendeleo women's group with modern drying racks for silverfish (dagaa) processing, improving livelihoods and climate adaptation.
• NAFSO (National Fisheries Solidarity Movement)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAFSO is ICSF's long-term partner in Sri Lanka working with tsunami-affected fishing communities. NAFSO assists small-scale fishing communities in fighting illegal fishing and advocating for inclusive Fisheries Acts, and supports women's savings and credit groups.
• VinVis (Netherlands fisherwomen's network)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVinVis, a Dutch fisherwomen's network, partnered with ICSF member Cornelie Quist to provide funds for tsunami-affected women in Sri Lanka's fishing communities following the 2004 disaster.
• FAO CambodiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO Cambodia, through representative Rebekah Bell, supports the CamAdapt project that trains and empowers women in Cambodian coastal communities to design climate adaptation plans, manage fisheries resources, and assume leadership roles in community fisheries.
• FAO HondurasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO Honduras provided technical support to the Government of Honduras for the 'Fish in Home-Grown School Feeding' initiative, which introduced locally-sourced fish into school meals and connected artisanal fishers with sustainable markets.
• TAWFA (Tanzanian Women Fish Workers Association)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTAWFA collaborates with EMEDO and ICSF-affiliated women's groups in Tanzania, opening doors to new opportunities including the modern drying racks initiative for improved fish processing and climate resilience.
• SwedBiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedBio co-organized the 2nd Small-Scale Fisheries Summit (SSF Summit 2024) at FAO headquarters in Rome, working with FAO, GFCM, IPC, and SSF Hub to advance implementation of SSF Guidelines.
• IPC (International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty) Working Group on FisheriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPC Working Group on Fisheries co-organized the 2nd SSF Summit 2024 and represents fishworker organizations in global policy processes, ensuring small-scale fishers' voices are included in SSF Guidelines implementation.
• SSF Hub (Small-Scale Fisheries Resource and Collaboration Hub)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSF Hub co-organized the 2nd SSF Summit 2024 alongside FAO, GFCM, IPC, and SwedBio, serving as a key platform for collaboration and resource-sharing among small-scale fisheries stakeholders.
• GFCM (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGFCM co-organized the 2nd SSF Summit 2024 at FAO headquarters, contributing to Mediterranean region engagement in small-scale fisheries governance and SSF Guidelines implementation.
• Amazon WatchsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmazon Watch accompanied the Sarayaku Indigenous community in Ecuador through its resistance against oil extraction, helping mobilize international solidarity when their territory and safety were under threat.
• Akina Mama na Maendeleo (women's group, Tanzania)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThis women's group of twelve women in Muleba District, Kagera Region, Tanzania, founded in 1998 and officially registered in 2013, focuses on trade and processing of silverfish (dagaa) with support from EMEDO and WORLDFISH.
• Deep Sea Mining CampaignsupportingOthersICSF publishes articles from the Deep Sea Mining Campaign, which released reports on risks of deep-sea mining including mobilization of radioactive materials and heavy metals affecting marine ecosystems and food chains.
• CamAdapt project beneficiaries (Cambodia)majorOthersWomen in Cambodian coastal communities benefit from the CamAdapt project which trains them to design climate adaptation plans, manage fisheries resources, and assume leadership roles in community fisheries committees.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WorldFish: WorldFish is an international fisheries and aquaculture research organization focused on aquatic food systems in developing countries. It is highly comparable to ICSF because both work on small-scale fisheries, gender in fisheries, and climate adaptation, and WorldFish is an active ICSF partner (e.g., Tanzania drying racks project).
• Environmental Justice Foundation: EJF is an international NGO working on environmental and human rights issues, with major programs exposing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and forced labor in fisheries. EJF is directly comparable to ICSF in its dual advocacy for fisheries sustainability and small-scale fishworker rights.
• Oceana: Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization focused solely on ocean conservation, with campaigns on illegal fishing, bycatch, and small-scale fisheries support. It is directly comparable because it pursues the same fisheries-policy advocacy and ocean-governance outcomes as ICSF and is referenced in ICSF's news content.
• International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty: IPC is a global civil society network representing small-scale food producers, including a dedicated Working Group on Fisheries that co-organized the 2nd SSF Summit 2024 with ICSF. It is a direct peer because it shares ICSF's small-scale fishworker representation mandate at UN policy forums.
• Sea Shepherd: Sea Shepherd is an international marine conservation organization with direct-action campaigns against illegal fishing and ocean habitat destruction. It is comparable to ICSF as both pursue ocean conservation and fisheries governance through advocacy and direct engagement.
• SwedBio: SwedBio is a biodiversity and ecosystem services programme at the Stockholm Resilience Centre that co-organized the 2nd SSF Summit 2024 with ICSF. It is a direct peer in small-scale fisheries governance advocacy, biodiversity-focused policy work, and convening civil society around SSF Guidelines implementation.

Broad incumbents

• WWF (Marine Program): WWF operates a major global marine and fisheries program focused on sustainable seafood, marine protected areas, and reducing bycatch. It is a broad incumbent peer operating in adjacent fisheries advocacy and ocean governance at much larger scale than ICSF.
• Greenpeace: Greenpeace is a large global environmental organization with significant ocean and fisheries campaigns including opposition to overfishing and industrial trawling. It is a broad incumbent peer because it addresses fisheries sustainability and ocean governance at much larger scale, overlapping with but not specializing in ICSF's small-scale fisheries niche.

Emerging players

• Mundus Maris: Mundus Maris is an international non-profit promoting ocean sustainability through science, arts, and education, with engagement on small-scale fisheries and gender in fisheries. It is an emerging player peer sharing thematic overlap with ICSF's gender and SSF advocacy work.
• International Pole & Line Foundation: IPNLF supports small-scale, one-by-one tuna fisheries globally, focusing on improving livelihoods and sustainability of pole-and-line fishers. It is an emerging player peer because it works specifically on small-scale fisheries from a market and sustainability angle, partially overlapping with ICSF's advocacy for small-scale fishworker rights.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ICSF1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3jitwSBErQbT6lM2UCxqAA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ICSF1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icsf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ICSF