Travelling to India and Bangladesh, Ruyel will research complex small-scale fisheries' social-ecological systems. He will interact with the fisheries there and observe the situation of their communities to better understand the vulnerabilities that they face and assess the ways to address these vulnerabilities. His research focuses on why small-scale fishers experience a lack of human rights, justice, and dignity and why they are left unprotected against external influences. This experience will enrich Ruyel’s depth of knowledge within this field and allow him to contribute to the efforts of making small-scale fishing communities viable.