[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ]
The world needs a new vision for fisheries in the 21st century, said Qu Dongyu, FAO Director General in his speech at the opening of the International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability. The projected increase in global population to 10bn by 2050 will call for greater aquatic food production, he said, but without jeopardising the health of oceans and rivers, and while improving the social conditions of those dependent on fisheries, who are often the poorest in society. Although millions depend on fisheries for food and livelihoods the state of the world’s oceans is one of grave concern from the impacts of plastic pollution, climate change, overfishing and habitat degradation. Globally
over one in ten people depend on fisheries to make a living and to feed their families, while one in three marine fish stocks is overfished. These challenges are not evenly distributed, however. In developed parts of the world stocks are being rebuilt, fisheries are becoming more sustainable and the conditions of those employed in the sector are improving, but progress in developing regions is slower. We need to reverse this trend if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, urged Dr Qu, as he proposed solutions to make fisheries more sustainable. These include greater investments in marine and freshwater sustainability programmes such as the Blue Growth Initiative
FAO/Pier Paolo Cito
Italy: International symposium explores ways to increase sustainability of ďŹ sheries
The International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability organised by FAO considered ways of making fisheries more sustainable through efficient fisheries management, new technologies, and better protection.
which unites economic, social, and environmental sustainability, and adequate protective
measures combined with effective management of the world’s fisheries.
Spain: ICCAT adopts measures to rebuild bigeye tuna stocks ICCAT, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna, the regional fisheries management body responsible for the conservation of tuna and tuna-like species in the Atlantic and adjacent seas, concluded negotiations at its 26th regular session by adopting a 15-year rebuilding plan for bigeye tuna. Although an imperfect plan in the eyes of many, it’s adoption was significant progress compared to the session last year, when the 52 contracting parties failed to agree on measures to protect the stock despite clear advice from the commission’s own scientists on the need to significantly reduce catches. The adopted plan reduces the total allowable catch forcing countries to make significant cuts to their current catches, a stricter limit on the number of fish aggregating devices (FAD) permitted per
vessel, as well as an Atlantic-wide closure of FADs for two months in 2020 and three months in 2021. FAD closure was previously restricted to the Gulf of Guinea for two months. Other business conducted during the 8-day meeting included amending the 50-yearold ICCAT convention to provide the commission with a mandate to manage sharks and rays, which will help in the fight against IUU fishing, and the adoption of a measure to implement rebuilding efforts for Atlantic blue marlin and white marlin stocks. The meeting also led to more stringent observer coverage of both purse seine and longline fleets. In the case of the former, coverage will increase to 100, year-round, on purse seine vessels targeting tropical tunas as opposed to only during the time/ area two-month FAD moratorium.
Observer coverage on longliners increases from 5 to 10 in 2022. However, while delegates to the meeting took several steps in the right direction, no progress was made in reforming transshipment at sea, long demanded by NGOs, nor in protecting endangered and
threatened sea turtles that are incidentally caught in longlines, nor in defending Atlantic shortfin mako shark stocks that have been classified as “Endangered� by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and are considered highly depleted in the north Atlantic.
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