The International Symposium on Fisheries Sustainability: strengthening the science-policy nexus, convened from 18-21 November 2019, in Rome, Italy, was held to support the development of a new vision for more sustainable and socially just fisheries, and more resilient to the challenges of the twenty-first century.
The event managed to gather an incredibly diverse group of participants from different sectors and regions around the world. Moreover, a set of recommendations emerged from the sessions’ discussions, that will help improve the sustainability of capture fisheries and progress towards the different targets and objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Although the main objective of this symposium was to help develop a new long-term vision for fisheries, the outcomes are also pertinent when dealing with unexpected short-term crisis, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This crisis is impacting capture fisheries in many direct and indirect ways, affecting fishers, fish dependent communities, and vulnerable communities that rely on fish and fish products for nutrition and livelihoods.
Many of the solutions for this crisis are consistent with the proposed actions to secure the longer-term sustainability of the sector. Our first response to the current crisis must be to make sure that fish is available and affordable, as this can make a significant difference in terms of food and nutrition security of people around the world.
One of the lessons of this pandemic is the need to address the social and economic inequalities within countries and across countries in order to secure the implementation and achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the world.
Therefore, as the health crisis subsides, impoverished households will need to be supported with options that ensure access to food, promote sustainable long-term growth and secure poverty reduction measures. We need to build resilient and sustainable food systems that leave no one behind.
Sustainable capture fisheries have a crucial role in nutrition, food and livelihood security. The recommendations of the Symposium, supporting and promoting access to fish and fish products to address malnutrition and hunger, empowering fishing communities, strengthening participatory approaches and building capacity among all stakeholders, promoting decent work and socio-economic measures to reduce poverty and inequality, and addressing climate impacts, are especially relevant now.
FAO