Kotor. Montenegro. Forthcoming International Conference: Adriatic Biodiversity Protection – AdriBioPro2022 will dedicate a panel to the celebration of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022. The panel discussion will be held on Tuesday, 14 June 2022. Moderator of the panel is Ms. Nicoletta Milone, FAO – AdriaMed Project, and panelists Haydar Fersoy, FAO – Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU), Senior Fisheries Officer; Fabio Massa, Aquaculture expert, former FAO GFCM Senior Aquaculture Officer, Aleksandar Joksimović, Director of the Institute of Marine Biology – University of Montenegro.

Background

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2022 the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022). FAO is the lead agency for celebrating the IYAFA 2022.

The objectives of IYAFA 2022 are as follows:

• enhance global awareness about, understanding of, and action to support the contribution of small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture to sustainable development, and more specifically in relation to food security and nutrition, poverty eradication and the use of natural resources;
• promote dialogue and collaboration between and among small-scale artisanal fishers, fishfarmers, fishworkers, governments and other key partners along the value chain, as well as to further strengthen their capacity to enhance sustainability in fisheries and aquaculture and to enhance their social development and well-being.

A range of artisanal fisheries and aquaculture is conducted in the Adriatic Sea, contributing to the region’s food security, nutrition, livelihoods and trade.  Small-scale fisheries and aquaculture contribute to the achievement of a number of Sustainable Development Goals. Actions in support of sustainable small-scale fisheries and aquaculture contribute to the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Objectives

The panel discussion is organized with the following objectives:

• Raise awareness about the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022
• Provide an overview of the initiatives in place at the Mediterranean and Adriatic levels in support of small-scale fishers and fish farmers, in particular, focused on IYAFA Pillar 1: “Environmental sustainability: Use biodiversity sustainably for the longevity of small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture”.
• Encourage Member countries and partners to undertake concrete actions to support small-scale fishers and fish farmers towards sustainable and secure livelihoods

Follow Adriatic Biodiversity Protection – AdriBioPro2022 pages on Panel outputs.