HELCOM - 13. spotkanie Grupy ds. Zrównoważonych Praktyk Rolniczych

For decades, our seas have been dominated by industrial-scale, high-impact fisheries that employ destructive practices in the most vulnerable marine areas. Supported by subsidies and unfairly allocated quotas in the name of economic and food security, they in fact degrade and deplete our ocean and endanger the sustainability of the fishing industry. Even areas designated as “protected” continue to suffer from ecologically devastating activities, most notably bottom trawling.

This event brought together fishers, thinkers, institutions and activists to Rethink Fisheries!

CCB participant in the session
- Camille Fraizy, CCB International Coordinator

Programme
- 16:00 Welcome – Gina Lovett (Patagonia) & Tobias Troll (Seas At Risk)
- 16:05 Keynote: How can seafood production support marine regeneration – and vice versa? Inka Cresswell (Oceanographer and filmmaker)
- 16:20 The future of fisheries: Stephen Davies (European Commission, TBC), Isabelle Lovin (MEP), Charles Guirriec (Poiscaille, TBC), Brian O’Riordan (Low Impact Fishers Europe)
- 17:10 Bottom trawling and MPAs: Jorid Hammersland (Permanent Representation of Sweden to the EU), David Lange (Danish small scale fishers producer organisation FSKPO, TBC), Vera Coelho (Oceana Europe)
- 17:25 Different fisheries are happening: Seas At Risk “Alternative Business Models in Small Scale Fisheries” study. Fisher testimonials by Gwen Pennarun (Association ligneurs pointe de Bretagne, France), Isaac Moya Bofill (Empescat, Spain), Muireann Kavanagh (Ireland)
- 17:55 Closing remarks: Claire Nouvian (BLOOM)
- 18:00 Social networking event: A toast to the Ocean by Alexandra Cousteau

Outcomes
- A growing movement of small-scale fishers, ocean lovers, and marine conservationists demonstrated during the event different and better way forward.

- alternative concepts such as “pesca-ecology”, low-impact practices and business models as well as best practices that are good for marine ecosystems and local communities alike were presented during the event.

- Seas At Risk, Low Impact Fishers of Europe, Ecologistas en Acción, Sciaena, and BUND, unveiled their new report: Fisheries for a New Era. This report highlights how innovative business models, pioneered by small-scale, low-impact fishers and fishmongers, can drive transformation in the fishing industry, positioning it at the forefront of the EU’s clean transition.


The CCB's participation was co-funded by

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.