FISH4ACP: Unlocking the potential of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture

The FISH4ACP programme, an initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), brought together members of its steering committee to discuss the status and ongoing activities of the project.

Cristelle Pratt, OACPS Assistant Secretary-General for the Environment and Climate Action, provided opening remarks for the session. FISH4ACP Chief Technical Advisor Gilles van de Walle then gave a brief overview of project progress to date, confirming that all national partners have been appointed and that the project is in a strong position to advance to the next stage.

Paulo de Lima, representing FAO Brussels Director ad interim Rodrigo de Lapuerta, noted that “achieving the SDGs and sustainable food systems, including through a blue transformation, is at the core of the FAO and EU partnership.”

The initiative, which is implemented by FAO with support from the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), will play a prominent role in the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture in 2022. Out of the 12 ACP value chains supported by FISH4ACP, 9 are artisanal.

The project will also be featured at this year’s European Development Days, taking place on 15 and 16 June. The OACPS, together with FAO and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will showcase FISH4ACP and other joint projects at a stand on “Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity in a Changing Climate.”

The FISH4ACP programme contributes to food and nutrition security, economic prosperity and job creation by ensuring the economic, social and environmental sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture value chains in 12 ACP countries.