Towards a sustainable blue economy: a focus on fisheries at EU Green Week

Each year pollution negatively impacts the lives of millions of people on the planet, and has been at the centre of policies and laws of the European Green Deal. It came as no surprise that this year’s EU Green Week tackled the theme of pollution on a number of levels including life below water.

On 2 June FAO Director of Fisheries, Manuel Barange spoke at a high-level session on the second day of this year’s edition of EU Green Week, which focuses on 'Zero pollution for healthier people and planet.'

The high-level session, entitled 'Clean seas with a sustainable blue economy – challenges and opportunities,' was organized in collaboration with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC), and featured speakers from the European Commission, the JRC and the Regional Government of Catalonia. Panelist interventions focused on key aspects of the blue economy and sustainable maritime management, highlighting the importance of data and scientific analysis, as evidenced in the recently released EU Blue Economy report 2021. Citing the expression “think blue to go green,” participants also noted the need to decouple economic growth from the environmental damage caused by the overuse of marine resources, and discussed the potential of a circular economy approach to better protect fragile marine ecosystems. The impact of COVID-19 on tourism and the blue economy was also highlighted, as was the impact of land and air pollution and other human activities on the world’s oceans.

Blue transformation for a sustainable blue economy

In his presentation to the session, Barange focused on the shift from blue growth to blue transformation in a fisheries context, underscoring the importance of three central objectives – aquaculture intensification, better fisheries management, and value chain efficiency and inclusiveness – and noted specific tools that FAO has in place to support this dynamic process, such as the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF). He also stressed the significant contribution that blue transformation can make in supporting the role of fisheries in fighting hunger and poverty, particularly for vulnerable populations. “Blue transformation is not only a dynamic reality but also an absolute necessity, given the worryingly increasing trends of undernourishment. It is a reality that needs to happen, and we hope the EU will support us in pushing it forward,” he concluded.