My name is Amelie Bonner. I am 15 years old. I love art, film, reading and music. I speak French, English and Irish. I am from Arranmore Island off the coast of Ireland. It is a beautiful island and is currently home to around 500 people. The community is small. My grandfather is a fisher and my father is the secretary of the Irish Islands Marine Resource Association (IIMRO). As you can imagine, fishing plays a very significant role to me and to my people, the majority of whom come from fishing families, which is to say that the culture and traditions of fishing have been passed down through the generations. It is vital that we do not lose this knowledge.

I had the opportunity to attend a regional workshop on the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IFAYA) in Galicia, Spain. Held in Vilanova de Arousa on November 13-16, 2023, the workshop aimed to come up with a plan of action around what needs to be done to improve the conditions for fishers. I met many people from around the world, including representatives from India, Cyprus, Finland, Norway, Uruguay, Brazil, Portugal, France, Scotland, England, Poland, Italy, the Netherlands and, of course, Spain.