On the 40th anniversary of the International Conference of Fish Workers and their Supporters (ICFWS), an account of how a group of collaborators pulled off what was then a miracle. 

In July 1983, amidst my job tenure in bustling Hong Kong, I received a pivotal letter from a dear friend. It planted the seed for what went on to become the ambitious vision of convening an international assembly of fishers from across the globe. Exactly one year later, in July 1984, the first International Conference of Fishworkers and their Supporters, better known among fishers and fishery activists as the Rome Conference, culminated triumphantly.

Many have wondered at how such an endeavour was accomplished in an era predating personal computers, let alone the internet or mobile smartphones! The brief answer: the catalyst was a cohort of dedicated individuals worldwide, unified by their enthusiasm for the concept and their unwavering belief in its feasibility.