Blue Transformation: FAO Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture discusses using US model for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture globally
Washington, DC – Aquatic food systems have the potential to support millions of lives and livelihoods and to contribute to food security globally. With transformation and expansion, they can help to meet the challenge of feeding a growing population while preserving natural resources and the ecosystems that sustain them.
To further cooperation and collaboration with the United States in this critical area, Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Manuel Barange, was in Washington, DC from January 9 through 12, meeting with high-level officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES).
At NOAA, Director Barange held discussions at the National Marine Fisheries Service with Janet Coit, Assistant Administrator and Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere; Kelly Kryc, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Fisheries; and Cisco Werner, Chief Science Advisor and Director of Scientific Programs. Meetings also took place with Michael Rubino, Senior Advisor for Seafood Strategy; David O'Brien, Deputy Director, Office of Aquaculture; and members of the NOAA Fisheries Science Board.
At the U.S. Department of State, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Fisheries and Polar Affairs Maxine Burkentt and staff members from the Office of Global Food Security met with Barange.
Director Barange presented to these key stakeholders the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Blue Transformation initiative. This initiative provides the Organization’svision to expand aquatic food systems and increase their contribution to feeding the growing global population by fostering equitable and sustainable growth and gender equality. The strategy aims to enhance the role of aquatic food systems by providing the legal, policy and technical frameworks required to sustain growth and innovation.
“The Blue Transformation initiative of FAO aims to reach 100 percent of fisheries being managed (up from the global average of 50 percent) and ensuring sustainable aquaculture development. Fish is an important source of nutrition, and fisheries and aquaculture development can provide new income sources for women,” explains Director Barange.
Where effective management exists, fishery resources are sustainable. The United States is a leader in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, with 90 percent of fisheries operating sustainably, and provides a model for other countries.
“FAO wants to highlight the success story of the US government in effective fisheries management,” says Jocelyn Brown Hall, Director of FAO’s North America liaison office. “With the help of NOAA and State Department, we can share this modelof how to sustainably manage fish, in particular with food-insecure regions.”
According to the 2022 edition of FAO’s flagship publication, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA), The 2022 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) says the growth of aquaculture, particularly in Asia, lifted total production of fisheries and aquaculture to an all-time high of 214 million tonnes in 2020, comprising 178 million tonnes of aquatic animals and 36 million tonnes of algae. To achieve effective management of all fisheries, FAO and its partners must apply and share fisheries management systems that restore ecosystems to a healthy and productive state, while managing exploited resources within ecosystem boundaries. Actions to achieve this objective include building global capacity to regularly collect, analyse and evaluate data that support decision-making and consider trade-offs, particularly in regions with limited data and poor capacity.
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