2022 Ocean Conference side event | Small in scale, big in value: Stocktaking, partnerships, and solutions in support of small-scale fisheries

Lisbon, 27 June 2022 – The side event dedicated to the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) 2022 at the 2022 UN Oceans Conference brought together different stakeholders to talk about the sector. This event took participants on an inspiring journey across regions, giving space for different experiences to be heard. One of the outcomes of the event is the confirmation that all around the world small-scale fishers, fish farmers and fish workers hold enormous potential to promote transformative changes in how, by whom and for whom fish and fishery products are produced, processed and distributed, with positive ripple effects felt throughout the global food system.  

The side event was moderated by Mrs. Nicole Franz, Equitable Livelihoods team leader at FAO and the welcome remarks were given by Mr. César Rodrigo Landa Arroyo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru - Chair of the IYAFA 2022 International Steering Committee. In his speech he addressed the importance of the year and reaffirmed the need to keep working towards raising awareness and raising profile on the small-scale fisheries and aquaculture sector. 

His speech was followed by remarks from Ms. Matilda Ernkrans, Minister for International Development Cooperation, Sweden, who mentioned the importance of small-scale fisheries and how new data, is essential to address the issues and create adequate policies to improve livelihoods in the sector. She specifically mentioning the Illuminating Hidden Harvests study in this context. Her speech was followed by remarks from Ms. Anette Davidsen, Political Adviser for the Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy, Norway,  who reinforced a call to action and stressing the importance of women in the small-scale fisheries and aquaculture sector. This initial part of the event was finalized by the intervention of Ms. Margaret Nakato, on behalf of Ms. Editrudith Lukanga of the IPC Working Group on Fisheries, who was unable to attend due to flight cancellations, stating the need for empowerment and how communities benefit from increased participation. 

The second part of the event was a more interactive discussion with stakeholders focusing on two different aspects, that mirror SDG target 14.b - the first being the need to securing access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and on how and why secure access for small-scale artisanal fishers to markets. 

This round of interventions was initiated by Chief Gary Harrison, Traditional Chief and chairman of the Chickaloon Native Village in Alaska (USA) and part of the IPC Working Group on Fisheries who talked about the challenges fishers face and about the beauty of the work they promote. The Director for Fish Resource Management from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia, Mr. Ridwan Mulyana, shared practical examples of how the government is making sure small-scale producers have access to marine resources. Mr. Miguel Bernal, from GFCM, built on that and mentioned the experience in the Mediterranean by talking about the Regional Plan of Action for Small- Scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (RPOA-SSF).  

Ms. Margaret Nakato, from the Katosi Women Development Trust/IPC Working Group on Fisheries in Uganda and winner of the FAO Margarita Lizárraga Award 2020/21, introduced issues of the small-scale value chains to local communities and how these chains sustain an enormous amount of people, especially in countries under development. Her intervention was complemented by Ms. Shakuntala Thilsted, Value Chains & Nutrition Research Leader at WorldFish and World Food Price Laureate 2021 who discussed about the importance of seafood for nutrition, especially for vulnerable segments of society, such as children and Indigenous Peoples. 

The event was concluded by Ms. Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director General at FAO, who brought a message of action and celebration, expressing that we already have the commitments - the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - but we need to choose to make a difference.