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Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries

in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication

International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 – find out what’s swimming your way.

09/06/2021
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Summary of origins

In 2017, the 72nd Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA) proclaimed 2022 as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022), with the FAO serving as the lead UN agency.

The objectives of IYAFA 2022 are as follows:

  • Enhance global awareness about, understanding of, and action to support the contribution of small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture to sustainable development, and more specifically in relation to food security and nutrition, poverty eradication and the use of natural resources).
  • Promote dialogue and collaboration between and among small-scale artisanal fishers, fishfarmers, fish workers, governments, and other key partners along the value chain, as well as to further strengthen their capacity to enhance sustainability in fisheries and aquaculture.

The oversight and management of IYAFA 2022 is coordinated by two bodies: the FAO IYAFA Secretariate and the IYAFA International Steering Committee (IYAFA ISC), composed of representatives of FAO Member States, UN organizations, civil society organizations and non-governmental organisations from different regions across the globe. The full list of members and representatives from the IYAFA ISC can be found here.

What’s happened so far…

To date the IYAFA ISC and Secretariate have been tirelessly working to build momentum for the Year, with the first public event, ‘WOWing the World with IYAFA 2022’, occurring during World Oceans Week on 9 June 2022. Hosted by the chair of the ISC, Peru, organised a panel with selected members of the ISC, representing government (Senegal), small-scale fisheries organizations (IPC Working Group on Fisheries), research (WorldFish), the UN (IFAD) and a regional IYAFA steering committee from the Caribbean.

The participants shared their perspective on how to successfully implement the IYAFA 2022 Global Action Plan. The Global Action Plan is designed to provide inspiration for proponents of small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture including, but not limited to, national administrations, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations (CSOs), private enterprises, development agencies and intergovernmental bodies. Based around four outputs (Raising Awareness, Strengthening the Science-Policy Interface, Empowering Stakeholders and Building Partnerships), the Global Action Plan seeks to facilitate action under seven pillars: Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability, Governance, Gender Equality and Equity, Food Security and Nutrition, and Resilience. Under these paradigms the IYAFA ISC and Secretariate hope that the Global Action Plan will help build global momentum to empower small-scale artisanal fishers, fish farmers and fishworkers and secure sustainable future for these communities.

Importantly, the IYAFA webpage is a repository for all information relating to IYAFA 2022 and will become increasingly a source of gravity as the Year progresses. The webpage will soon include access to a newsletter and list of upcoming and passed events.

IYAFA 2022 wants you!

It is important to remember that this International Year belongs to all of us and is an opportunity to contribute to shape the future for small-scale fisheries and aquaculture. Get inspired by the Global Action Plan and share your plans with the IYAFA Secretariate and ISC at [email protected]. IYAFA is embedded in the UN Decade of Ocean Science and the UN Decade of Family Farming and supports the contribution of small-scale fisheries and aquaculture to the Sustainable Development Goals. We also encourage you to use the IYAFA 2022 Visual Identity and Asset Bank to promote the Year.