Marine and inland fisheries today are at an important crossroads. They make a crucial and growing contribution to food, nutrition and livelihood security. Yet, despite significant successes, there is a decreasing overall trend in the proportion of marine fish stocks caught within biologically sustainable levels, especially in the least developed regions. At the same time, inland fisheries are profoundly affected by the growing demand for fresh water fish.
In the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, this symposium aims to clarify:
a) What is the status of global and regional fisheries sustainability?
b) What are the challenges to improve the sustainability of fish resources?
c) What constitutes evidence, and how do we ensure an evidence basis for decision making? and,
d) What does society expect from marine and inland fisheries in the 21st century?
The objective of this Symposium it to identify pathways to strengthen the science and policy interplay in fisheries production, management and trade, based on solid sustainability principles for improved global outcomes on the ground. Ultimately, the debates and conclusions of the symposium will prepare the way for the development of a new vision for the way we perceive and use capture fisheries, outlining how the sector can respond to the complex and rapidly changing challenges facing society, and support the planning process of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).