Indigenous People, Stories, and Local Community-led Fisheries Management

Indigenous people and local communities have lived with and developed relationships with other species/beings (e.g. water, fishes), in some cases, for thousands of years. During this time, lessons were learned, stories were told, songs were sung, norms developed that shaped how these people used, respected, and cared for these other beings.

This session elevates the contribution of Indigenous people and local communities (IPLCs) in global fisheries as users, managers and leaders in defining and driving conservation and sustainable fisheries management.

Indigenous people and local communities comprise most fishers globally by numbers, often participating in mixed activities for nutrition and livelihood. In doing so, they also act as resource managers and stewards through formal and informal rules. Integrating the vision and existing governance of these fishery actors, through community-based and co-management approaches, is challenging yet necessary.

A global range of presentations are invited to highlight the diverse roles and contributions of IPLCs in fisheries and explore pathways increasing their critical contribution to fish conservation and fisheries management. Topics that explore how indigenous knowledge can be incorporated into relationship/management plans to build social-ecological resilience and adaptation to a changing environment are highly encouraged.

Organizers:

Using Citizen Science To Solve Gaps In Fisheries Research And Management By Recruiting Anglers To Do The Work

Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

In this workshop, participants will learn how to run a wide range of citizen science programs that can address specific research and/or management objectives. The tool used in this workshop is the citizen science app, MyCatch, which has been used by several state and federal agencies to address specific fisheries research and management challenges. The workshop will demonstrate how fisheries professionals can rapidly set up and launch citizen science projects, recruit anglers, manage the data collection and quality assurance programs, and generate results in near real time with digital dashboards. Examples of past citizen science projects will be reviewed, specifically showing how it can support creel surveys, tagging surveys, population estimates, tracking invasive species and conducting primary research. The group will work through a demonstration of the technology, using tools in real time during the workshop.

Organizer:

Sean Simmons, Angler’s Atlas, [email protected]

Tracking Progress Towards Global Fisheries Sustainability

Global leaders set a target to end overfishing and restore fish stocks to sustainable levels of abundance by 2020 as part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG target 14.4). Yet information about the state of the world’s fisheries is still limited and global studies report that many fish stocks remain overfished, leaving most countries far from achieving the target.

In this session, we are looking at bringing together efforts to track progress towards global fisheries sustainability and, more specifically, to track countries’ progress to SDG 14.4. Alternative methods to assess the state of national fisheries, such as the use of indicators, are needed to fill the knowledge gap in global fisheries. We are interested in methods used to assess stock sustainability based on different data or knowledge types, and methods to evaluate the governance capacity of countries to end overfishing and restore fish stocks in their national waters.

Organizers:

Chris Wilcox, Minderoo Foundation, [email protected]
Jemma Thévenau, Minderoo Foundation
Julia Santana-Garcon, Minderoo Foundation
Jessica Spijkers, Minderoo Foundation

Tools, Approaches, and Best Practices for Scaling Sustainable Coastal Fisheries Management

To meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and secure livelihoods for growing coastal populations in a changing world, it is clear that we must rapidly increase the scale and pace of improvements in sustainable coastal fisheries management. In this session, we will gather experts and stakeholders to discuss current efforts and exchange lessons learned from research, projects, and initiatives aimed at bringing coastal fisheries management tools, approaches, and best practices to scale. The session will feature recent and ongoing work from projects in the Western Indian Ocean region, the West Africa region, the Pacific Islands region, and the Philippines, as well as that of local, regional, and global organizations and initiatives.

Organizer:

Peter Freeman, University of Rhode Island, [email protected]

Thiamine Deficiency in Fishes: A Symptom of Dysfunctional Aquatic Ecosystems

Thiamine (vitamin B1) availability influences community structure and dynamics across scales from microbes to fisheries. This essential coenzyme is required by all living organisms where it functions to catalyze key steps in central carbon metabolism. Despite its universal importance, dissolved concentrations in aquatic systems are frequently in the fempto-pico molar range. Deficiencies in thiamine have been reported in various wildlife in ecosystems across the northern hemisphere. Thiamine deficiency can cause crippling morbidities, neurological problems, and has been linked to early life-stage mortality and large population declines of predatory fishes. Chronic thiamine deficiency has been found in fish species in the Baltic Sea and Laurentian Great Lakes for decades, and more recently was identified as an emerging threat to salmonids from California to Alaska. This session addresses the breadth of thiamine’s impacts with the goal of bringing together investigators from diverse disciplines and geographies to solve pressing thiamine-related challenges.

Organizers:

Freya Rowland, USGS, [email protected]
Samuel Hylander, Linnaeus University
Nathan Mantua, NOAA/NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center
Christie Nichols, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Rachel Johnson, NOAA Fisheries – UC Davis
David Walters, USGS
Christopher Suffridge, Oregon State University
Cody Pinger, NOAA/NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center

The Potential of Digitalization of the Whole Value Chain of the Fishing Sector Towards Sustainability, Quality and Safety

Digitization and advanced tools applied to fisheries, like Electronic Monitoring (EM) or Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM), artificial intelligence, machine and deep learning, data from different sensors or blockchain technologies, have enormous potential to optimize fishing operations, to improve our ability of gathering and analysing fisheries dependant and independent data and to guarantee the sustainability, safety and quality of fish production to satisfy the demands of consumers, stakeholders of the food chain and regulators/policymakers.

The main objective of the of the proposed session is to share the knowledge, expertise and use of digital solutions for extended Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) along the whole fishing value chain (from cradle to gate) and for collection of scientifically and commercially important data in the whole seafood value chains to promote sustainable utilisation of fisheries resources and optimise seafood sourcing.

Organizer:

Luis T. Antelo, Marine Research Institute (IIM-CSIC), [email protected]

The International Pacific Halibut Commission: 100 Years of Science-based Fishery Management

In 1923, the Convention for the Preservation of the Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea was signed by Canada and the United States of America (U.S.A) in response to conservation needs. The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), initially named the International Fisheries Commission, was established as an intergovernmental organisation by this Convention that came into effect on 21 October 1924, constituting the first international agreement for joint management of a marine resource. Therefore, for the last 100 years, the IPHC has been successfully managing the Pacific halibut resource for Canada and the U.S.A. through the application of rigorous science, innovation, and the implementation of international best practice. This session is intended to celebrate the first 100 years of the IPHC by highlighting past and current scientific activities that have supported the management of the Pacific halibut fishery in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean.

Organizer:

JOSEP PLANAS, International Pacific Halibut Commission, [email protected]

Blue Economy and Its Impacts on Small-Scale Fisheries: Moving Towards Just and Equitable Ocean Use and Protection 

A critical challenge facing our growing human population on this primarily ocean-covered planet is how to equitably and justly manage, use, and protect marine resources across local, national, regional, and global scales. The concept of a “blue economy” has been gaining momentum and financial resources in global and national forums over the last decade; however, its conception, definition, and implementation have been dangerously incomplete and myopic to date. The efforts currently undertaken in the name of Blue Economy typically ignore both the life cycles of marine species as well as the human beings whose way of life is most closely connected to the ocean, such as small-scale and artisanal fishing communities. This roundtable discussion will explore how we can ensure that a holistic view is used to implement ocean activities rather than an exclusively economic view so that the most vulnerable groups of marine resource users are not harmed.

Given that the 8th World Fisheries Congress highlighted “securing sustainable small-scale fisheries and equitable access to resources” as a key issue in the proceedings, this session aims to advance the conversation through a robust and well-rounded discussion of developing justice-focused ocean use, management, and protection processes from the small-scale fisheries perspective. This sector is also a prime segment to consider for guaranteeing human rights, workforce safety and gender equality, which were also key issues that the 8th World Fisheries Congress highlighted as requiring attention.

The session will bring together diverse speakers from the legal, policy, scientific, and small-scale fishing sector perspectives to share experiences relating to the impacts of blue economy efforts from different geographies and sociopolitical contexts. They will set the stage for an open dialogue among all participants regarding key issues that small-scale fisheries face at the intersection of food, water, energy, tourism and conservation issues, and highlight how a justice-minded lens and a human rights based approach can help improve policy, science, and livelihoods. The session aims to draw out both commonalities and differences among the examples, and to generate a forward-looking conversation that advances our thinking about the potential solution-space to achieve a more just and equitable future over the near-term that more successfully incorporates fisher and community participation and empowers their voices across regional and international platforms.

Organizer:

Melissa Garren, ELAW, [email protected]

The Bloom: A Networking Event for Women and Gender Minorities in Fisheries

Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE), a leading NGO focused on building gender equality in the seafood sector, hosts a networking group for women and gender minorities in the sector called The Bloom. The Bloom unites this diverse group found at every level in the North American seafood sector, creating an inclusive community aiming to inspire, unite, and empower its members to share their insights, stories, and solutions and support each other throughout their career journeys.

Seafood and Gender Equality will host a networking event for all women and gender minorities in attendance at the World Fisheries Conference, bringing attendees together for an inspirational and empowering event to recognize the incredible contributions they bring to the fisheries sector.

Organizer:

Julie Kuchepatov, Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE), [email protected]

Technologies, Guidelines, and Policies: An Open Discussion about Recreational Fishing Impacts and Solutions

This session aims to bring together a diverse and vibrant group of speakers from across the globe and create an environment for open discussions about the impacts of recreational fisheries, existing and emerging technologies and solutions, guidelines and policies contributing to management strategies. The impacts of the recreational fisheries industry have been overlooked, with many knowledge gaps identified creating challenges to the development and implementation of management and mitigation measures. With this session, we would like to create an opportunity for different groups to network and engage in discussions aimed at co-creating solutions and actions to secure the sustainability of recreational fisheries worldwide.

Organizers:

Luiz G. M. Silva, ETH-Zurich, [email protected]
Steven Cooke, Carleton University
Jamie Madden, Carleton University
Sascha Danylchuk, Keep Fish Wet