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Years of belief that the ocean resources were inexhaustible has led to the poor state that they are in today. It is without doubt that the marine ecosystem has been heavily impacted and that overfishing, pollution, global warming and ocean acidification threaten to make the situation worse. Some 25% of global fish stocks are classified as depleted or recovering by the FAO and there are legitimate concerns about damage to ecosystems and ocean productivity as a result. Damaged ecosystems will be unable to produce the quantities of fish required to supply future demand for fish. As the recent film “End of the Line” has shown, now is the time to act to turn the situation around.
Governmental action alone has not been sufficient to create sustainable fisheries and avoid overfishing. Indeed intervention through subsidies has in part created the problem with overcapacity that we currently face. Other factors are also creating problems for fisheries and fishing companies, including illegal and unreported fishing (IUU), estimated to be creating losses of $10-23bn annually. Increasingly it is recognised that cooperative action involving all stakeholders, and particularly involving the fishing industry, is more likely to create sustainable fisheries – in terms of sustainable supply of fish stocks and sustainable impacts on marine ecosystems - than government management alone.
The World Summit on Fisheries Sustainability, organized by the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs, in collaboration with the Imperial College London and FAO, will aim to show that solutions to these problems are practical, can lead to real benefits, and can be implemented now. It will examine the best options for creating long-term sustainability of the fishing industry, fisheries and marine ecosystems. Of particular importance is the engagement of the fishing industry and other stakeholders, including government, retailers, NGOs and scientists, in the development of solutions, and the creation of incentives to develop best environmental practice.
Two topics central to long-term sustainability will be addressed by leading scientific, industry, government and environmental experts from around the world. The first topic to be discussed in the morning is Ecosystem based fisheries management. In the afternoon the central topic will be responsible fishing and good governance.
The objective of the Conference will be to agree the most effective and practical mechanisms for reversing the decline in the health of world fisheries and ocean ecosystems. Convened the day before the World Fishing Exhibition, the Conference message will be conveyed to the meeting of fisheries Ministers to be held during the World Fishing Expo. This Conference follows the highly successful World Conference on Deep Sea Fisheries held in 2003 alongside the 2003 World Fishing Exhibition.