Topical Sustainability panels

 CFP REFORM AND EU FISHERIES IN TRANSITION (Tues 8th May)

 Moderator:   David Miller, BBC Scotland Environment and Transport Correspondent

Confirmed Speakers: Richard Benyon, Lowri Evans, Richard Lochhead, Tony Long, Julio Morón, Poul Degnbol, Euan Dunn, Aldin Hilbrands, Guus Pastoor and Niels Wichmann

General Overview:

2012 will be a decisive year for CFP reform as the European Parliament and Member States will discuss and vote on the Commission’s reform proposals.

This panel will consider some of the most likely outcomes, look at case studies of these around the world, consider how science is used in policy and explore the role of fishermen and other stakeholders as ‘citizen scientists’ to inform policy.

3 possible scenarios:

- Status quo

- Minor changes that will not mean real change

- CFP reform results in sustainable fisheries in Europe

This session will compose of two parts; designed so they can be attended either as individual sessions or in conjunction. As described below, the first session will provide a high level view of the policy issues, and the second session will delve deeper into the challenges and opportunities for science and supply chain operators.

Session A (14.00-15.30):

This session will run in a similar way to BBC’s Question Time programme – with a range of panellists that will answer questions from the floor and be challenged and driven by a strong moderator. (Key questions will be requested in advance of the session).

Session B (16.00-18.00):

Leading on from session 1, this session will focus on digging deeper into the policy issues raised and will invite selected experts to commentate and debate on the possible scenarios. Panellists will span across a range of sectors and will explore the role of stakeholders further and define some steps to advance this.

 Submit your questions here!
Delegates can ask up to 3 questions before close of play on the April 30th.

 

SUSTAINABLE FISH AND SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF STANDARDS, CERTIFICATION AND LABELLING (Weds 9th May)

Moderators:   Melanie Siggs and Doug Beveridge
Confirmed Speakers: Aldin Hilbrands, Adriaan Kole, Melissa Pritchard, Cathy Roheim, David Agnew, Jesse Marsh, Alex Olsen and Rainer Froese 

General Overview:

There is a need to advance sustainable practices across the international seafood sector in order to support healthy seas and the societies that depend on them. The tactics for developing best practices in fisheries, fish farms and the seafood supply chain are varied, but in recent years the market-based approaches of Standards, Certification and Labelling have played a more prominent role.

Through these panels a variety of thought-leaders from academia, NGOs and the seafood supply chain will explore with WFC delegates the challenges and opportunities in of Standards, Certification and Labelling (which include facets relating to policy; communities; food security; market access; data and science).

This session will compose of two parts; designed so they can be attended either as individual sessions or in conjunction. As described below, the first session will provide a market-orientated view and the second session will delve deeper into the ‘on the water’ impact’.

Session A (14.00-15.30):

The goal of ecolabelling certification programmes is to create market-based incentives for better management of the environment. This market-based approach has become an increasingly important tool in the promotion of sustainable seafood products around the world. This panel will examine the role of labelling and certification in communicating to consumers and in shifting the market towards sustainability. Further, panelists will discuss the role of corporate responsibility and consumer ‘trust’ and examine the importance of certification and transparency in supporting this.

Session B (16.00-18.00):

This panel will examine the opportunity and reality of Standards and Certification in transitioning fisheries towards sustainability. Panelists will discuss the interplay between science and data evidence, the supply chain and certification; this will include a consideration of Fisheries Improvement Projects (FIPs).

 

ILLEGAL FISHING – EXAMINING IMPACTS AND SOLUTIONS (Thurs 10th May)

Moderators:   Steve Trent and Kristian Teleki
Confirmed Speakers: Marcus Asner, Alastair McDonnell, Henrik Österblom, Rashid Sumaila, Teresa Turk, Mariah Boyle, Victor Kargbo, Bruce MacPhail, Patrick, Sayon and Steve Trent.

General Overview:

Unsustainable fishing practices and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing threaten global fisheries and the countries and communities that depend on them. IUU is the term given to any fishing activity that contravenes national or international laws, such as using banned fishing gears; targeting protected species; operating in protected or reserved areas; or at times when fishing is prohibited. It also includes fishing activity that takes places in areas where fisheries management is absent.

This session will compose of two parts; designed so they can be attended either as individual sessions or in conjunction. As described below, the first session will provide a high-level overview of the impacts and solutions relating to IUU fishing and the second session will focus more specifically on the role of citizen science, examining work in West Africa as case study.

Session A (14.00-15.30):

The impacts of IUU fishing are multi-faceted. Financial losses due to IUU fishing are estimated to be between US$ 10 billion and US$ 23.5 billion per year, representing between 11 and 26 million tonnes of fish.

This panel will

 

Session B (16.00-18.00):

West African waters are believed to have the highest levels of IUU fishing in the world, with the illegal catch in the wider Eastern Central Atlantic estimated to be worth between US$828 million and US$1.6 billion per year, or 37% of the region’s total catch. Meanwhile, fisheries products, and fish provide as much as 64% of daily animal protein intake and as much as 9.4% of GDP for some West African countries.

IUU is a human-instigated problem and initiatives that seek to make people part of the solution are increasingly paying dividends. West Africa is seeing enhanced emphasis on ‘co-management’, and approaches that involve coastal communities being empowered to work in partnership with governments/scientists/conservationists to promote sustainable fisheries and tackle IUU fishing.

This panel will broadly develop the concept of citizen science/public ecology/community conservation. The discussion will then look in detail at both the methodology and the impacts of an example of community science in West Africa aiming to build the capacity of artisanal fisher communities to monitor and better manage their local coastal and inshore marine resources, and to advocate for this both locally and nationally. Further, panellists and session participants will consider the opportunity for application of such community science schemes in other geographical areas and fisheries management challenges.