December 9, 2021
What happened on 19 November 2021? On November 19, 2021 the FAO virtually launched the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 , which coincided with the week of 2021 World Fisheries Day. The year was officially launched by UN (FAO) Director-General, QU Dongyu, who highlight the crucial role of small-scale fisheries and aquaculture in poverty reduction, food security, healthy diets and environment and biodiversity protection. At the virtual event took part also representatives of FAO member states, namely Jorge Luis Prado Palomino, Peru’s Minister of Production, and Maria Flachsbarth, Parliamentary State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, who endorsed the words of the Director General, re-emphasising the importance of fish and aquatic resources. The event continued by giving space to testimonies, like the National Women in Fisheries Association (Spain), Blue Sustainability Institute (China) and Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organizations (Bahamas), who highlight the innovative capacity and the potential of SSF, aquaculture and their actors in terms of development and sustainability. Read the complete article here Read the speaking notes here