On the occasion of the International Year for Artisanal Fishing and Aquaculture, the Fourth World Small Scale Fishing Congress was launched which will be held in Malta for the first time. This was launched by the Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Rights Alicia Bugeja Said.
MCAST Resource Centre, Paola
The ultimate goal of this congress is to promote collaboration and dialogue between researchers, academics, fishermen and interested parties who have direct or indirect contact with the fishing sector. In order to achieve this goal, the Fourth World Small Scale Fisheries Congress is being organized together with the five continents of the world, Asia, North America, Europe, Africa and Latin America.
The congress will be held between 12 September and 14 September 2022, at MCAST in Paola, and is being organized by the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture in collaboration with the organization “Too Big To Ignore”.
During this congress, projects and researches of many researchers will be presented with the aim of helping in a discussion of the design of a social policy for small-scale fishermen on a European and world level, so that this sector remains viable.
Parliamentary Secretary Bugeja Said stressed that “It is good to note that around 93% of the fishing sector in Malta is considered small-scale fishing. This congress will offer an opportunity to exchange ideas on how this vision can be achieved and actions and priorities will be discussed at a national and regional governance level, in order to ensure that the future of the a small-scale fishing sector would be truly sustainable.”
This congress will contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 “Life under water”. It is precisely for this reason that the fundamental role played by small-scale fishermen will be emphasized. Anyone interested in participating and being part of this discussion can call the Fisheries Department on 2292 6876.
