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"Small in scale, big in value", IYAFA is officially launched!

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The official launch of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022) took place on 19 November through a virtual event organised by FAO.

IYAFA 2022 was initially declared by the United Nations General Assembly and this launch is a continuation of a long process to raise awareness on artisanal fisheries and aquaculture. The webinar was attended by hundreds of people and several speakers from all over the world with the aim of improving the working conditions of men and women working in artisanal fisheries and aquaculture.

FAO Director General Qu Dongyu began his opening remarks by recalling the vision of IYAFA; a world where men and women workers in the sea are empowered to play a key role in human well-being through the sustainable use of fisheries and fisheries resources. He recalled the slogan for IYAFA "small in scale, big in value". A global action plan for this year has been published by the FAO Secretariat.

Peru chairs the International Steering Committee for IYAFA. Mr. Jorge Luis Prado Palomino, Minister of Production of Peru, recalled the importance of artisanal fisheries and aquaculture for the economy of developing countries and for the food security of its population. The Minister concluded his speech by stating that "we will only succeed if we make efforts and if we combine these efforts".

The role of women in fisheries and aquaculture was highlighted by the large number of women speakers from different regions. For example, Ms Rita Míguez de la Iglesia, President of the National Association of Women in the Fishing Sector, a local action group of women shellfish fisherwomen from Galicia, Spain, exhaustively pinpointed the problems specific to women and called for a review of management structures in order to propose more inclusive solutions.

Ms Editrudith Lukanga, Vice-Chair of the International Steering Committee, and part of the International NGO/CSO Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty, used her intervention to denounce industrial fishing as the cause of marine environmental destruction. She called for a transition "from a market-based model to a human rights-based approach" and stressed that "States must be held accountable" in relation to their FAO commitments on artisanal fisheries.



Banner photo: Courtesy of FAO, in the context of IYAFA 2022.

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