Forging Smart Partnerships for Sustainable and Resilient Aquatic Food Systems
Today, 21st November, nations across the world will be celebrating World Fisheries Day and what it means to acknowledge the seam-less connectivity between our fisheries and the social, cultural and economic foundation of a nation.
In Fiji’s context, we celebrate the importance of the ocean and surrounding coastal waters (near shore waters and i-Qoliqoli areas); and also recognizing the very important reason for proactively managing our fisheries resources, as the same living fisheries resources are vital to our people as a source for food and income,
On the same token, the ocean, coastal waters, and the abundant fisheries resources also serve other functions, which would include natural capital, aesthetic values, cultural significance and spiritual identity, as could be gauged through our traditional totems, and more so a proud contributor to our nation’s economic growth & social stability.
Emphasising the Importance of our Fisheries
This year’s theme, “Forging Smart Partnerships for Sustainable and Resilient Aquatic Food Systems”, highlights two key elements which is the essential relationship between our resources and our people; and the silent and over-arching plea to harness the balance between the use and preservation of our fragile and finite fisheries resources and the need to grow aquaculture as a potential protein source for a growing population.
Fiji has a relatively small land mass and any development activity, if not properly planned and executed so as to minimise its impact on the natural environment, could have a negative impact across the entire island landscape – affecting not only the environment, but also our people, livelihoods and economy.
Our ocean and its abundant resources provide a common thread that unites our islands, and even reaching across each Pacific Island Countries (PICs), and therefore we all have a critical mandate to ensure that our fisheries resources are maintained at sustainable levels, not only for the present, but also for our future generations.
I wish to also acknowledge the progress that our Government has taken in recognizing the need to establish a dedicated ministry to effectively manage and grow Fiji’s fisheries sector; this underscores the Fijian Government’s commitment and offers a huge opportunity for all development partners and stakeholders involved in this sector.
It is no surprise to all of us today, that our fisheries resources are supporting a variety of industries, is a thus a multi-sectoral and multistakeholder entity, which demands continuous dialogue, open-minded negotiations, and inclusive management arrangements from all stakeholders.
Fiji’s Fisheries sector is managed in three subsectors, namely, the offshore fisheries, inshore fisheries, and the aquaculture sub-sector.
Each sub-sector is specialized in how it is managed and developed in alignment to national and international development goals such as the UNSDGs.
With this view, the government has continued to introduce strategies to increase the national fish supply thus facilitating private sector growth, promotion of aquaculture, encouraging the harvesting of tuna resources by small-scale fishers, and supporting the marketing for the available fishery resources that are landed across the maritime regions and relatively remote parts of the country.
The conversation on fisheries will not be complete without stating a few emerging issues that will inevitably affect us all; pressure from a growing population and urbanization will lead to increasing demand for food and potentially overfishing, unplanned infrastructure development which could lead to coastal pollution, push for land reclamation resulting in loss of fish habitats, more efficient fishing technology that could cause the loss of targeted fish stocks, and the threats of climate change on fisheries which threatens species diversity, to name a few.
Hard facts
Fisheries scientists in the world have revealed the true status of our ocean and associated fisheries resources, and the verdict is persisting global overfishing trends and continuous decline in natural resource status and productivity. All this negative forecast is being intensified by the impacts of Climate Change.
The fact that we are still celebrating World Fisheries Day is our acknowledgment of these threats to our oceans, seas, and associated marine resources; and that this challenge is assuming critical proportions.
Government has put in place so many strategies that emphasises preserving, protecting and securing the ocean and also ensuring that we, the custodians and stewards of the ocean, can benefit from its resources through sustainable
blue economic development.
Our coastal communities have a deep connection with the ocean and its resources and must celebrate this day as we all continue to work towards sustaining and managing it for generations to come.
Please continue to be agents of change in sustainably managing our fragile yet rich fisheries ecosystem.
We must also thank our bilateral and development partners who have come on board to assist the Ministry in the execution of all activities and programs. Your unwavering
support is commended and we look forward to continuing this journey with you.
Conclusion
To conclude, the World Fisheries Day is a one-day event that serves to ultimately remind us again that we must continue to align our goals and ambitions to sustaining our fisheries for sustainable communities.
Today, our service centres across Fiji will be celebrating this special day in designated communities. I urge you all to reflect on this day
and remember that we all need to start somewhere to ensure the survival of fisheries towards the bigger Blue Pacific venture that we are embarking on.
As Ocean lovers and protectors we need to ensure that our actions are well defined and controlled and we are doing everything we can to protect our Fisheries resources from being over exploited due to our negligence. Let us teach our children and be the pillars of sustainable change and progress in our communities.
HAPPY WORLD FISHERIES DAY!