April 19, 2016 — Globally, the demand for fish is growing due to a combination of population growth, urbanization, and increasing wealth. Fish supply-demand research suggests that aquaculture production will need to double by 2030 to meet the world’s growing demand and needs. Fisheries are currently in serious danger, and the issues mentioned above need our utmost attention. Given that these issues do not always make headlines, Fishackathon aims to provide a bigger platform to remind the public that fisheries matter.
But these issues are everyday topics of conversation, research, and collaboration among dozens of government agencies and hundreds of scientific and conservation organizations. The Secretary’s Office of Global Partnerships (S/GP) received over 50 problem statement submissions this year, representing a diverse set of organizations and topics. The problem statements were solicited far and wide from NGOs, universities, think tanks, and individuals passionate about fisheries issues across the globe. We set up a panel of expert judges from across sectors to review each submission against specified criteria, including relevance, feasibility, and willingness to follow up with teams after the hackathon to develop the solutions for real-world use.