Saving Seafood

FAO head calls for innovation to support aquaculture growth

October 6, 2021 — World governments must embrace innovation and equity if the global aquaculture sector is to grow sustainably and be an all-inclusive food sector, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General Qu Dongyu.

Dongyu said at the recent Global Conference on Aquaculture Millenium+20 in Shanghai, China, that aquaculture is currently the fastest growing agri-food sector – especially in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean –where there is “huge potential for further expansion.”

“Aquaculture production will continue to grow, but the benefits of this growth must be equitable and fairly distributed,” Dongyu said.

The conference, which is the fourth in the series, was organized by the FAO and China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, together with the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA), and featured addresses by several global seafood industry leaders and government representatives.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

FAO: COVID has highlighted seafood supply chain vulnerability

June 15, 2020 — COVID-19 has affected the fishing and aquaculture food supply chains like no other shock before, according to an addendum to the recently launched Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s SOFIA 2020 report.

“The protection measures taken by governments to contain the spread of the disease, while necessary, have impacted each step of the seafood supply chain, from fishing and aquaculture production to processing, transport, wholesale and retail marketing,” it said.

The addendum also claims that global fishing activity may have declined by around 6.5% and that more than 90% of small-scale fishers in the Mediterranean and Black Seas were forced to stop due to an inability to sell their catches — often exacerbated by falling prices — as a result of restrictions and labor shortages due to COVID-19.

On a webinar held by the organization on June 8, FAO’s director-general Qu Dongyu confirmed those findings and said the pandemic has also shown the need for accelerated efforts “to achieve sustainability at all levels, where fishery management is critically important”.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

FAO releases latest State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report

June 8, 2020 — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has released the latest addition of the biannual “State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture” report, a flagship publication in the United Nations’ “State of the World” series.

The 2020 edition of the publication is devoted to “Sustainability in Action” as the organization continues to focus on meeting Sustainable Development Goals established back in 2015. Comprised of 17 separate actionable goals, the current progress, according to the FAO, hasn’t been fast enough.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

New FAO boss was key China emissary on fisheries deals

June 28, 2019 — The new head of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has played a central role in expanding China’s global seafood reach and will now get to shape key global policies on agriculture, aquaculture, and fisheries.

China Vice Minister for Agriculture Qu Dongyu won the support of a majority of FAO nation-states, defeating France’s Catherine Geslain-Laneelle 107-71 in an election during the 41st session of the FAO Conference, which took place 22 to 29 June.  Qu becomes the ninth director-general of the Rome, Italy-based organization.

Qu will replace Brazilian Jose Graziano da Silva, who reportedly lobbied Latin American nations for Qu. Qu’s election is a clear indication of China’s power as a purchaser and investor in agriculture and fisheries commodities globally. According to French news reports, China used its role as a key customer of Latin American commodities such as soy, seafood, and meat to deliver votes for Qu.

The new FAO director has become familiar with many of the world’s agriculture and fisheries ministers during his many trips around the world as a Chinese minister. As China’s vice minister for agriculture, Qu represented China in World Trade Organization talks on fishery subsidies (which were held up in part over objections from India and China over the scale and timing of subsidy cuts by developing nations).

Read the full story at Seafood Source