MEDFISH4EVER AWARDS CELEBRATE REGIONAL INNOVATION IN FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE

MedFish4Ever Awards celebrate regional innovation in fisheries and aquaculture. The GFCM High-level conference on MedFish4Ever initiatives: Transformative actions to address new challenges offered a fitting occasion to recognise outstanding new work in the Mediterranean in the fields of fishing technology and aquaculture research and in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

An awards ceremony celebrated the innovation and creativity driving the region’s fishing and aquaculture sectors forwards, with initiatives from Croatia, Cyprus, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia and the non-governmental organisation Global Fishing Watch winning the MedFish4Ever awards for innovative practices in fisheries and aquaculture.

Attendees gathered for the ceremony on the first evening of the conference, which joined high-level representatives from 20 Mediterranean fishing nations with fishers, fish farmers, scientists, managers, organisations and other experts in Malta to plan a collective course towards a sustainable future.

Many of the conference discussions focused on how innovation and technology have a critical role to play in increasing efficiency, reducing environmental impacts, boosting the productivity of aquaculture and enabling monitoring and enforcement, and winning solutions in all these areas were showcased at the MedFish4Ever Awards.

The winners will go on to present their projects at two key scientific events: the International Symposium on Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (SOFAS 2023) and the GFCM Forum on Fisheries Science in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (Fish Forum 2024).

“It was a real pleasure to be able to give these innovative ideas the public recognition they deserve,” said GFCM Executive Secretary Miguel Bernal, who opened the ceremony. “Fishers, fish farmers, scientists and companies are key elements to provide the solutions we need for the sector, and the spirit of collaborative innovation that is being celebrated here is what we need to secure a sustainable future for all.”

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