In Gothenburg, it was a week of fish and fisheries. For three days everything from capture fisheries and control to cooking for kids was covered. It concluded with the Swedish Seafood Award presented, at the Gothenburg Opera, to ex-commissioner Joe Borg and the Namibian Fisheries Minister.
This year, the Swedish Seafood Award – Kungsfenan – is shared between Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries emeritus, and Dr Abraham Iyambo, the Namibian Fisheries Minister. Earlier in the day, Joe Borg spoke about his legacy and the importance of a radical reform of Europe’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Dr Abraham Iyambo described the twenty year journey of Namibia, from apartheid, colonialism and overexploitation to well-managed fisheries run by Namibians providing jobs, food and important export revenues.
On the first day of Fish Week, a Swedish seminar on the upcoming reform of the CFP was held, where participants heard about the vision of the Swedish fishing sector, how marine and fisheries science could be improved and provide better long-term advice, plans for closer regional cooperation between Member States – called BALTFISH – and how the Baltic Sea Strategy will hopefully provide others with a good example of regional cooperation and growth. The likely merger of the Swedish Board of Fisheries, the marine unit at the Environmental Protection Agency and freshwater management bodies into a new authority was also discussed together with a new Government initiative to improve Marine Spatial Planning and related legislation.
On Wednesday, the focus was on a different aspect of fish, with cooking competitions and an afternoon seminar on fish as food, sustainable consumption and health benefits. Up to date knowledge about the potential health benefits of fish was provided, as well persuasive arguments to get people to eat more of the plentiful herring. A Marine Stewardship Council initiative called Fish and kids was also presented to the large, enthusiastic audience.
On Thursday, a more international tone was struck, involving the two prize-winners, and reaching from Swedish Government ambitions in the EU context on fisheries and marine conservation to the truly international work of the FAO.
Niki Sporrong, Director of the Fisheries Secretariat, spoke twice during the week about OCEAN2012 – the alliance formed to transform European fisheries during the ongoing reform.