Africa surrounded by vast oceans have a great potential of benefiting from sustainable blue economies. Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture are an important component of such blue economies. To leap from such potentials, a number of enabling policies and conditions need to be secured such as ocean management policies and plans, institutional arrangements, sustainable resource management guidelines, social and environmental safeguarding protocols, illegal-unreported-unregulated (IUU) fishing elimination, blue finance, cross-sectoral collaboration, science and technology, innovation, regional cooperation and international partnership. It is vital to forge regional cooperation as fishery resources migrate across borders and collective and concerted actions by coastal states are essential for promoting sustainable fishery resource management and eliminating IUU fishing. One of the key aspects is to enhance market values of fishery commodities without undermining marine resource sustainability. Fishery and harvesting strategies need to be devised and adapted to the changing resource availability, market demands and conditions. Sustainability of feedstock for aquaculture is another key aspect. Balancing conservation and sustainable use of ocean and marine resources is an increasingly important policy agenda in the efforts to move towards achieving a higher target of marine environment protection. Co-benefits of conservation and sustainable use must be pursued through interdisciplinary policy approaches. The proposed side event highlights the achievements and challenges in pursuing sustainable fisheries and aquaculture in the context of sustainable blue economies in African and articulate priority for regional cooperation and international partnership.
 
It will contribute to the discussions on SDG14 in general in particularly SDG14.4 (Eliminating IUU fishing), SDG14.5 (MPAs), SDG14.6 (Prohibiting IUU fishery subsidies), SDG14.7 (Increasing economic benefits to small island developing states), SDG14.b (providing access for small-scale artisanal fisheries).

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We look forward to seeing you at the event.

Date and time
Thursday, June 30, 2022, 17:30-18:45 (WEST, UTC+1)

Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for blue economies in Africa, Regional cooperation and international partnership