World Fisheries Congress Opens in Edinburgh

Organised by The World Council of Fisheries Societies, the congress is being held at Edinburgh International Conference Centre and will address Sustainable Fisheries in a Changing World. The event draws leading international figures influential in driving debate and shaping global policy on fishing.

The Duke of Rothesay will address the conference on sustainability in His Royal Highnesss capacity as the founder of The Princes International Sustainability Unit (ISU). Established in January 2010, the ISU works to build consensus on how to resolve some of the key environmental challenges facing the world, specifically those concerning food security, ecosystem resilience and the depletion of natural capital. The ISU works with governments, the private sector and non-governmental organisations with the aim of building partnerships to help address these challenges.

Professor Felicity Huntingford, World Council of Fisheries Society President and Professor of Functional Ecology at University of Glasgow, said: The 6th World Fisheries Congress is a truly global event that brings together scientists from all discipline areas that cross the freshwater and marine boundaries.

This years Congress will investigate the significant role that science plays as the foundation stone to good management and sustainable fisheries, including the increasing importance of aquaculture in the provision of food and nutrition. The overarching aim of the conference is exchange information and promotes discussion of complex and controversial issues, so that knowledge can be shared with a wider audience, and common solutions identified.

Around 30 per cent of world fish stocks are estimated to be overexploited, depleted or recovering and need to be urgently rebuilt. Modern developments in fisheries management as well as in aquaculture fish are together helping to address this issue, contributing to food security, nutritional well-being, poverty reduction and economic development. Aquaculture continues to be the fastest-growing animal food producing sector and now outpaces population growth.

Draft programmes, detailing the running order for each day of the WFC (7-11 May), are available at: www.6thwfc2012.com/scientific-programme/