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How to plan a longer-term future for sustainable fisheries will be discussed next week at UHI, the prospective University of the Highlands and Islands, by a leading European policy adviser.
As Scottish fishermen warn of hardships ahead, and a dispute is said to be looming over mackerel catches, the ninth annual UHI lecture on Thursday, 16th September, at the Scottish Association for Marine Science UHI in Dunstaffnage, near Oban, promises to be one of the most significant.
Poul Degnbol, a key influencer of the common fisheries policy and now head of the advisory programme at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), will discuss the challenges of combining sustainable European fisheries with healthy marine ecosystems.
Ecologist Mr Degnbol, who recently received the WWF (World Wild Fund for Nature) Baltic Sea Leadership Award 2010 for his EU work on sustainable fisheries, said: “I’ll be looking at the need to consider fisheries in a wider context – as part of marine ecosystems and part of coastal economies and culture. What are the main shortcomings we need to address in the medium term, and how can we plan a longer-term future for sustainable fisheries in healthy marine ecosystems?
“The need for an evidence-based approach will be discussed, as well as the role of science as a facilitator in providing transparency.”
Appointed by the ICES in March this year, Mr Degnbol gives scientific advice to member states, commissions, regional fisheries management organisations and marine environment conventions.
He was formerly the scientific adviser to the EU’s Directorate-General Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, helping to influence policies including the common fisheries policy which limits catches to preserve fishing stocks and protect marine eco-systems.
For more than 25 years, Mr Degnbol has worked in marine management in Europe, Africa and Asia. He was formerly the director of the Institute for Fisheries Management and Coastal Community development, North Sea Centre, and the chair for the ICES advisory committee on fisheries management.
UHI principal James Fraser said: “The annual lecture is the highlight of our events calendar and we are sure our guests will enjoy the occasion at SAMS. Poul Degnbol is one of the most influential experts in his field, covering an issue that it is vitally significant for the marine environment and the livelihood of the fishing industry. We look forward to hearing his address.”
SAMS director Professor Laurence Mee said: “As a founding partner of UHI we are proud to host this year’s lecture by Poul Degnbol who was recently acknowledged for his key role in saving some of Europe’s fish stocks, showing how the wise use of science could help our West Coast fishing industry and maintain its biodiversity.”
Mr Degnbol will follow an illustrious line of previous speakers. They were, in order, filmmaker Lord Puttnam; President Mary McAleese of Ireland; conservationist and Eden Project founder Tim Smit; Canadian Supreme Court Judge, The Right Honourable Madam Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella; Professor Tom Devine, Sir William Fraser chair of Scottish history and palaeography at the University of Edinburgh, Susan Rice, chief executive of Lloyds TSB Scotland; Professor Tony Jones CBE, chancellor of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Professor Brenda Gourley, the then vice-chancellor of The Open University.
Two new honorary fellows, Sandy Cumming CBE, the former chief executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and the illustrious journalist Neal Ascherson, will be appointed at the event. The new UHI student of the year, Chris MacDonald from the Isle of Lewis, will also be presented with his award.
For further information on the event, and to check seat availability, people can contact Paul Ellison at UHI on 01463 279344.
Should fisheries be closed during breeding time to allow stocks to reach more sustainable levels?
