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Faroe Islands Minister of Fisheries Johan Dahl last week hosted the 16th Annual Conference of the North Atlantic Fisheries Ministers in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.
Issues discussed included the impacts of fisheries on marine ecosystems in the high seas and sustainable stock management across the globe.
The conference coincided with World Ocean Day on 8 June, and Assistant Director General for Fisheries and Aquaculture of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Árni M Mathiesen embraced the opportunity to give a presentation prior to the event. He described the role of the FAO in supporting joint efforts across the globe, from those pushing toward sustainable fisheries and aquaculture to global food security and economic development.
Ministers and their representatives agreed that the role and impacts of fisheries are being considered by various international groups working to conserve marine biodiversity and marine environmental protection, and that organisations must continue to coordinate their efforts and priorities internationally.
Focus should be given to all related discussions on the function of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and their role in giving millions of people worldwide healthy food and economic development. The FAO was recognised as the primary global organisation that should lead this task.
It was noted that significant progress had been accomplished across the North Atlantic in recent years through regional fisheries management organisations tackling the effects of fisheries on marine ecosystems in the high seas.
The interested Parties of the Northeast Atlantic vowed to reach an early agreement on a fair and equitable allocation scheme for North-East Atlantic mackerel.
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