Impacts of COVID-19 on fisheries and aquaculture: Effects, good practices and recommendations

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+++ About the webinar +++

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. To contain the spread of the virus, countries adopted measures – such as restrictions on transport, closure of non-essential services like restaurants, hotels, catering – that had an immediate impact on the supply and demand of fish and fish products at global and local levels. This in turn had damaging effects on fishers, fish workers and fish farmers’ livelihoods, as well as on the food security and nutrition of low-income countries and small island developing states that rely heavily on fish for animal protein and essential micronutrients and/or for trade.

The full range of activities that are employed within the fisheries and aquaculture sectors is complex and globally, technologies employed vary from artisanal to large-scale industry. Not all sectors/value chains have been affected in the same way, and some value chains (e.g. frozen, canned/pre-packed fish) seem to have benefited from the crisis as long as they have access to supplies, storage and transport.

The objective of the side event is to:

• inform how COVID-19 and the measures taken to respond to the crisis are impacting and/or transforming fisheries and aquaculture activities;
• highlight some examples of good practices implemented to address the impact of the pandemic on the sector, and
• share some specific recommendations on policies to build a more resilient fisheries and aquaculture industry to build resilience for similar emergencies (e.g. pandemic) in the future.

Examples of challenges being faced and how these are being addressed are provided from speakers representing the following sectors and perspectives;

• Workers Perspective
• Trade Perspective
• Small-scale fishers and farmers, including women, and their communities
• Industrial capture fisheries
• Commercial aquaculture and supply chains

COVER PHOTO CREDIT:
©PARM/Carlos Acosta

—————–

+++ About the webinar+++

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. To contain the spread of the virus, countries adopted measures – such as restrictions on transport, closure of non-essential services like restaurants, hotels, catering – that had an immediate impact on the supply and demand of fish and fish products at global and local levels. This in turn had damaging effects on fishers, fish workers and fish farmers’ livelihoods, as well as on the food security and nutrition of low-income countries and small island developing states that rely heavily on fish for animal protein and essential micronutrients and/or for trade.

The full range of activities that are employed within the fisheries and aquaculture sectors is complex and globally, technologies employed vary from artisanal to large-scale industry. Not all sectors/value chains have been affected in the same way, and some value chains (e.g. frozen, canned/pre-packed fish) seem to have benefited from the crisis as long as they have access to supplies, storage and transport.

The objective of the side event is to:

• inform how COVID-19 and the measures taken to respond to the crisis are impacting and/or transforming fisheries and aquaculture activities;
• highlight some examples of good practices implemented to address the impact of the pandemic on the sector, and
• share some specific recommendations on policies to build a more resilient fisheries and aquaculture industry to build resilience for similar emergencies (e.g. pandemic) in the future.

Examples of challenges being faced and how these are being addressed are provided from speakers representing the following sectors and perspectives;

• Workers Perspective
• Trade Perspective
• Small-scale fishers and farmers, including women, and their communities
• Industrial capture fisheries
• Commercial aquaculture and supply chains

COVER PHOTO CREDIT:
©PARM/Carlos Acosta