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This timely conference organised by Seas At Risk in Brussels, 5 February 2020, put all the emphasis where it urgently belongs: on to implementation and action! Taking issue with the gulf between talk and action, even between legislation supposed to be enacted, but regularly broken and ignored without consequences for the perpetrators in high office and in implementation agencies alike, the consortium supporting the conference had elaborated a Blue Manifesto of an implementation roadmap between now and 2030 to meet commitments.

It's the fourth time that the BOOT fair in Düsseldorf hosts the "love your ocean" platform of conservation organisations and innovators coordinated by the German Marine Foundation. It's the second time that Mundus maris and Q-quatics participate reaching out to visitors of all ages to discover the sounds fish are making and how to protect the ocean in times of growing demands on its resources.

The University of Kiel organises a lecture series about humans and the sea to increase ocean literacy. It takes place in the auditorium maximum and is open to citizens, including university staff and students. Mundus maris was invited to speak about small-scale fisheries in the session titled 'Fisheries and aquaculture narratives' on 8 January 2020. Dr. Ulrike Kronfeld-Goharani of the Research Group on International Political Sociology (IPS) moderated the evening.

Former Mundus maris treasurer Marianne Braun Richter (left) was among the many volunteers in Madrid rising to the challenge of helping to organise COP25 on short notice from 2 to 13 December 2019 after the Chilean government pulled the plug because of civil unrest in response to antisocial policies.

How does plankton affect the weather? How does the biodiversity of these organisms shape our existence? How do the diminishing numbers of diatoms, a type of micro-algae, and the revival of dinoflagellates or archaic cyanobacteria, threaten our health? Why is the severest impact of ocean plastic pollution not even covered by the media? And why is the Iodysseus programme at the heart of the issues faced by the planet’s global ecosystem?

The mega event at FAO HQ in Rome from 18 to 21 November about fisheries sustainability attracted some 750 registered participants. Structured in fine detail, the eight sessions with up to six keynotes and an equal number of panels of five experts each per day placed a heavy emphasis on statements. That relegated discussions mostly into the few breaks and social hours. A large set of speakers, geographically, institutionally and thematically diverse and with good gender balance, summarised their current understanding of the status and expected futures of fisheries around the globe.

Started in 2010 by Mr. Idowu Hunyinbo, this year's Fish Party event focused on the topic "Impacts of climate change on fisheries and food security". Stella Williams, Vice President of Mundus maris, was the keynote speaker at the celebrations which were held at Lagos State University (LASU) on Saturday, 9 November. Climate change is the big disruptor in fisheries and many other marine and coastal conditions and activities as sea level rise, acidification, lack of oxygen, storm surges and other effects impact on ecosystems and people's lives and habitats.

Following on from earlier exchanges on promoting ocean literacy in conjunction with World Ocean Day, Mundus maris Vice President, Prof. Stella Williams was invited by the Director of Fisheries, Mrs. Kadijatu Jalloh, and Mrs Ranita A.S. Koroma, Environmental Safeguards Specialist of the Freetown Emergency Recovery Project, Ministry of Finance, to meet with interested personalities in order to present key aspects of the work of the organisation.

A broad range of research organisations supported the workshop organised by Denis Bailly and his team of the Ocean University Initiative in Brest. During two days, 5-6 November 2019, participants discussed in small groups what social sciences and humanities research can contribute to address major challenges and opportunities to implement the SDGs of Agenda 2030, with special attention to SDG14, Life under Water.

From 14 to 16 October, the capacity-building workshop for artisanal fishers in Yoff - an activity conducted in the context of the small-scale fisheries academy in Senegal - brought together some thirty professionals. They reflected on their reality, analysed their economic activities and identified concrete measures to improve their livelihoods.

As every year, Mundus maris participated in the Good Food events calendar in Brussels, again as the only voice to bring essential information to fish and seafood consumers about what constitutes legitimate products. That means products providing mandatory information on the species, the regional sourcing, the production method and whether it's fresh or frozen. Fish sellers at the Flagey market on 19 October were among those asking for info.