Upon invitation of the organising committee at the FAO, Cornelia E Nauen of Mundus maris attended the second SSF Summit taking place in the premises of FAO from 5 to 7 July 2024. The first day was exclusively reserved for members of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty (IPC) Working Group on Fisheries with a thematic focus on customary tenure rights for small-scale and indigenous fisheries. During the weekend, with some 300 participants admitted, the emphasis shifted towards sharing recent experiences and regional group discussions focused on translating these experiences into next steps of implementation to be carried for the ensuing meeting of the Committee of Fisheries (COFI38).
As part of the preparations for the next global small-scale fisheries congress, regional gatherings are convened by the research platform 'Too Big To Ignore' (TBTI) and its partners under the suggestive title 'Bright spots - Hope spots'. The one for Europe gathered a small group of researchers and fishers near Larnaca, Cyprus, from 1 to 3 July 2024. Katia Frangoudes based at IUEM/UBO, Brest, France was the principal host not sparing any effort to make the meeting professionally productive in the lovely atmosphere created by traditional Cypriot hospitality.
The emergency closure of the Baltic cod fishery in 2019 was the sad low point of mismanagement of Baltic fisheries. The Low Impact Fishers Europe (LIFE) apex organisation of small-scale, coastal fishers had invited managers, NGOs and other interested parties to a consultation to explore how to stop the desastrous downward spiral. Since 2019 things have not improved. On the contrary. The collapse of cod in the Western Baltic has also been followed by that of herring and sprat as major food of cod. The flatfishes are still there but can not replace either the ecological function or the economic role of the collapsed species in the ecosystem. Marta Cavallé, Executive Director of LIFE, flanked by Brian O'Riordan, her predecessor, opened the meeting and welcomed all participants.
Cette année encore, la fête de l'environnement à Bruxelles a été l'occasion de relayer le message de la Journée mondiale de l'océan. L’évènement a eu lieu le 2 juin 2024, dans le vaste parc de Tour & Taxis à Bruxelles, dans ce qui était autrefois la plus grande gare de marchandises d’Europe. Les familles et les visiteurs des environs de Schaerbeek et d’ailleurs ont afflué vers les stands d'activités et de nourriture, sans toutefois risquer la cohue. Mundus maris a accueilli les visiteurs tout au long de la journée dans la tente n° 17.
Demonstrations in more than 100 towns and cities in Germany and all over Europe were called by Fridays for Future to mobilise citizens across the region for more decisive climate action and for turning out on 9 June by voting for democratic parties and against the right wing extremists threatening climate action and citizen rights. Mundus maris participated in the march in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Entirely organised by citizen volunteers with the support of businesses or organisations acting on a voluntary basis, the H.O.M.E event at the Tour & Taxis maritime station welcomed families and other visitors the weekend of May 25 and 26, 2024. H.O.M.E. stands for House Of Mother Earth and is an initiative of the non-profit Climattitude. Our friends of COREN and Mundus maris asbl were invited to provide animation for the 'kitchen', one of the many rooms of the home in the spacious and well restored Gare maritime. What better to propose than protecting baby fish to let them grow and reproduce for healthy food for ever!
Le 21 mai 2024, à l'occasion de la Journée de l'UNESCO et de la Journée mondiale de l'océan (8 juin 2024), Mundus maris asbl a présenté le concert « Oceanic Echoes », interprété par le Quatuor à cordes Dusk de renommée internationale. Le concert a eu lieu au ministère flamand des Affaires étrangères, dans le complexe Tour & Taxis à Bruxelles, siège du Comité national pour la Décennie de l'océan pour la Belgique et de la Commission flamande de l'UNESCO. Mundus maris, membre du Comité, y contribue par ses initiatives scientifiques, éducatives et artistiques.
Les conférences destinées aux jeunes chercheurs marins (YOUMARES) de la Société allemande pour la recherche marine (DGM) ont commencé comme un événement autoorganisé pour donner l'occasion aux étudiants et aux jeunes professionnels de partager les résultats de leurs études, de se forger une expérience en présentant leurs travaux dans un environnement et un réseau convivial. Au fil des ans, la participation est devenue de plus en plus internationale et depuis la pandémie, l’évolution générale vers les événements hybrides permettant une participation à distance a ouvert de nouvelles opportunités. La partie sur site de la 14e édition a été organisée à Hambourg, à bord du navire musée et de divertissement Cap San Diego, à proximité immédiate des salles de concert emblématiques de l’Elbphilharmonie.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is an independent judicial body established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It has jurisdiction over any dispute concerning the internpretation or application of the Convention, and over all matters specifically provided for in any other agreement which confers jurisdiction on the Tribunal. Disputes relating to the Convention may concern the delimitation of maritime zones, navigation, conservation and management of marine living resources, protection of the marine environment and marine scientific research.
The international fish market demand and technological advances are among the main drivers that have damaged marine ecosystems. This situation has resulted in the vulnerability of Small-scale fishing (SSF) communities, who depend on these same ecosystems for various functions and services, including cultural services, the supply of fish for income and food, etc. However, fishers are managing to navigate through some of the twists and turns offered by the market and a range of technologies in a perpetual search for ways to ensure a transition to guarantee viability of SSF, including its cultural dimensions. This thematic webinar by Aliou Sall recorded on 26 April 2024 aimed to share insights into the initiatives by small-scale fishers from a socio-anthropological angle drawing on examples from Senegalese fishing communities.
L'assemblée annuelle de l'Union Européenne des Géosciences se tient régulièrement à Vienne en raison des infrastructures offertes par l'Austria Center Vienna capables d'accueillir les nombreux participants, généralement plus de 10 000. L'édition 2024 a eu lieu du 14 au 19 avril 2024. Comme les années précédentes, la contribution de Mundus maris s’est inscrite dans les recherches parrainées par l'Association internationale pour la promotion de la géoéthique (IAPG). La session principale intitulée « Geoethics : l'importance des géosciences pour la société et l'environnement » fut organisée par Silvia Peppoloni avec comme co-organisateurs Svitlana Krakovska, Giuseppe Di Capua, et David Crookall.