Name Alessandro Lovatelli Age 44 Place of birth Lima, Peru Languages Italian, English, Spanish, Thai, Swahili

Job title
Fishery Resources Officer (Inland Fisheries)

“I work in FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. I deal specifically with marine aquaculture. It’s like saying “fish farming”. Instead of going and catching fish in the wild, you raise them in cages or nets in the sea. And it’s not just fish, its shellfish, like mussels and oysters and even seaweeds.

Catches from capture fisheries are levelling off, so any future increase in supplies will very much depend on marine aquaculture. It’s an important way for countries to produce more food for their people and earn money through exports.

But you have to know what you’re doing with marine aquaculture. If it isn’t done properly you can end up ruining the marine environment and completely destroying the local economy. FAO helps governments develop their aquaculture industry in ways that are safe for the environment and public health.

FAO’s work in fisheries isn’t just important for developing countries. It’s important for everyone. We’re working to make sure the fish you have on your table tonight is safe to eat and that you’ll be able to have fish on your table in the years to come.

Take for example the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. FAO established the Commission in 1949 and acts as its Secretariat.

This Commission provides a place where delegates from fisheries ministries from the Mediterranean and Black Sea countries can discuss all aspects of fishing in the Mediterranean. And the Commission has clout. Some of its decisions become law in all its member countries. For example, the Commission recently decided that it would be illegal to trawl for fish below 1 000 metres. It was an important step to protect fish stocks.

As the Commission’s secretariat, FAO collects the information the delegates need to make its decisions. We organize high-level expert consultations to review and verify the latest fisheries research. We also organize Commission meetings and prepare reports and proposals for adoption by member countries.

I’m the technical secretary for Commission’s Committee on Aquaculture. It’s an important job because aquaculture is becoming more and more important in the Mediterranean. We have to make sure that it is done in an environmentally-friendly way.”