Side events
Monday, 23 February 2026
“Beneficial Ownership Transparency: A Deep Dive”
The collection of beneficial ownership information in the fisheries sector remains inconsistent. This event aims to shine a light on the significant work that the IUU-AA are already undertaking and encourage discussion on pragmatic pathways towards greater transparency of this information.
Tuesday, 24 February 2026
“Lessons learnt from improving fisheries management: 15 years of application of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) tools in the pre-certification space”
Through the certification and pre-certification work, MSC has contributed to the development of harvest strategies, the expansion of the harvest control rule (HCR) concept, the management strategy evaluation (MSE) approach, the guidance for the management for data-poor fisheries and the development of fisheries management plan.The presentations will focus on key challenges in fisheries management, the MSC tools implemented, and best-practice case studies in the pre-certification arena.
Wednesday, 25 February 2026
“Managing marine and inland small-scale fisheries for sustainability and equitable livelihoods: lessons from the implementation of the SSF Guidelines”
The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines) were adopted in 2014 to provide a framework for governance and management of small-scale fisheries. This side event brings together partners to showcase good practices and approaches that advance SSF Guidelines implementation. This includes National Plans of Action (NPOAs-SSF), Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), co-management and social dimensions of fisheries such as the role of social protection for fisheries management. The event will conclude by highlighting the SSF Summit 2026 and the SSF Global Strategic Framework (SSF-GSF) as key platforms for accelerating progress toward sustainable and equitable small-scale fisheries management.
“Integrating safety considerations into fisheries management”
Fishing is one of the world’s most dangerous occupations, with small-scale fishers particularly at risk. Fisheries management policies, often guided by the desire to conserve resources more than direct concerns about the safety of fishers themselves, can inadvertently compromise safety by restricting their choices. Although not the sole determinant of safety at sea, fisheries management has both direct and indirect impacts on working conditions and safety risks in the sector. The 2014 SSF Guidelines emphasize the need to integrate occupational health and safety into fisheries management. Collaborative efforts by FAO, ILO, and IMO address interlinked issues such as vessel safety, labor conditions, and illegal fishing. At IFISH 6 in January 2024, experts highlighted the direct and indirect impacts of fisheries management on safety, stressing the importance of research to guide policy and adopt best practices. As global fisheries expand to meet food demands, prioritizing safety is essential for sustainable and responsible fisheries, in line with FAO’s Blue Transformation agenda.
Thursday, 26 February 2026
“Global Trawl and Jig Fisheries - Cooperating and sharing information to better manage distant water fisheries outside RFMO jurisdictions”
This side event will present and discuss a new collaborative analysis of global trawl and jig fisheries and recent increases in fleet capacity and provide insights into the development of cooperative approaches to management for fisheries outside the jurisdiction of RFMOs, including the use of automatic identification systems and other tracking data.