The Blue Transformation of the region’s aquatic food systems is crucial to ensuring food and nutrition security in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region, FAO Assistant Director-General and NENA Regional Representative Abdulhakim Elwaer said today during a webinar organized by FAO on World Oceans Day.

“The Blue Transformation initiative of FAO recognizes the unique benefits of aquatic foods for food and nutrition security, livelihoods, trade, and as the source of the social values that gel many societies together. Blue Transformation is needed to acknowledge successes while facing head on the sector’s sustainability challenges”, explained Manuel Barange, FAO’s Fisheries Director.

The webinar was organized to shed the light on the vital role aquatic food plays in the region’s future. In this special webinar hosted by FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa (NENA), food system leaders, research experts, and policy specialists convened to share perspectives and develop strategies to drive the sustainable blue transformation of aquatic food systems for healthy oceans and people.