Профиль участника
Этот участник внес свой вклад в:
-
-
-
I am writing on behalf of Aquatic Life Institute, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of trillions of aquatic animals involved in aquaculture and marine capture fisheries globally. Our work involves collaborating with seafood certifiers to define high-welfare seafood products, engaging with stakeholders throughout the seafood supply chain, and influencing policy changes at the global level. We would like to express our gratitude for the opportunity to participate in this important consultation on building resilient food systems.
Aquatic systems, particularly those involving aquaculture and fisheries, represent a critical intersection of biodiversity and human livelihood. Resilience in these systems can be viewed through the lens of environmental sustainability, the capacity for ecosystems to recover from shocks such as overfishing or habitat destruction, and the ability of communities to sustain their livelihoods in harmony with marine environments.
Aquatic ecosystems are highly sensitive to climatic shocks, including warming waters and increased acidification, both of which dramatically affect marine biodiversity. Social and political shocks, such as regulatory changes and trade restrictions, can also have significant implications, particularly for communities reliant on fishing. These shocks often exacerbate existing vulnerabilities, such as those caused by non-sustainable fishing practices and inadequate management of marine resources.
In building resilience within aquatic food systems, there is often a trade-off between maximizing short-term economic gains and ensuring long-term sustainability. For instance, intensive aquaculture practices may provide immediate economic benefits but can lead to negative outcomes such as water pollution and fish welfare issues. Balancing these trade-offs requires a shift towards more sustainable and welfare-oriented practices that can support resilience without compromising ecological and social integrity.
Our ongoing engagements have highlighted several innovative practices and policies that can enhance resilience. Our engagements at the Aquatic Life Institute emphasize enhancing aquatic animal welfare to build resilience in aquatic food systems. We advocate for enriched environments that meet species-specific needs, sustainable and optimized feed practices, appropriate stocking densities to reduce stress, rigorous water quality management, and humane slaughter methods. These interventions are crucial for maintaining healthy aquatic populations capable of withstanding environmental shocks, thus supporting sustainable and ethical food production practices across the aquatic food supply chain. Policies supporting these practices are crucial and need broader implementation and recognition in national and international frameworks.
To enhance the resilience of aquatic food systems, Aquatic Life Institute recommends the following:
- Advocate for international policies that effectively manage shared marine resources and integrate high standards of aquatic animal welfare alongside environmental sustainability.
- Encourage the adoption and enforcement of welfare standards that ensure humane practices in aquaculture, such as those addressing enriched environments, appropriate stocking densities, and humane slaughter practices. These standards should be designed to maintain ecosystem health and reduce the impact on marine biodiversity.
- Promote research and implementation of ecosystem-based management practices in fisheries that consider the welfare of all aquatic animals involved, focusing on reducing bycatch and improving the conditions of capture to minimize stress and injury.
- Develop clear guidelines and provide support systems for transitioning traditional and small-scale fishers towards more sustainable practices that incorporate welfare considerations, such as reducing the duration of trawls and using gear that minimizes environmental damage and animal suffering.
- Increase public awareness and consumer demand for high welfare and environmentally sustainable seafood products by highlighting the ethical, environmental, and health benefits of such choices.
We believe these focused recommendations will significantly contribute to the HLPE-FSN's efforts to build more resilient and humane food systems globally. We look forward to the development of the report and are eager to support its recommendations through our network and expertise.
Thank you for considering our contribution.
-
-
-
I am writing on behalf of Aquatic Life Institute, an organization committed to the welfare and conservation of aquatic animals globally. We appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the draft guidance on strengthening science-policy interfaces (SPIs) for agrifood systems, a crucial initiative for advancing sustainable development goals.
One of the greatest challenges in advancing SPIs for agrifood systems, especially concerning aquatic life, is integrating specialized environmental and welfare considerations into broader agrifood policies. These often overlooked aspects are critical for the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems and global biodiversity. The FAO guidance could further help by incorporating specific examples and protocols on how to integrate such niche but critical issues into national policy frameworks. A practical enhancement would be to include a toolkit or checklist that policymakers can use to ensure these considerations are not omitted.
While the draft guidance adeptly covers the governance and co-production of SPIs, it may benefit from a more pronounced focus on the ecological impacts of agrifood systems, particularly in aquatic environments. These systems often experience significant, unique challenges, such as overfishing and habitat destruction, which necessitate tailored policy responses. Furthermore, the current draft could expand its sections on cross-scale interactions to explore more deeply the dynamics between local, national, and international policy frameworks, which are often pivotal in managing aquatic resources sustainably.
Additionally, the guidance would be enriched by referencing more diverse sources, including interdisciplinary studies that explore the intersection of aquatic animal welfare and sustainable fishing practices. Including insights from fields such as marine biology, environmental science, and socio-economic research will provide a holistic view and strengthen the science-policy nexus.
We look forward to seeing these elements reflected in the final version of the guidance, contributing to more effective and inclusive SPIs worldwide. Thank you for considering our input.
-
Г-жа Giulia Malerbi
Aquatic Life Institute (ALI) appreciates the opportunity to provide input on the development of the Agrifood Systems Technologies & Innovations Outlook (ATIO) Knowledge Base (KB). As an organization dedicated to improving aquatic animal welfare and sustainability in food systems, we commend FAO’s Office of Innovation for advancing a participatory, open-access approach to cataloging agrifood technologies and innovations.
We believe the ATIO KB has significant potential to serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, agripreneurs, and stakeholders across the food system. However, to fully realize its impact, we encourage the following considerations to ensure that aquatic food systems and animal welfare are adequately represented within the Knowledge Base.
The Role of Aquatic Animal Welfare in Innovation and Policy Design
The transition toward sustainable agrifood systems must include meaningful consideration of aquatic animal welfare, particularly in fisheries and aquaculture. Given that over 2-3 trillion aquatic animals are caught in the wild or farmed annually, it is imperative that innovations in humane handling, species-specific welfare standards, and low-impact aquaculture systems are included in the ATIO KB.
We encourage the explicit inclusion of policy innovations that improve aquatic animal welfare, such as:
Grassroots and Low-Impact Innovations in Aquatic Food Systems
We strongly support the inclusion of grassroots innovations in the Knowledge Base, particularly those that advance sustainable, humane aquaculture and alternative aquatic proteins. Many small-scale, traditional, and Indigenous aquaculture practices demonstrate high-welfare, low-impact production methods that should be recognized alongside high-tech innovations.
To enhance the value of grassroots records, we recommend:
Traceability and Transparency in Aquatic Supply Chains
The ATIO KB can play a crucial role in advancing traceability and transparency in fisheries and aquaculture supply chains. Subsidies, policy incentives, and technological innovations should be evaluated not only based on productivity and efficiency but also on their ethical and sustainability implications.
We recommend that the Knowledge Base:
Ethical and Inclusive Technology Taxonomies
To ensure equitable and responsible categorization of agrifood innovations, we encourage the ATIO KB to:
Search and AI-Generated Content
We appreciate FAO’s efforts to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enriching and categorizing Knowledge Base records. However, given the complexity of welfare-related innovations, we recommend ensuring that:
The ATIO Knowledge Base represents an important step toward a more inclusive and well-informed agrifood innovation landscape. By integrating species-specific welfare considerations, grassroots solutions, and enhanced traceability mechanisms, FAO can ensure that this platform reflects a truly holistic and ethical vision for agrifood transformation.
We appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this consultation and look forward to continued engagement in shaping a more sustainable and humane future for aquatic food systems.
Sincerely,
Giulia Malerbi
Head of Global Policy
Aquatic Life Institute