Tuesday, 12 January 2010 11:47 From: fishnewseu
ORGANISERS of the inaugural Seychelles Tuna Conference, taking place in Mahe 4-6 February, have confirmed an impressive line-up of speakers for the event.
They say that government officials, industry leaders and some of the world’s top marine scientists have committed to speak and share ideas in an open forum scheduled for the first week in February.
“The Indian Ocean is an important resource and its future depends upon cooperation among all stakeholders,” said Adolfo Valsecchi, Chief Executive Officer of MWBrands (maker of Petit Navire, Parmentier, John West and Mareblu products). “This is an opportunity to build on the success already achieved in the Seychelles.”
Conference host, the Republic of the Seychelles, is located in one of the largest fishing grounds in the world and is home to the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC.)
“More than 20 percent of the world’s tuna comes from the Indian Ocean making it a region that we all have an intense interest in protecting,” International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) President Susan Jackson said. “This conference will be a huge success if it simply sparks a renewed passion for working together toward a sustainable future.”
The Seychelles 1st Tuna Conference – Taking Stock: Action Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow – will allow participants to evaluate what is currently known about the fisheries, share new scientific data and propose immediate actions and long range strategies to strengthen and protect tuna resources in the Indian Ocean. Attendees will also tour a working fishing vessel and tuna processing plant.
Among the confirmed speakers scheduled to present during the 3 day conference are: Joel Morgan, Minister for Environment, Natural Resources, Transport and Fisheries, Republic of Seychelles; Laurent Dagorn, Senior Scientist, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement; Miguel Jorge, Marine Program Director - WWF International; Rolph Payet, Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Seychelles; Dale Squires, Senior Scientist and Economist, National Marine Fisheries Service; Dr. Michel Goujon, Director of Orthongel. A full list of speakers and the conference agenda can be found here.
The conference will also honour the work of the late Dr. James Joseph, a well-respected fisheries conservation scientist who passed away while organizing the event. Dr. Joseph was, most recently, the Chair of the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee.
The Seychelles 1st Tuna Conference is being hosted by the Government of the Republic of Seychelles with support from MWBrands and the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation.
