Despite clear evidence that effective fisheries management has contributed to enhanced fisheries sustainability, several significant challenges persist, such as: gaps and weaknesses in scientific data; gaps in regional coverage; growing impact of climate change; and, limited human and institutional capacity.

Regarding the COFI-FM agenda, ICFA:

• Urges Member States to collaborate to bring 100% of fisheries under effective management whileincentivizing transformation of technologies and innovation of fishing practices by the fishing sectorand partnering with relevant sectors to leverage its robust data and scientific capacity.
• Supports FAO assisting Member States with additional technical assistance, capacity development,and guidance, with a priority on improving data-poor and capacity-limited situations.
• Supports strengthening regional cooperation in the management of multispecies fisheries, especiallythrough Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), including the establishment of anew RFMO in the southwest Atlantic Ocean.
• Encourages Member States to improve their reporting on fishing fleets to FAO’s Global Record,enabling FAO to better support implementation of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
• Supports the development of further policy and technical guidance needed to operationalize theintegration of social dimensions into fisheries management tools including eco-labeling, particularlyin data-poor contexts.
  
  
  

More broadly, ICFA raises two important points:

• Overall, bottom trawling is perceived less as a purely technical fishing method and more as a proxyfor broader tensions between conservation, food production, climate action, and social equity. Publicperception is largely negative and emotive, while expert and industry views tend to be moreconditional and management-focused. This divergence in perceptions continues to drive polariseddebate and policy uncertainty worldwide.
  Therefore, there is a need to undertake an independent global review of the science of bottom trawling to factually inform the debate regarding the fishing method, its active footprint, benthic impact, carbon emissions, changes made since its inception, bycatch, social and economic measures and relevance to food systems and protein provision.
  ICFA calls on Member States to direct FAO to prepare a report on the global review on bottom trawling as a method for protein production
• ICFA notes that more than 80% of RFMO-regulated deep-sea areas are closed to bottomfishing. Further, only 0.7% of global marine capture production is from high seas areas notcovered by RFMO mandates (95% of which is in the Southwest Atlantic). Establishingregional cooperation, reporting and management in these ocean areas should be an utmostpriority.
  
  

“There is strong evidence that where fisheries are effectively managed, stocks are either at or above target levels, or in the process of rebuilding.” says Ivan López Van de Veen, ICFA Board Chair. He continues, “Strengthening fisheries management more broadly is essential to reversing the global trend on the decline in fish stocks and securing the critical role that blue foods play in global food security.”

Visit fishcoalition.org to learn more about sustainable fishing.

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The fishing industry recognizes and supports the work of CITES to ensure that the international trade does not threaten the survival of marine species. ICFA urges CITES Parties to reconsider process and materials that they utilize in determining their position for voting and reaffirm that any decision-making for commercially utilized aquatic species to be included in CITES should be science-based, respecting views presented by the FAO Expert Advisory Panel for such species.

Proposal #29 – Tope Shark and Smooth-hound Sharks

The proposal by Brazil, Ecuador, the European Union, Panama and Senegal would add Galeorhinus galeus, Mustelus mustelus, M. schmitti and all other Mustelus species to Appendix II.

ICFA expresses serious concerns regarding this proposal. By grouping all Mustelus species under one listing, it fails to reflect the biological and fisheries diversity that exists among different Mustelus species across regions. In the Northeast Atlantic, catches concern almost exclusively the starry smooth-hound (Mustelus asterias), a species abundant and sustainably exploited according to the 2025 ICES scientific advice.

By contrast, the common smooth-hound (M. mustelus), which is the main focus of the proposal, is rarely encountered in European fisheries. Listing all Mustelus species in Appendix II would therefore be scientifically unjustified and practically inappropriate, as it does not reflect the reality of stocks exploited in the Northeast Atlantic.

The FAO Expert Panel (2025) concluded that G. galeus and M. schmitti do not meet the criteria for inclusion in Appendix II and that there is insufficient evidence to conclude on M. mustelus.

ICFA supports the Final Assessment by the CITES Secretariat:

“Galeorhinus galeus, Mustelus mustelus and Mustelus schmitti do not meet criteria A in Annex 2a of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17) for their inclusion in Appendix II. Mustelus spp. therefore do not meet criteria A or B in Annex 2b for inclusion in Appendix II. The Secretariat recommends that this proposal be rejected.” (CoP20 Doc. 114.1, pp. 105-109)

Proposal #35 – Japanese Eel, American Eel and all lookalikes:

The proposal by the European Union, Honduras and Panama would add 17 eel species to Appendix II and makes specific reference to the Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) and American eel (Anguilla rostrata).

Japanese Eel

The data proves that the population size of Japanese eel has recovered since 1990 and that Japanese eel is not facing the risk of extinction. Regulating all eel species at genus-level without thorough scientific examination thus is inappropriate.

Japan views this proposal particularly detrimental to eel trade in the Asia-Pacific region, where various Anguilla species are fished and cultivated. This is a one-sided move by the EU that shifts administrative burden of addressing illegal trade of European eel to other regions, disproportionately affecting the Asia-Pacific region, especially to small scale fishers/aquaculture farmers.

Japan is fully committed to the conservation and sustainable use of eels through rigorous enforcement of domestic legislation. Since 2012, Japan has been conducting annual consultations with China, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan to regulate eel fishing through restriction measures.

American Eel

The American eel is a single, panmictic population with one of the widest freshwater distributions in North America. Its life history confers multiple resilience traits. Panmixia produces broad genetic diversity across the range, helping the species resist isolated disease outbreaks. Gender plasticity promotes increased production of female eels as the number of eels in a local area decline. Habitat plasticity allows individual eels to survive in estuarine or marine conditions when freshwater habitat is blocked. Most important, widespread random larval dispersal creates a continuous “rescue effect,” supplying new recruits to help rebuild depleted local populations.

Against this backdrop, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in both 2007 and 2015, concluded that American eel is not threatened or endangered species wide. At the 2019 Fisheries and Oceans Canada Stock Assessment Framework meeting, attendees concluded eels are depleted compared to historic levels but stable over the past two or three decades.

The proponents of a CITES listing rely on the “lookalike” criterion, arguing that traceability would be easier if baby eel of every species were listed. But, as applied to the American eel species, the current CITES proposal also relies on a second criterion – that it “may become threatened in the near future” without listing. Because the second criterion is based on a questionable assumption about American eel’s conservation status, rather than mere lookalike concerns, it requires careful range-wide scientific scrutiny before binding international trade restrictions are imposed.

The possibility that the American eel may be designated as “threatened” or “endangered” in Canada makes the glass eel fishery and its commercial quotas highly unstable, scaring off potential investors in an eel industry. Moreover, markets that demand “sustainable seafood” will not accept products designated as threatened – or that “may become threatened in the near future,” as the CITES proposal asserts.

ICFA believes the most effective and sustainable path to eel conservation should be found not in a blanket listing to Appendices, but in international cooperation, knowledge sharing and improved management practices. In terms of IUU fishing and trade of eels, ICFA supports enhanced range-state coordination to combat trafficking, based on increased law enforcement, stiffer penalties, and a common traceability system based on cutting edge technology. But listing common eel species at the genus level on the basis that they “may become threatened in the near future” would merely burden responsible and sustainable eel production and stimulate the illegal trafficking of eels to countries with low regulatory barriers.

ICFA supports the 2025 FAO Expert Panel report, which concludes that the proposal does not meet the criteria for CITES listing.

Japanese eel and other look alike eels

The Expert Panel assesses Proposal 35 not to meet the CITES listing criteria.

This conclusion is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the best available scientific data and technical information, which indicates that A. japonica and related species exhibit medium inherent productivity, large effective population sizes above the Appendix II extent of decline threshold, and low extinction risk as demonstrated by Population Viability Analysis (PVA). Furthermore, the suggested direct linking of international trade to population declines across the genus is not well supported by the evidence. Existing regional and national management measures across Asia are extensive and demonstrably effective, particularly in eastern Asia where cooperative frameworks and practical species identification methods support sustainable use and trade monitoring.

While an Appendix II listing might offer some regulatory harmonization benefits, the risks of unintended negative consequences – including increased illegal trade, market distortions and the disruption of successful management cooperation – are considerable. Therefore, the Expert Panel expresses moderate to high confidence in the result of their evaluation, emphasizing that targeted conservation actions and strengthened species and region-specific management represent more effective pathways to sustainable conservation outcomes than a premature genus-wide listing.

American eel

The Expert Panel assesses that information in Proposal 35 for American eel (A. rostrata) does not appear to meet the listing criteria for CITES Appendix II.

An evaluation of available scientific data and technical information revealed major data gaps that preclude a conclusion that the regulation of international trade in A. rostrata is required to ensure that fisheries harvest is not reducing the wild population to a level at which its survival might be threatened by continued harvesting or other influences.

Glass eel and elver stages (fished primarily in Nova Scotia, Canada; Maine, the United States of America; and some Caribbean islands, and shipped to stock eastern Asia aquaculture farms) are the most economically valuable fishery product. As a panmictic species (no subpopulations or barriers to gene flow), it is likely that A. rostrata is resilient to exploitation by fisheries occurring in only a small portion of its range. Given the high and density-dependent natural mortality of recruiting glass eels and elvers, it is expected that fishing pressure on these stages has a lower effect on the population than exploitation of later stages. Additionally, regional management frameworks are in place to regulate commercial eel fishing in some of its range. Unregulated and illegal fishing is a concern to A. rostrata managers, but the relative contributions of these actions to overall fishing mortality is unknown.

Abundance of yellow (and silver) stage A. rostrata in North America has experienced declines of over 50 percent but its population continues to be large and to occupy an enormous range between Greenland and northern South America. Because fisheries for these stages occur in only a small part of this range, there are no firm grounds to suggest that commercial fisheries are the primary driver of abundance declines relative to other threats such as habitat loss and environmental changes. The Expert Panel concludes that the risk of extinction posed by international trade is low. The Expert Panel considers that a CITES listing would not have conservation benefits outweighing the risks of unintended negative consequences. There is considerable concern that a listing could result in increased illegal trade and hence reduced resources for population and fishery monitoring, market disruptions, and economic harm to artisanal and small-scale fishers. The Expert Panel recommends the prioritization of alternative conservation and management efforts, such as those proposed in the Draft Resolution on Trade, Conservation and Management of Anguillid Eel Species (CITES, 2025). (FAO NFISR/R1482, 2025. pp. 105-106)

ICFA is disappointed with the Final Assessment by the CITES Secretariat, which does not follow the expert opinion of the FAO regarding the proposed look-alike species listing.

A. japonica and A. rostrata do not meet criterion B in Annex 2a of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17) for inclusion in Appendix II. All non-CITES-listed species of anguillid eels meet criterion A in Annex 2b of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17) for inclusion in Appendix II. (CITES COP20 Doc 114-01, p146.)

Proposal #36 – Sea Cucumbers

The proposal by the European Union would add four sea cucumber species to Appendix II and two lookalike species.

ICFA supports the 2025 FAO Expert Panel report, which concludes that the proposal does not meet the criteria for CITES listing.

The Expert Panel concludes that the best available scientific data and technical information presented in CoP 20 Proposal 36 does not meet the criteria for listing in CITES Appendix II.

The Expert Panel noted Actinopyga spp. have high productivity, and their effective population sizes do not meet Appendix II thresholds for extent of decline (see CITES Conf. 9.24 Rev. CoP13, Annex 5, footnote 1). This determination is based on the absence of clear, empirically supported evidence of widespread population declines across the genus. Furthermore, the Expert Panel had very low confidence in the application of proxy species data, given the documented species-specific life history characteristics, and species targeted fishing pressure.

Listing of Actinopyga spp. in Appendix II could result in substantial issues for fishers and authorities in developing range States where capacity and resources are constrained for managing these extensive, dispersed and mostly small-scale fisheries. Remote communities are often heavily reliant on sea cucumber resources, which offer one of their few opportunities for cash incomes. Finding the appropriate resources to implement management and compliance arrangements remains an outstanding need; absence of these resources will lead to a substantial burden on affected fishers. (FAO NFISR/R1482, 2025. p. 137)

ICFA supports the Final Assessment by the CITES Secretariat:

Actinopyga echinites, A. mauritiana, A. miliaris and A. varians do not meet criterion B in Annex 2a of Resolution Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17) for inclusion in Appendix II. CoP20 Doc. 114.1 – p. 153 A. lecanora and A. palauensis therefore do not meet criterion A in Annex 2b to the same Resolution for inclusion in Appendix II. The Secretariat recommends that this proposal be rejected. (CITES COP20 Doc 114-01 pp. 153-154)

Proposal concerning listing of look-alike species

The United Kingdom has proposed the development of guidance to facilitate the application of the look-alike criterion Annex 2b A of Res. Conf. 9.24 (Rev. CoP17). The goal of the proposal is to “ensure the scope of listings in the future are accurate, appropriate, proportionate, and applied with the best interest of the species proposed under Annex 1 or Annex 2a, and for effective implementation of the Convention.” (CITES COP20 DOC102)

The principles for listing look-alike species are ambiguous and open to broad interpretation because criterion A is not supported by any guidance. Conversely, the criteria for individual species must be read in conjunction with the definitions, explanations and guidelines listed in Annex 5. The absence of equivalent guidance for look-alike selection potentially affects the rigour and transparency of listing decisions based on look-alike concerns.

ICFA shares the concern that increasing use of look-alike listings is creating additional, unnecessary burden on Parties with little to no conservation benefit to the species being resembled. Moreover, the additional burden could very well limit the capacity for more effective species management measures and regimes, which are to take priority. Such listings also may not consider unintended negative consequences to relevant stakeholders. Thus, ICFA urgers Parties to support the proposal by the UK. ICFA members look forward to working with their respective national governments as they participate in the development of such guidance.

Therefore, ICFA calls for CITES Parties to-

1. Reject Proposal 29 to include Galeorhinus galeus and Mustelus spp. in Appendix II and Reaffirm that effective conservation of smooth-hound sharks should rely on science-based, region-specific fisheries management and monitoring, rather than broad genus-level CITES listings.
2. Reject Proposal 35 to include Japanese Eel, American Eel, and look-alike species in Appendix II.
3. Reject Proposal 36 to include four sea cucumber species and two look-alike species in Appendix II.
4. Support the proposal to develop guidance on the application of look-alike species criterion.
5. Reaffirm their support for the CITES-FAO Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2006. In particular, point 6, which states “In order to ensure maximum coordination of conservation measures, the CITES Secretariat will respect, to the greatest extent possible, the results of the FAO scientific and technical review of proposals to amend the Appendices, and technical and legal issues of common interest and the responses from all the relevant bodies associated with management of the species in question.”
6. Support international cooperation and enforcement measures to combat IUU fishing where it exists, but without penalizing sustainable fisheries.

The International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA) is a coalition of the national fish and seafood industry associations from the world’s major fishing nations. The group was formed in 1988 to provide decision makers a unified voice on global fish and seafood issues. ICFA members are committed to the sustainable use of marine resources for their contribution to global food security. ICFA members are also deeply committed to science based and fully participatory fishery conservation and management practices. Currently, we have 24 seafood industry association members from across the world (Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Latin America).

ICFA members participate in various UN meetings in which fisheries issues are discussed and debated ensuring the seafood industry’s voice is heard.

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Next week, during the 30^th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, countries are expected to deliver more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC’s) and adopt indicators under the Global Goal on Adaptation.

“Fisheries produce low carbon proteins and lower the overall carbon intensity of the global food system. But ocean ecosystems and fisheries are impacted by climate change. We need to prioritize adaptation strategies to ensure resilience and contribute to the sector’s mitigation potential. Global food security, nutrition and the socio-economic well-being of billions is on the line,” says ICFA Chair, Ivan Lopez Van der Veen.

In a recently adopted resolution, ICFA calls on Parties to:

• Recognize that the fisheries sector plays a crucial role in combating climate change, as fisheries products and blue foods have among the lowest carbon footprints of all animal proteins. Implementation of NDCs 3.0 should increase the proportion of these products in the global diet to substantially reduce the carbon intensity of the global food system and support achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
• Take into full consideration the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems, fish stocks and economic activities at sea, and encourage all Parties to prioritize adaptation strategies that strengthen the resilience of ocean and fish resources. Better adaptation can contribute to the sector’s mitigation potential;
• Bring together policy makers and the economic sectors, including the fisheries sector, to find pragmatic and implementable solutions to tackle climate change and to adapt to its unavoidable effects.

Read ICFA’s full resolution on climate and fisheries here.  

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The International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA) would like to remind the negotiators of how critical fisheries are to climate mitigation and adaptation. Namely, ICFA points to (1) the fisheries sector’s contribution to mitigating climate change; and (2) the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems and fish stocks. Related to both is the critical role blue foods play in global food security and nutrition.  

Resolution

Whereas the fisheries sector contributes to the fight against climate change as fisheries products/blue foods have one of the lowest carbon footprints amongst animal proteins. Therefore, increasing the share of fisheries products/blue foods in the global diet will contribute significantly to lowering the carbon intensity of the global food system and facilitate achieving several SDGs such as SDG 2 “Zero hunger”, SDG 3 “Good health and well-being”, SDG 12 “Responsible consumption and production”, SDG 13 “Climate action” and SDG 14 “Life below water”;

Whereas climate change impacts marine ecosystems, fish stocks, and the activities at sea and its consequences such as rise of temperature, acidification, eutrophication, sea level rise, migration of species are intensifying;

Whereas these climate impacts directly threaten food security and the socio-economic well-being of many regions of the world and up to a third of the world’s population;

Whereas at COP 30 Parties are expected to deliver more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions and adopt indicators under the Global Goal on Adaptation;

Therefore, ICFA calls on the Parties at COP 30 to:

• Recognize that the fisheries sector plays a crucial role in combating climate change, as fisheries products and blue foods have among the lowest carbon footprints of all animal proteins. Implementation of NDCs 3.0 should aim to increase the proportion of these products in the global diet to substantially reduce the carbon intensity of the global food system, contributing significantly to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);

• Take fully into consideration the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems, fish stocks and economic activities at seas and encourage all parties to prioritize adaptation strategies to ensure the resilience of ocean and fish resources to these changes. Better adaptation can contribute to the sector’s mitigation potential;
• Bring together policy makers and the economic sectors, including the fisheries sector, to find pragmatic and implementable solutions to tackle climate change and to adapt to its unavoidable effects.

The International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA) is a coalition of the national fish and seafood industry associations from the world’s major fishing nations. The group was formed in 1988 to provide decision makers a unified voice on global fish and seafood issues. ICFA members are committed to the sustainable use of marine resources for their contribution to global food security. ICFA members are also deeply committed to science based and fully participatory fishery conservation and management practices. Currently, we have 24 seafood industry association members from across the world (Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Latin America). ICFA members participate in various UN meetings in which fisheries issues are discussed and debated ensuring the seafood industry’s voice is heard.

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“Sustainable fishing must be recognized as part of the solution to global environmental and food challenges,” said Ivan López Van de Veen, ICFA Chair. “With 82% of global wild-capture fish volume already coming from sustainable sources, the fishing sector is not the problem—it’s a partner in progress.” 

Key Messages from ICFA: 

• Commit to 100% Effective Fisheries Management: With the majority of global fisheries already sustainably managed, ICFA urges governments to work toward 100% effective management. That means incentivizing innovation in fishing practices and collaborating with the sector to utilize its extensive data and science. 

• Recognize Seafood’s Role in Global Food Security: Sustainable seafood is essential for the health and well-being of more than 3 billion people. ICFA reminds Member States that sustainable seafood supports not only SDG 14 (Life Below Water) but also contributes directly to SDGs 1, 2, 3, 8, 12, and 13. 

• Include Sustainable Fisheries in Biodiversity and Climate Strategies: All sustainable fishing, regardless of gear type or vessel, plays an essential role in the biodiversity and climate change nexus. Without blue foods, the world’s food system will be more carbon intensive and more destructive of biodiversity. ICFA urges Coastal Member States to support fisheries as critical to their biodiversity and climate change action plans. 

ICFA anticipates targeted campaigns against bottom trawling during UNOC3, and in response, ICFA is reaffirming its position that responsible bottom trawling is both sustainable and essential. 

“Trawling, when conducted responsibly, is indeed sustainable and an efficient method of fishing,” said López. “Without the use of trawl gear and associated sustainable practices, global food security would be in greater peril.” 

Bottom trawling accounts for more than one-quarter of all wild-caught seafood, equivalent to 213 billion meals annually—enough to feed 194 million people three times a day, more than the population of Bangladesh. ICFA calls on governments to recognize responsible bottom trawling as a sustainable practice and to reflect that in national and international policy frameworks. ICFA has released an updated Bottom Trawling Resolution, which can be viewed here.  

Lopez will be attending the conference and participating in two key side events. He will participate in an event titled ‘Sustainable fisheries: The role of trade from ocean to plate.’ Additionally, he will participate in an event called ‘Promoting the Role of Sustainable Food from the Ocean for Poverty Eradication and Food Security.’  

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June 2, 2025, Reston, VA – The International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA) launched its Seafood Nutrition Toolkit, providing resources for its members to communicate the nutritional benefits of seafood around the globe. 

ICFA, a coalition of the national fish and seafood industry associations from the world’s major fishing nations, worked together with its counterpart, the Global Seafood Communicators (GSC), a group dedicated to advancing effective communication within the seafood sector, to construct a resource that assists ICFA and its members in communicating unified messaging on seafood’s health benefits to a wealth of audiences. 

“The toolkit aims to bring the global seafood community together and use unified messaging to combat misinformation and promote seafood’s health benefits” GSC Chair Fiona MacMillan said. “The materials on ICFA’s website are available to those who want to join our efforts to promote the consumption of such a healthy protein.” 

The materials and their messaging was derived from a scientific review, “The Health Benefits of Eating Seafood,” authored by Dr. Wendy Hunt, Murdoch University (Australia), and Professor Alexandra McManus, Curtin University (Australia), and focuses on 21 topic areas that seafood benefits, including cardiovascular health, mental health, maternal health, fertility, cancer prevention, cognitive health and healthy aging. Materials on ICFA’s website, fishcoaltion.org, include the literature review, a one-page summary, animated videos and fact sheets. 

Visit fishcoaltion.org to view ICFA’s Seafood Nutrition Toolkit and join ICFA’s effort to promote consumption of the healthiest animal protein on the planet.  

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ICFA, a coalition of the national fish and seafood industry associations from the world’s major fishing nations, is working together with its counterpart, the Global Seafood Communicators (GSC), a group dedicated to advancing effective communication within the seafood sector, to construct a resource that will assist ICFA and its members in communicating unified messaging on seafood’s health benefits to a wealth of audiences. 

“The toolkit will not only identify existing evidence and known benefits of seafood consumption but will contain messaging to help ICFA reach a common goal: raise public awareness of the benefits of eating seafood using correct, science-based messaging,” GSC Chair Fiona MacMillan, of Seafood New Zealand, said.  

The group plans to introduce the toolkit during their panel at Seafood Expo Global on Tuesday, May 6, from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. 

“This new resource will be a cornerstone of the work ICFA and GSC do and will support us as we continue to move forward and grow,” ICFA Chair Ivan López Van der Veen said. “With resources like the toolkit, we will be able to not only discuss the topics most important to seafood internally but communicate them publicly.” 

Visit fishcoaltion.org to learn more about the Seafood Nutrition Toolkit. 

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Building on ICFA’s well-received panel at Seafood Expo North America in Boston, the lineup will feature ICFA Chair and Vice President of CEPESCA (Spanish Confederation of Fisheries) Ivan López Van der Veen and National Fisheries Institute (U.S.) President and CEO Lisa Wallenda Picard, along with new voices, including Crispian Ashby, General Manager of Reasearch and Development Investment at Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (Australia) and Chair of the Harvest Sector CEO Council John (Jonty) Jankovich-Besan. Chris Chase, Executive Editor at SeafoodSource, will moderate. 

The panel will bring new perspectives on ICFA’s collaboration with governments to safeguard member objectives and ensure the sector has a seat at the table. The group will also discuss their latest project: a collaborative nutrition-based toolkit that contains unified, global messaging on the nutritional benefits of seafood for ICFA and its members. 

“Following our panel in Boston, we wanted to bring our coalition to a global audience,” said ICFA Chair Ivan López Van der Veen. “The more countries and companies that are aware of the work we do, the more voices we have at the table. No matter the topic discussed or the forum that’s hosting, my message to the seafood community always begins and ends with, join us.” 

ICFA represents the global fishing industry, advocating for sustainable fisheries and responsible ocean management. Through ICFA and their membership, which spans over six continents, the fishing industry is increasingly collaborating with governments to safeguard their shared objectives. Sustainably harvested fish and seafood are key players in solutions that promote food security, preserve biodiversity and combat climate change. 

“ICFA is fairly well known for having special consultative status at the UNFAO,” said López Van der Veen. “But there is also a world of issues we want to weigh in on, and hear from the industry on, that begin outside of high-level policy talks. These forums help us better advocate.” 

Join industry leaders to hear their insights on these critical topics and how they are working together to advance the future of seafood.  

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The panel, titled “Collaborating for Solutions”, will feature ICFA Chair and Vice President of CEPESCA (Spanish Confederation of Fisheries) Ivan López Van der Veen, National Fisheries Institute (U.S.) President and CEO Lisa Wallenda Picard and Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (Australia) Research Portfolio Manager Adrianne Laird, with Chris Chase, Executive Editor at SeafoodSource, moderating. 

ICFA represents the global fishing industry, advocating for sustainable fisheries and responsible ocean management. Through ICFA and their membership, which spans over six continents, the fishing industry is increasingly collaborating with governments to safeguard their shared objectives. Sustainably harvested fish and seafood are key players in solutions that promote food security, preserve biodiversity and combat climate change. 

“Global precompetitive collaboration designed to effect fisheries policy is not an aspirational goal, it’s happening today and has more momentum right now than it has in years, maybe decades,” said ICFA Chair Ivan López Van der Veen. “The more countries and companies that are aware of the work, the more voices we have at the table. No matter the topic discussed or the forum that’s hosting, my message to the seafood community always begins and ends with, join us.”  

Join industry leaders to hear their insights on these critical topics and how they are working together to advance the industry’s future.  

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• BBNJ Symposium,18-19 February 2025, Singapore

• ICFA Panel at Seafood Expo North America, 16 March 2025, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST, Boston, Massachusetts

• 10th Our Ocean Conference, 28-30 April 2025, Busan, South Korea

• UN Ocean Conference, 9-13 June 2025, Nice, France

• IUCN World Conservation Congress, 9-15 October 2025, Abu Dhabi, UAE

• CITES COP, 24 November – 5 December 2025, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

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