Page 3 - FAO Aquaculture News, May 2021 - No. 63

EDITORIAL

©FAO/V. Crespi

©FAO

The times they are a-changin’...

Dear reader, 2021 will be a year of transition, and as we implement
the new structure we hope that Aquaculture in FAO
n 2020, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department will be a stronger, more active and more responsive unit,
Iof FAO underwent a significant re-structuring, better positioned to support aquaculture development
following the abolishment of the Assistant Director- worldwide recognizing its increasingly important role in
General position and its associated office. Fisheries the context of sustainable food systems.
and aquaculture activities now fall under the ‘Fisheries
Division’, but do not get too familiar with this name as Moving on to important events in 2021: Together
it is likely to change very soon! Indeed, Members have with our partner the Network of Aquaculture Centres
requested FAO to reinsert ‘aquaculture’ in the name in Asia-Pacific and our host the Chinese Ministry
of the Division to acknowledge the global and rising of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, we are on track to
importance of the sector. The previous six ‘Branches’ convene the hybrid Global Conference on Aquaculture
have now moved towards a flatter structure with Millennium +20 in September this year. As of May
three new thematic areas – Sustainable Aquaculture, 2021, we have close to 1 600 registered participants,
Sustainable Fisheries, and Sustainable Trade and Value with more than half falling in the ‘youth’ category, and
Chains – with several teams in each thematic area. With about 800 international participants wishing to attend
this new structure, we raise the profile of aquaculture, in person. With participation spanning the globe and
empower more staff, and consolidate in-house knowledge interpretation provided in all six UN languages, we
and expertise under the leadership of a Deputy are confident that the Arabic-, Chinese-, English-,
Director, with three teams falling under the Sustainable French-, Russian-, and Spanish-speaking aquaculture
Aquaculture theme: (i) Global and Regional Processes, enthusiasts and stakeholders as well as all those wishing
(ii) National Planning and Development Support, to make sustainable aquaculture part of the food system
and (iii) Technology and Production (see diagram). In transformation, can look forward to an exciting event.
addition, the new structure includes four cross-cutting Make sure to read the update on page 5 to familiarize
teams: i) Information and knowledge management, ii) yourself with the programme, poster contest and other
Resilience, iii) Gender and iv) Statistics. In many ways, latest news.

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COVER PHOTOS:
Top photo: Marisol Churacutipa, Head of Production at Truchas Arapa, rows among the fish cages in Lake Arapa, Peru. ©FAO/Jordi Vaqué.
ii Bottom photo left: Seamoss (Kappaphycus alvarezii) seen here in St Kitts and Nevis, is an important aquatic product for people across the Caribbean, often
processed into a health food drink. ©FAO/Austin Stankus.
Bottom photo right: Technicians feed orange-spotted grouper or Hamour breeders at a fish farm in the United Arab Emirates. ©FameMedia.