And here we are, starting the 7th GFETW in Halifax. I’m not much of a guy that enjoys meetings, but this one is very special… I know and like a lot of the people here… not only the ones participating, but the organisers are people I have worked with in the past and are friends (besides colleagues), and I have learned a lot from them.
The MCS family
My friends Mark Young (the iMCS boss) and the two excellent experts working with him, Damian Johnson and Sarah Lenel, are not only at the top of their fields but have done an incredible amount of work organising all this. I have nothing more than personal and professional respect for the 3of them!
This is the 4th GFETW I’m involved with, and I have had the chance to be a panellist, which is not only a great honour, but something I would never have expected, having been a fisherman in the past.
Furthermore. with MIMRA, we are involved in two different panels around Carrier’s risk assessment and transhipments controls, and my friends (and clients) from Starboard.nz will be presenting some of the new tech tools they have developed.
The IMCS Network, in partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, will hold the 7th Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop (GFETW) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from 31 July to 4 August 2023. The IMCS Network will welcome 180 delegates from 52 countries for the only event of its kind in the world.
The GFETW is the international meeting place for those that work at the forefront of fisheries MCS, compliance, and enforcement and those that support this work at the national, regional and international levels. The event offers a forum for sharing information about the challenges facing fisheries and a place to share successful MCS and compliance initiatives and practices.
The theme for the event is Moving from Words to Action ̶ Innovative Collaborative Partnerships to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.
Global efforts to ensure long-term sustainable management of fisheries continue to face multiple complex challenges, including the ongoing threat of IUU fishing. Innovative and collaborative partnerships are an essential part of meeting this continually evolving challenge. The Workshop offers a forum to promote and facilitate these collaborative partnerships.
Global issues require global responses. This can only be achieved by effective communication, collaboration, and information exchange. The IMCS Network acts by supporting this information exchange and collaboration among the global MCS compliance and enforcement community.
“He aha te mea e kaha ai tatou………what makes us strong?
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata……………it is people, it is people, it is people.
Our community represents the greatest resource in combatting IUU fishing and ensuring our marine resources are protected in the years to come. The passion, the professionalism and the commitment of those in our community is critical and without it, the world's oceans would be significantly worse off”.
Mr Gary Orr, Chair of the IMCS Network
The agenda for the Workshop is focused on themes that are relevant to the fisheries MCS, compliance and enforcement community and achieve the training intent of the Workshop. Throughout the event, participants will be introduced to effective compliance strategies, fisheries law enforcement best practices and interactive conversations about the MCS challenges and innovations for fisheries.
Tabletop exercises, panel discussions and breakout sessions have been designed to ensure participants are engaged and gain the opportunity to develop networks with their counterparts across the globe.
For more information about the GFETW visit the Workshop website:
For more information about the IMCS Network, please visit our website: https://imcsnet.org/
Connect with us on LinkedIn: @IMCS Network.
Media: Sarah Lenel, +61 408 860 935, slenel@imcsnet.org
#GFETW #IUUfishing #combatIUUfishing #getGFETWordstoAction #MWAcollaborateIUU
#stopIUUfishingaward