Top class seafood award to FAO's Fisheries Department

FAO receives the Swedish Seafood Award for its work with the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

October 26, 2004

FAO received the Swedish Seafood Award for its work with the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries at a ceremony in Gothenburg, October 21 2004.

"We at FAO, and particularly in FAO's Fisheries Department, are deeply grateful for this recognition of the work of the Organization, particularly in relation to the implementation of the Code of Conduct," said Mr Ichiro Nomura, FAO Assistant Director-General, accepting the prize.

Promoting global and regional cooperation
FAO was awarded the prize in the Sustainable Fishing category for its work on the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and Supporting Technical guidelines carried out by the organization's Fisheries Department. The Code's standards promote global and regional cooperation in all sorts of national fishing industries, including small-scale fishing. It also stresses that environmentally sound and sustainable fishing can only be achieved through international effort.

The award jury stressed that FAO's work in securing food production has become increasingly important with the development of the fishing industry and with the overexploitation of fish stocks.

"The Jury wants to recognize the excellent work of FAO's Fisheries Department. There are now generally accepted norms, which were needed for at better global and regional cooperation. Those norms should also be used for the management of all kind of national fisheries, including those on a small scale," the jury said.

Vital source of food
"The Code of Conduct rests on the fundamental premise that fisheries, including aquaculture, provide a vital source of food, employment, recreation, trade and economic wellbeing for women, men and young people of both present and future generations throughout the world, and that these must therefore be conducted in a responsible manner," said Mr Nomura.

"Since its adoption by FAO Member States nearly ten years ago, the Code has served as the primary framework for FAO's fisheries work programme," he said.

The Swedish Seafood Award is organized by the trade organization Svensk Fisk (Swedish Fish), based in Gothenburg and run by the Swedish fishing industry. The organization aims at turning the general public's attention to the urgent need for all countries to increase their cooperation for a better fisheries management.

The prize sum is of 300 000 kronor (US$41 300), which FAO intends to devote to further strengthen its assistance towards developing countries for the promotion of responsible fisheries.