It’s World Oceans Day!

Happy World Oceans Day!

We celebrate World Oceans Day to remind everyone of the major role the oceans have in everyday life. They are the lungs of our planet, providing most of the oxygen we breathe.

On 8 June each year, we celebrate the ocean, its importance in our lives, and how each of us can protect it, no matter where we live. World Oceans Day raises the profile of the ocean, connects people worldwide, and inspires continuing action year-round to protect and restore this amazing resource that we all depend on.

The purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world's oceans. They are a major source of food and medicines and a critical part of the biosphere.In the end, it is a day to celebrate together the beauty, the wealth and the promise of the ocean.

Joins us for an Ocean Day lecture on 'Blue Revolution'

When: Friday, June 7, 7 - 8:30 PM
Where: Room 105, Weldon Law Building, 6061 University Avenue, Halifax
Live-stream available via IOI-Canada Facebook page

The featured speakers will discuss Canada's recent experience on this topic, and the three panelists, including TBTI Director Ratana Chuenpagdee, will respond from the perspective of conservation, biodiversity, the environment and social justice.

Blue Justice for Small-Scale Fisheries

While the last decade has seen a major spotlight being put on small-scale fisheries, the current discourse about Oceans that centers around the ideas of Blue Growth/Blue Economy poses potential risks to the rights of small-scale fisheries to the fishing livelihoods, which include access to fisheries resources, to coastal and ocean space, and to local, national and international markets. As the largest research partnership on small-scale fisheries, TBTI is committed to rectify the inconsistency between the development agenda and Target SDG14b through Blue Justice for Small-Scale Fisheries program. TBTI has developed the online information system (ISSF), conducted in-depth research and built capacity that helps elevate the profile of small-scale fisheries, enhance values, improve viability, reduce vulnerability, address key concerns affecting fisheries sustainability, and argue against marginalization of small-scale fisheries in policies and governance.

Through our 'Blue Justice' campaign, we aim to document threats to social justice and risks associated with the current development agenda on small-scale fisheries. The campaign is urging for the social justice of small-scale fisheries be recognized not only as a basic right, but also an important condition for the realization of the UN Sustainable Goals and implementation of the SSF Guidelines.

TBTI recently submitted its 'Blue Justice for Small-Scale Fisheries' commitment, as a Voluntary Commitment towards fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Our pledge joins more than 1,500 other voluntary commitments to save our oceans, all registered on a UN platform.

2019 brings in focus Gender and the Ocean

We have an opportunity to explore the gender dimension of humankind’s relationship with the ocean. This year, the emphasis is placed on building greater ocean and gender literacy, and discovering possible ways to promote gender equality in ocean-related activities such as marine scientific research, fisheries, labour at sea, migration by sea and human trafficking, as well as policy-making and management. The importance of gender equality — in particular for the effective conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources — is increasingly recognized. However, there is very little data and research on these issues, and a concerted action towards gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is still needed in all ocean-related sectors to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5.

In a recently published volume, Katia Frangoudes and Siri Gerrard* explore the gender perspective in fisheries through examples from the global North and the South. The chapter provides insight into worldwide fishery knowledge about women’s tasks and practices, their roles, their relations to men, their situations in different places or contexts, and some of the changes they have faced. The examples from the chapter give hope that women and men on equal terms can develop a sustainable fishing and fishery politics that lead to good conditions for both women and men. In order to succeed, women must gain more influence and have access to ownership. Applying a gender perspective in fisheries research, making this type of research more transdisciplinary can help us, not only to understand, but also to create means to a more equal, viable, and sustainable world.

The chapter 'Gender Perspective in Fisheries: Examples from the North and the South' is part of the TBTI book 'Transdisciplinarity for Small-Scale Fisheries Governance: Analysis and Practice'.

For more information about the topics on women and gender in fisheries, see the Special Issue '(En)Gendering Change in Small-scale Fisheries and Fishing Communities in a Globalized World', edited by K. Frangoudes and S. Gerard, coordinators of TBTI research cluster on 'Women and Gender'. The second special issue on this topic is in the working and will soon be published.