Green Economy in a Blue World-Full Report

4.3 Green technology innovations and production systems Although both small-scale fisheries and aquaculture tend to require lower energy inputs than large-scale fisheries and other animal food production systems, new technologies will be required to make more efficient use of natural resources (e.g. fuel, and water, land, energy and feed ingredients in aquaculture). Accordingly, governments must support and invest technical and operational innovation that improves efficiency while lowering operational costs, fuel consumption and biodiversity losses. New technical options need to be supported not only in primary production but throughout the value chain. The rise in fuel prices is already leading to investment anddevelopment of awide variety of alternative fuels and could lead to a substitution of fossil fuels. Their potential as viable substitutes in small-scale fisheries and aquaculture though has not been clearly explored. Alternative non- fuel propulsion systems also gain popularity as energy saving complements and substitutes. Wind energy or a return to manual propulsion with oars or paddles can be a good complement – as in the wind-assisted engine-powered boats that were relatively common during the 1970’s fuel price crisis. However, the resources reachable by such propulsion methods are often limited and exploited already. While a combination of technologies can lower fuel consumption in the global small-scale fishing fleet, the overall impact could be negligible if not accompanied by the restoration of depleted fish stocks in inshore areas. The design and transfer of low impact and fuel efficient (LIFE) fishing gear and techniques (such as lighter material to reduce drag, thinner twines, improving boat shape), can improve the sustainability of SSF. Low impact passive gears should be promoted in small-scale fisheries, as a fuel efficient (although not always less destructive) alternative to active gears. These low impact passive gears include, hook and line, traps-nets and pot-fishing, among others. These are techniques that are already widely used in the small scale fishing sector (Suuronen, et al., 2012). Simple and easy-to-do operational improvements can also be pursued. For fishing, these include improved engine performance technology and maintenance (i.e. by cleaning and maintaining engines properly, by exchangingolder engines etc.), reducing steaming and towing speeds, cleaning hulls regularly, etc). In the post-harvest sector, solar power (e.g. solar driers) can be effective for small-scale processing while improved storage and

Accordingly, it is important to consider multi-agency multi-sectoral coordination between government and stakeholders, to create effective and accepted development initiatives. As mentioned above, the inclusion of fishery and aquaculture governance into a wider national human rights perspective can potentially lead to an improvement of standards of living in fishing and fish farming communities while increasing their ability to manage aquatic resources in the long term (Allison, et al ., 2011). A more specific example of coordinated national strategic planning and policy coherence is the need to include small-scale fisheries and aquaculture in climate change and natural disaster prevention and adaptation plans (FAO, 2011). Effective institutional arrangements are needed at all levels – local, national as well as regional. Regional institutions provide the basis for coordination among countries in relation to the management and conservation of shared and transboundary resources, development of policy advice, dissemination of technology, habitat restoration and protection, and to give impetus to structured collaboration among members. Many fishery resources, including highly valuable tuna resources, are internationally shared stocks, for whose conservation and management the effectiveness of Regional Fisheries Organizations/Arrangements is critical for success. The institutional arrangements needed to establish effective and resilient management regimes for shared fish stocks have been examined by various expert groups and committees during the last decade (FAO, 2002; Munro, 2000; Munro, et al., 2004; Chatham House, 2007; OECD, 2009). For SIDS and other small countries with limited capacity to govern and influence global decisions, effective regional institutions are key actors in the management and policy-making process. Overall, the key for effective regional institutions is that member states agree with them and support them wholeheartedly, through participation as well as funding. At the international level, there is a legislative and policy framework to support national and regional structures and fisheries and aquaculture governance reform in place. The FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and its related international agreements and plans of action inform fisheries and aquaculture policies throughout the world (Hosch, et al., 2011). The challenge is to provide incentives and adequate resources to implement this framework at the local, national and regional level.

in a Blue World

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