Technology is everywhere and it is part of our everyday lives. For fisheries MCS, there are a range of new and emerging technologies that may complement, enhance and strengthen national and regional MCS approaches. But where to start? There is no doubt that technology is part of the solution but it can be challenging to access, understand and apply new and emerging technologies and ensure that they add value to MCS and compliance approaches. The biennial Seafood and Fisheries Emerging Technology (SAFET) Conference seeks to address these challenges and to bring together technology providers, fishery stakeholders, NGOs, and government to explore how technology may be accessed and applied to address the challenges facing the seafood and fisheries sectors.Ā
The first SAFET Conference was held in 2014 in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Since then, SAFET has grown and strengthened and in 2016, SAFET and the IMCS Network joined forces to hold the SAFET Conference and the Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop (GFETW) back-to-back. At the 7th GFETW, the Network and SAFET announced a joint strategic planning process that will clarify how the two organizations will collaborate into the future. In clarifying and strengthening the relationship with SAFET, the Network hopes to better serve our global fisheries MCS, compliance and enforcement community.Ā
This year, SAFET will be held in Bali, Indonesia and will be hosted by the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), the Center for Coastal and Marine Resources Studies (CCMRS) and ID Food. The team at SAFET are developing a great program around some important broad themes:
- Advances in Enabling Emerging Technologies
- Market Drivers Enabling Emerging Technologies
- Building Resilience in Coastal Fisheries
- Scaling Emerging Technologies in Supply Chain Operations and Enabling Market Access
- Innovations in Bycatch Reduction and Reduced Habitat Impacts
- Innovations in Electronic Monitoring and ReportingĀ
Last week, SAFET announced that it will issue travel grants to support developing state attendance. Those that are interested in accessing a travel grant can apply by providing a one-page letter to info@safet.fish addressing a few criteria including:
- geographic diversity, particularly from developing countries;
- ease of securing a visa for entry into Indonesia;
- the role held within a fisheries or seafood sector and subject matter expertise; and
- the potential for the participation to enrich the conference.
The deadline for applications is 15 September and we encourage those with an interest to apply. We are very excited to be attending SAFET in October and look forward to collaborating with SAFET into the future.
For more information about the SAFET Conference, visit theĀ SAFET website.
You can alsoĀ register for the SAFET Conference and secure a discounted rate until 10 September.