Ángel Matamoro, director of the GSSG Forum; Ana Ortiz, delegate of the Xunta de Galicia in Vigo; and Marta Costas, director of the Nueva Pescanova Foundation.
A few days before its inauguration, the II Galician Forum on Global Seafood Sustainability (GSSG) presented its program in Vigo. The event was attended by the regional delegate of the Xunta de Galicia in Vigo, Ana Ortiz; the director of the Fundación Nueva Pescanova, Marta Costas; and the director of the GSSG Forum, Ángel Matamoro.
The GSSG Forum will take place on November 11 and 12 at the Afundación headquarters in Vigo. A total of fourteen international experts will discuss the asymmetry of sustainability. Among them, the Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Namibia, Silvia Makgone; the representative of FAO, Nada Bougouss; the director of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Mª Carmen García; and the Director General of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Technological Innovation of the Department of the Sea, Antonio Basanta. The executive director of the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA), Susan Steele, will moderate one of the debates.
During the presentation of the forum, the territorial delegate Ana Ortiz highlighted the position of Galicia, “which with more than 4,000 fishing vessels and nearly 5,000 aquaculture farms, today leads the European fishing regions, providing employment throughout its value chain to more than 50,000 people”. Ana Ortiz added that “Galicia brings together all the elements -industry, university and technological and research centers- to also lead the dialogue on sustainability”.
The director of the New Pescanova Foundation, Marta Costas, pointed to the purpose of this entity to promote and develop activities that, in relation to fishing, aquaculture and the processing and marketing of seafood products, contribute to sustainable development in all its aspects and to research, innovation and dissemination, also in all its aspects: technical, scientific, nutritional, social or cultural. “Sustainability requires collaboration, transparent dialogue and ambition, conditions that concur in the GSSG Forum, which again brings to Galicia voices and prescribers of relevance,” he said.
The asymmetric vision
The Forum’s director, Ángel Matamoro, explained the theme “An asymmetric vision of sustainability”, which will enable the comparison of diverse realities and visions within the sector: with respect to geography (North-South), the scale of stakeholders (large and small), the regulatory framework, and access to sustainable financing, “four critical dimensions that aim to achieve the common goal of preserving natural resources for current and future generations while generating economic and social value.”
Experts at the forum will offer diverse insights and perspectives on the current situation, priorities, and challenges facing the fishing and aquaculture sector in its search for sustainability. This event marks a significant milestone, earning a place on the international calendar of global debate.
The GSSG Forum is promoted by the Nueva Pescanova Foundation, the Consellería do Mar of Xunta de Galicia, and has the support of the Nueva Pescanova Group and Abanca.