National Symposium for Inshore and Small Scale Fisheries

Our island nation, which boasts some of the richest coastal waters in the world, has always been a nation of fishers. As a society, we continue to benefit from many sustainable and well managed fisheries that operate in our coastal waters, providing a source of livelihood, local economy, vibrant cultural heritage and national food security. Fish is a protein rich food source and, while commercial fisheries are of course vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and warming seas, they are resilient in ways that agriculture is not. It can rain all year long, or not rain at all, and our ability to keep producing food from the sea is not

threatened in the same ways as food production on land and so offers opportunities for building resilience.

Recent research by the Inshore and Small Scale Fisheries (ISSF) consortium has evidenced that the public benefits that flow from sustainable fisheries are clearly felt and valued by people who live, work and visit coastal towns.

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