After a series of successful webinars to address key issues throughout the year, the team in Nigeria decided with their long-term partner Fish Party, led by Idowu Hunyinbo, to stage an in person event in collaboration with the leadership of the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) in Lagos State. Captain Prof. Abiodun Sule, Executive Director of NIOMR, contacted by Prof. Stella Williams of Mundus maris, gracefully accepted to host the event in the premises of his institute.

The event, full with presentations and networking among participants, was further enriched by the release by Mundus maris of two explanatory videos intended to inform women and men in small-scale fisheries to know their rights and join in celebrating the 10 years anniversary since the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries were adopted by FAO’s Committee of Fisheries in 2014 after an extensive bottom-up consultation process spanning four continents. After already providing the two videos with Pidgin English sound track for World Ocean Day to ease access to the information, this time, the video release was with Yoruba sound track for those who feel most at ease expressing themselves in this language.

The first video is focused on giving an overview of the SSF Guidelines, which are based on human rights principles. It is released on the Mundus maris YouTube channel together with other one.

Click on the picture to start the video.

The second video is focused on Gender Equity and Equality, features essential for sustainability of all fisheries and the fair sharing of costs and benefits that make arrangements robust and resilient.

As women’s considerable labour and experience in fisheries continues to be often overlooked, unrecognised, underpaid and sometimes altogether unpaid, it is crucial to cut through misconceptions and discrimination. When women and girls are recognised in equal manner, have access to education, social services and have their legal rights ascertained, fishing households and communities are going to be all the more successful for it.

Mundus maris and Fish Party are grateful to NIOMR for hosting the event and thank all participants for their valuable contributions. Cooperation makes us all stronger on the road to a healthy ocean and low impact, responsible fisheries.