For the second year running, Ruth Jolly and Silvia Capezzuoli took part and ran one of the four workshops in the UK-based KMb Forum, an annual event for those with a passion for ensuring that knowledge makes a positive difference to society. This year the theme was ‘Crafting our Knowledge Stories’ taking place in the amazing Seven Stories - the National Children’s centre in Newcastle. Over 100 practitioners, researchers, students, administrators and public representatives engaged in the art and science of sharing knowledge and use came together to learn, share, network and create new stories in a convivial way. The Forum is designed as a space for learning and reflection, providing an opportunity for sharing knowledge, experiences and methods and provides access to some of the most up-to-date thinking and practice in the field.
Our workshop focused on relational knowledge sharing to give a flavour of our take on Knowledge Management, and included an interactive exercise on the importance of knowledge champions.
Our role at IMA has been to work with the University of Strathclyde and FAO’s Legal Office and fisheries specialists to develop a training course to support a step-wise guide for the implementation of international legal and policy instruments related to deep sea fisheries and biodiversity conservation in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ) are those areas of ocean and sea bed for which no one nation has sole responsibility for management. In all, these make up 40 percent of the surface of our planet, comprising 64 percent of the surface of the oceans and nearly 95 percent of its volume.
Urgent action is needed to improve management of many ABNJ fisheries and strengthen protection of related ecosystems. In this way, we can prevent adverse impacts on marine biodiversity, and promote the socio-economic well-being and food security for millions of people directly dependent on those fisheries.
So it is important and interesting work and directly links to our support to sustainable development goals 2 (Zero Hunger) and 14 (Life below Water).
Participants came from countries representing the South Pacific, Indian and South East Atlantic Oceans, namely; Comoros, Cook Islands, Seychelles, Namibia, Thailand and Mauritius. The participants were Government officials in the roles of: fisheries officer, scientific officer, control inspector, policy and planning, enforcement, legal officer.
At the end of the training all mentioned that they will be able to better support the drafting and implementation of laws that apply to the management of deep sea fisheries and the protection of associated ecosystems.
To find out more about our consultancy, please click here and for more information about open courses check our calendar for 2019.