Marine megafauna—including sharks, rays, sea turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals—face major pressure from incidental capture (bycatch) in both large-scale and small-scale fisheries. The IFBMM will be the biggest international conference ever held to advance solutions to marine megafauna bycatch, bringing together a diversity of stakeholders from both sea and onshore, and empowering them to share knowledge and expertise and to work together for a future where thriving fisheries fully coexist with marine megafauna.
Understanding bycatch drivers, patterns and impacts
Environmental, operational, and socio-economic drivers of bycatch alongside ecological and population-level impacts
Monitoring, data collection and emerging technologies
Standardization of methods, observer programs, self-reporting and digital/automated tools (electronic monitoring and artificial intelligence, sensors, and eDNA)
Mitigation – gear innovation and best practices
Mitigation tools specific to different marine megafauna and general to various species, bycatch release devices, handling protocols and operational methods
Avoidance – spatial and fishery management approaches
Marine spatial planning, time-area closures, gear regulation and adaptive management in reducing bycatch
Co-developing solutions with industry, fishers and local communities
Fisher engagement, traditional and local ecological knowledge, co-development of mitigation measures, livelihoods, equity, behavioral change, incentive structures and certification schemes, and socio-economics of fishing activity
Policy, governance and international frameworks
National and regional policies, RFMOs, CITES, FAO guidelines, and CMS initiatives and pathways toward harmonized and enforceable governance
From science to practice — case studies, communication, and capacity building
Regional and cross-sectoral case studies, scaling, lessons on governance, Science communication, training, and public engagement to enhance awareness and action
Anyone who has experience, expertise, and insights into marine megafauna bycatch – from fishers, to researchers, to policymakers, to innovators, to the seafood value chain, to environmental groups, to donors, and beyond.
Cidade da Cultura,
Santiago de Compostela,
Spain
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