A webinar organised by Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE), IDDRI, and co-sponsored by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
REPLAY
The mesopelagic, or "twilight zone" - the waters of the open ocean at a depth of approximately 150-1,000 metres - hosts significant fish stocks. These fish are unpalatable
but proposals are emerging to process them into fishmeal and nutritional supplements. As this vast midwater realm plays a role in the carbon cycle and food webs, the development of new fisheries could have global ramifications. Yet our scientific understanding is limited and the existing governance framework may not be ready to effectively manage mesopelagic fisheries.
This webinar introduces the science and ecology of the mesopelagic zone and explores the potential governance challenges for the sustainable development of new fisheries. The event will launch two new reports:
- Fishing in the Twilight Zone: Illuminating governance challenges at the next fisheries frontier (IDDRI)
- Entering the Twilight Zone: The ecological role and importance of mesopelagic fishes (Blue Marine Fondation)
With:
- Heidi Sosik, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (Massachusetts, USA), on exploring the mesopelagic zone
- Callum Roberts, University of Exeter (United-Kingdom), on the ecological role and importance of mesopelagic fishes
- Rachel Tiller, SINTEF Ocean (Trondheim, Norway), on the "Sustainable Management of Mesopelagic Resources" project (SUMMER)
- Kristina Gjerde, IUCN (Switzerland), on existing governance framework and the high seas treaty negotiations
- Glen Wright, IDDRI (Paris, France), on options for strengthening the governance of mesopelagic fisheries
