055 - Global Indigenous Network for Aquaculture (GINA)

055 - Global Indigenous Network for Aquaculture (GINA)

Latest version in this language: Version for electronic vote | Published on: 01 Sep 2020

RECALLS that Resolution 1.018 Aquaculture (Montreal, 1996) promotes aquaculture as a solution to global food security, and supports the integration of traditional forms of aquaculture into local fishing methods of coastal communities;

CONCERNED that some fish-farming industry practices utilise aquaculture methods that compromise ecosystems and sustainable best practices;

RECOGNISING that indigenous communities have practised sustainable aquaculture for generations;

AWARE of the need to involve indigenous knowledge and traditional aquaculture practices in order to reconcile the sustainable management of coastal fishing resources, food safety and access to the market, by enhancing aquaculture management strategies to adapt with traditional knowledge of the ecosystem;

RECOGNISING the need to facilitate dialogue between indigenous peoples and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in order to facilitate and ensure respect for intellectual property rights as well as the sharing of benefits associated with traditional knowledge, including those arising from the use of genetic resources, as framed by the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing;

RECALLING IUCN’s affirmation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP);

ALSO RECALLING that Resolution 6.065 Community Based Natural Resource Management in the State of Hawai‘i (Hawai‘i, 2016) supported indigenous principles to benefit the environment and the partnership between wildlife and communities;

RECALLING that Resolution 5.169 Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (Jeju, 2012) recognised the benefit ecosystem-based fisheries can have for the environment; and

WELCOMING technological advances that increase accessibility to global information about indigenous peoples’ approaches;

The IUCN World Conservation Congress, at its session in Marseille, France:

1. RECOMMENDS that the Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) supports the creation of the Global Indigenous Network for Aquaculture (GINA), a global database of indigenous aquaculture practices, by, among others, initiating the dialogue between indigenous peoples and WIPO;

2. URGES State Members to encourage and support private and public aquaculture facilities that implement best practices;

3. REQUESTS the Secretariat to initiate pathways that support global indigenous efforts and exchanges to develop restorative approaches to aquaculture as a foundation for the development of sustainable food systems and abundance; and

4. ENCOURAGES indigenous peoples’ organisations and partners to:

a. develop best practices and implement sustainable aquaculture; and

b. document and share experiences, including both successes and failures, as well as lessons learned, and build a collection of indigenous aquaculture practices.

Food security has become a global issue. Aquaculture can substantially increase local food supply, but in some areas, aquaculture is practiced in an unsustainable manner causing harm to local ecosystems and fishing communities. In some areas where food security needs are most acute, traditional practices can have a positive impact, while mitigating impacts on the environment. The ancient fishponds of Hawai‘i (Loko i‘a) are unique aquaculture systems that existed throughout Hawai‘i, and continue to feed and connect communities around the islands, providing the main source of protein for a population of a million people.

The basic Loko i‘a method utilizes agricultural run off to feed herbivorous fish in a walled off coastal ecosystem. A wall and gate, create a natural flow of seawater through the pond. The wall blocks off marine predators allowing the herbivorous fish to grow to larger sizes than nature permits. This method guarantees no by-catch of unwanted endangered species found off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands. This understanding of the ecosystem and balance between cultivation and conservation promote a healthier ocean mitigating the damages of industrial fishing.

Indigenous peoples and local communities’ lives are frequently closely tied to the environment and have a vital role of in the conservation of wildlife and biodiversity. The IUCN recently affirmed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and indigenous peoples’ collective rights and responsibilities with respect to their territories, lands, water and resources, including within protected areas, and additional prerogatives and responsibilities relevant to participating fully and effectively in protected area governance. The Hawaiian approach to aquaculture is just one of many indigenous aquaculture practices that commercial aquaculture industry can draw lessons on sustainable practices.
  • Edith Kanakaole Foundation [United States of America]
  • Environmental Law Program at the William S. Richardson School of Law [United States of America]
  • Kamehameha Schools [United States of America]
  • Kua`aina Ulu `Auamo [United States of America]
  • North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance Limited [Australia]

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