UNESCO to host conference to share ideas on ocean, marine resources protection

Ahead of World Oceans Day (8 June), UNESCO will host on Thursday, 6 June a conference where scientists, chefs, anglers and fish traders will come together to exchange ideas on how to protect the ocean and marine resources.

The three co-hosts, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, Relais & Châteaux and the NGOEthic Ocean are willing – through science – to raise awareness among consumers and food professionals about the sustainable use of marine resources.

The state of the world's marine resources is alarming: 31% of fish stocks are overexploited, while 60% are exploited at their maximum capacity (FAO). It is therefore urgent to harvest our oceans in a more sustainable way, and far beyond World Oceans Day.

Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission will open the half-day event, a collective effort that shows how sharing experiences can take us farther. In this spirit, the conference supports the upcoming United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) that will be about what we can do together that we cannot do separately, and will be presented by Julian Barbière, Head of Marine Policy at the IOC-UNESCO as part of the opening.

During the event, international scientists Salvatore Aricò (IOC-UNESCO), Philippe Cury (French National Research Institute for Development) and Élodie Fleury (IFREMER) will present a global overview of the ocean and its resources, and they will clarify the role of science. In fact, the scientific community works every day to allow us to better understand and manage this unique, global ecosystem, which is essential to life.

Relais & Châteaux chefs Vicky Lau and Julien Dumas, accompanied by his fish trader Emmanuelle Marie, will share their daily actions aimed at fighting this global scourge for the benefit of our planet. A conversation with the young chefs that have participated to the Olivier Roellinger Contest for the Preservation of Marine Resources – the only European "responsible" contest for young chefs and students from catering schools – will follow. Elisabeth Vallet, Director of the NGO Ethic Ocean will present the linkages between science and professionals from the fisheries industry, the issues of ocean protection and sustainability criteria.

The conference will be closed by Laurent Ballesta, nature photographer, whose work – supported by Blancpain – aims at fostering a better understanding of the deep-sea ecosystems, unattainable for most and largely unknown.

A "Sustainable Ocean" cocktail, prepared by Emmanuelle Riboud and Gaëtan Berthelot (caterer Ressources) with the support of the Sea Cooking Crew and the Maison Duval-Leroy will be offered to participants at the end of the event.