Large Ocean Nations and Blue Fashion at COFI 

All photos: FAO / Giuseppe Carotenuto

Blue Fashion stand in the FAO atrium

During the biannual session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), in Rome in July 2018, NORA and the FAO had a stand in the atrium displaying fish leather and seaweed designs from Blue Fashion Challenge participants Shisa Brand, Lizette Steenroos and Lady Lissi, as well as Farose designer Fossa and Brazilian designer Barbara Della Rovere.

The stand attracted the attention of hundreds of visitors and staff, and was honoured by a visit by Peter Thomson, the UN Special Envoy for the Ocean.

Side-event on Blue Growth and SIDS

FAO and NORA also organised a side-event that brought together the FAO’s work on Blue Growth and Small Island Development States (SIDS) and the Faroese-led Nordic presidency project Large Ocean Nations Forum on Blue Growth.

Høgni Hoydal, Minister of Fisheries of the Faroe Islands, chaired the well attended side-event and presented the Faroese initiatives for Blue Growth in Large Ocean Nations. Other presenters were:

• Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director General, Climate and Natural Resources, FAO
• Hans Hoogeveen, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the FAO
• Carlos Evora, National Director of Maritime Economy, Cabo Verde
• Jackie Alder, FishCode Manager, FIDF, FAO

In addition, Jákup Sørensen and Morten Stemre from NORA gave presentations about Blue Fashion together with Brazilian designer Barbara Della Rovere. The three also held a Blue Fashion seminar. Attendees included FAO staffers and representatives from Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation, Fisheries and Aquaculture of Lake Tanganyika Authority, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, Fiji and São Tomé and Príncipe.