FIMEC as a story:
We are living through interesting times. Global environmental change is fundamentally reshaping marine ecosystems, while a crowded, multisectoral ocean brings new pressures. Concurrently, political landscapes are evolving; fisheries management must operate within the context of major international agreements like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the BBNJ Agreement, and emerging concepts of Natural Capital and Biodiversity Net Gain, in addition to longer standing frameworks and treaties such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the Fish Stocks Agreement. Fisheries cannot be managed in isolation from these global realities, nor can they ignore the escalating tradeoffs within and between fisheries themselves, whether that means balancing the harvest of interacting species, resolving conflicts between community-led and industrial fleets, or securing local livelihoods as stock distributions shift. However, we are not starting from scratch. Over the last several decades, the global community has generated a rich history of success stories and practical tools, proving that ecosystem approaches can effectively navigate these complex tradeoffs across varied data constraints and governance systems.The design of the Global Symposium on Fisheries Management in an Ecosystem Context (FIMEC 2027) program reflects this journey, guiding participants day-by-day from the foundational structures of ocean management to actionable, on-the-ground implementation and future vision. The story begins by exploring the crucial enabling conditions for managing fisheries in an ecosystem context by focusing on the governance, policy, and human dimensions required to support holistic ocean management. With these political and social realities established, the conference shifts to the major drivers of change, confronting how to incorporate global environmental and socio-economic shifts, climate change, and unprecedented uncertainty into reliable scientific advice. Grounded in both policy and science, the symposium transitions to the practical, showcasing scalable success stories from a diverse set of geographies and overcoming the operational challenges of implementation. Finally, the program culminates with a visionary synthesis, evaluating where we started and identifying where we want to go. Together, this progression tells a story of adaptation and resilience, grounded in the experience from a diverse set of geographies around the world, ultimately aiming to synthesize decades of experience into core standards that cement ecosystem-oriented approaches as the essential practice for the future of fisheries.
The FIMEC program is designed as a matrix. Each day is anchored by an overarching theme that guides the plenary and keynote discussions, while our four concurrent sessions allow participants to dive into highly focused sub-topics, regional case studies, and specialized methodologies through the lens of that daily theme.
Scientific Program
The FIMEC in-person Symposium will consist of:
Plenary Sessions
MAY 10-13: morning Plenary Sessions to provide overarching keynote presentations to a broad audience, and to introduce topics for the concurrent sessions to be convened on the same day.
Topic Sessions
Poster Session
MAY 11: During the extended afternoon Coffee Break (for 2 hours approximately)
Posters will be on display during MAY 10-13, and poster presenters are expected to be available near their poster to answer questions during the Poster Session (Time TBD)
Posters will be on display during MAY 10-13, and poster presenters are expected to be available near their poster to answer questions during the Poster Session (Time TBD)
ECOP Mentoring Event
MAY (TBD): an ECOP Mentoring Event