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Shanghai Declaration

The Shanghai Declaration, a key output from the GCA +20, represents a road map to optimize the role that aquaculture can play in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Shanghai Declaration was drafted by a small group of globally recognized aquaculture experts, followed by consultations with a wider group with appropriate technical, regional and gender balance, including members of the International Organizing Committee and International Programme Committee. The draft was opened for comment by all registered participants, with comments incorporated to the extent possible.

The Shanghai Declaration was adopted by the participants of the Conference on Aquaculture Millennium +20 on 24 September 2021.

Download the "Shanghai Declaration: Aquaculture for Food and Sustainable Development":

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Pledges and Statements of Support

Organizations were invited to submit pledges and statements of support to the Shanghai Declaration, presented here below. If your organization would like to make a pledge or statement of support, please write to [email protected].

 

Aquaculture without Frontiers

The Shanghai Declaration will set the path for aquaculture in the next decade, at AwF we are looking forward to partnering with FAO and any stakeholder that is interested in working together for the consolidation, professionalization, and improvement of aquaculture. We are aware that many paradigms would need to be broken for aquaculture to become the main source of protein in this planet, but with solid cooperation, partnerships and a goal in common everything is possible. Let's work together.

Antonio Garza de Yta President

 

African Union-Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources

The Aquaculture Network of Africa Secretariat and the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources promote responsible aquaculture development and strengthen partnerships to generate and share knowledge, information and technology.

Hellen Moepi Fisheries Officer

 

Aquatic Life Institute

We are extremely pleased that the Shanghai Declaration was able to amend its draft by elevating the status of aquatic animal welfare. [...] We look forward to being able to contribute wherever is needed in providing species-specific welfare standards for farmed aquatic species around the world. We hope that with the newly updated text of the Shanghai Declaration, more institutions will start seeing the importance of incorporating aquatic animal welfare for sustainable development.

Christine XuHead of Strategic Initiatives

 

ASEAN Fisheries Education Network

We fully support the Shanghai Declaration in the aspect of promoting appropriate genetic technologies (both traditional and modern), control, prevention and management of transboundary aquatic animal diseases of relevance for aquaculture, feed and feeding protocols, waste managements, stress managements and to improve aquaculture production (especially in breeding), while conducting risk assessment before upscaling and dissemination of these technologies, ensuring that they are well adapted to local conditions, while maintaining a cautious approach to the use of genetically modified organisms in aquaculture.

Truong Quoc Phu Chairman Yeong Yik Sung Secretary 1 Tan Min Pau Secretary 2

 

Asian Fisheries Society

AFS fully supports the Call for Action of the "Shanghai Declaration" on promoting the sustainable development of aquaculture, and looks forward to working with industry players, national, regional, and international organizations in areas of mutual interest to promote the high-quality development of the aquaculture sector.

Alice Joan G. Ferrer President

 

Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation & Thai Union Feed Mill PCL

Positive outcomes of our cooperation have made us hopeful about the great potential of strengthening partnership to generate and share knowledge while facilitating transfer of technology for growth. We are therefore fully adding our pledge and support to Priority 3 in the Shanghai Declaration. The priority emphasizes on the global development cooperation and networking among existing and planned centers of excellence, including through providing international and regional organizations like Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) and relevant networking arrangements as well as developing countries with financial, technological and capacity building assistance. We also strongly support the need for Government to Government (G2G) and Business to Business (B2B) cooperation and greater emphasis to be given to translating the fruits of technological innovations into actionable practices.

Syed Mahmudul Huq Chairman, Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation Bunluesak Sorajjakit Chief Executive Officer, Thai Union Feedmill

 

Benchmark Holdings PLC

At Benchmark Holdings, we recognise the critical importance of aquaculture in safeguarding the world's food supply in a way that contributes to sustainable development. [...] We encourage other aquaculture businesses to join us in this united effort to harmonize the industry with the global sustainable development agenda and ethos. The Shanghai Declaration will catalyse a more conscious, progressive, and cooperative approach towards sustainable aquaculture which will facilitate a more resilient and beneficial aquaculture landscape.

Trond Williksen CEO

 

Centro Internacional de Estudios Estratégicos para la Acuicultura

We welcome the Shanghai Declaration, as it highlights many dimensions in which aquaculture should and can improve, suggesting at least ten strategic priorities, among which governance is included and highlighted.

Carlos Wurmann G International consultant

 

Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences

Over 3,100 scientists and researchers of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences pledge the unwavering support for the common vision of sustainable aquaculture development advocated by the Shanghai Declaration, to explore the harmonious road of balancing aqua-product supply and sustainability, to build a comprehensive technology system that is compatible with the scale of the aquaculture business, to integrate a food value chain that is sustainable, economically, socially and environmentally, and to contribute to the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in aquaculture.

Wang Xiaohu President

 

European Aquaculture Society

As sustainable food systems are high on the global agenda (UN Summit on Sustainable Food Systems) the Shanghai Declaration is timely. We recognise our common task to highlight food from healthy waters and oceans as natural part of future Sustainable food systems. Communicating challenges and opportunities of food from the diverse global aquaculture sector for achieving global sustainable food systems is highly supported.

EAS Board of Directors

 

European Aquaculture and Technology Platform

We confirm our pledge to support where possible the stated aims and objectives of the [Shanghai] Declaration through demonstrating the work of our multi stakeholder platform, particularly in regard to considering the benefits of the multi stakeholder approach from the European perspective and experience and considering the application thereof for the sustainable development of global aquaculture.

David Bassett Secretary General

 

Federation of European Aquaculture Producers

The FEAP warmly welcomes the Shanghai Declaration and expresses its support for it. Our federation fully adheres to the vision for an aquaculture sector that leads the way towards more productive, efficient, resilient, climate-smart and socially responsible food systems, fulfils its potential to meet the increasing demand for safe, healthy and affordable aquatic food and aquatic products, with reduced impacts on the global environment, contributes to human well-being and helps to eradicate poverty, malnutrition and hunger, and matures in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way.

Javier Ojeda General Secretary

 

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

The Shanghai Declaration is a Declaration of the Conference attendees. It has been drafted through a bottom-up approach among many participants. It is your Declaration. FAO welcomes the elements of this Declaration that resonate with the COFI Declaration of Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, which is the agreed text negotiated and unanimously endorsed by FAO members.

Manuel Barange Director Fisheries and Aquaculture Division

 

Gender in Aquaculture in Fisheries Section, Asian Fisheries Society

GAF pledges to seek out partners to work with over the critical people-centred elements of the Shanghai Declaration, and to disseminate the Declaration to our thousands of followers on our social media and through our membership.

Meryl J Williams Chair of the Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section of the Asian Fisheries Society

 

Global Salmon Initiative

On behalf of the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI), it is my honor to share our members’ full support for the Shanghai Declaration. […] GSI supports collaborative efforts to continually improve sustainability performance, transparency and innovation. Several of our focus areas – such as improving feed efficiencies, reducing antibiotic use, lowering carbon emissions and promoting blue foods’ contributions to healthy, sustainable diets and food systems – align closely with the Shanghai Declaration’s priorities.

Sophie Ryan Chief Executive Officer

 

Global Seafood Alliance
The Center for Responsible Seafood

We strongly support the common vision for an aquaculture sector that leads the way towards more productive, efficient, resilient, climate-smart and socially responsible food systems, fulfils its potential to meet the increasing demand for safe, healthy and affordable aquatic food and aquatic products, with reduced impacts on the global environment, contributes to human well-being and helps to eradicate poverty, malnutrition and hunger, and matures in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way. […] Each of the priorities articulated in the [Shanghai] Declaration resonates with aspects of our mission.

Wally Stevens CEO Global Seafood InitiativeGeorge Chamberlain President, Center for Responsible Seafood

 

Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative

GSSI believes that large-scale collaboration across the seafood sector, on local and on global levels, is the key to maximize the contribution of aquaculture to the SDGs. Using our multistakeholder platform, we develop industry and supply chain-driven approaches to increase the transparency of responsible aquaculture and bolster the credibility of the sector. […] GSSI expresses its support to the Shanghai Declaration and will proactively contribute to the Shanghai Declaration commitments as follows: promote responsible aquaculture development, promote good aquaculture governance, strengthen partnerships to generate and share knowledge, information, and technology, invest in aquaculture innovation, research and development, and create open and transparent communication about sustainable aquaculture.

Herman Wisse Executive Director

 

Global Seaweed STAR Initiative

GSSTAR recognises that aquaculture has a pivotal role in global food security and in addressing the climate crisis. It is relevant to almost all the SDGs and it can make a significant contribution to Agenda 2030. This can only be realised, however, if all stakeholders act and work together towards a common vision. We are committed to playing a positive role in supporting the industry to achieve the strategic priorities provided in the [Shanghai] Declaration. […] The Shanghai Declaration is an incredibly important international accord that builds on and significantly expands the scope of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and other earlier international declarations.

Global Seaweed STAR initiative

 

HAKI (Hungary)

The Research Center for Fisheries and Aquaculture, as a research institute that has been involved in aquaculture development also in global scale with the assistance of FAO for decades, fully supports the call of the Shanghai Declaration to make use of opportunities for sustainable aquaculture to fulfil its potential, consider aquaculture as a national, regional and global priority, and develop strategic plans that encompass all the subsets of the industry.

Béla Halasi-Kovács Director

 

Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (India)

Specific to fisheries and aquaculture, the Shanghai Declaration will be an important milestone to address the needs of development of the sector and provide food security to the global population. The research programs implemented by [ICAR] commit to the Shanghai Declaration which is spearheading the global commitments in the challenging scenario of climate change, conservation of genetic diversity and One Health etc.

Kuldeep K Lal Director

 

International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation

IFFO The Marine Ingredients Organisation praises the participants of the Global Conference on Aquaculture Millennium +20 and their Call for Action adopted by the Shanghai Declaration: “Aquaculture for food and sustainable development”.

Petter Martin Johannessen Director General

 

International Salmon Farmers Association

We are proud to declare that we fully support the Shanghai Declaration: Aquaculture for food and sustainable development. ISFA will do its best to secure that the goals in the Declaration are met.

Trond Davidsen President

 

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China

China actively supports the release and implementation of the Shanghai Declaration, and will promote and advocate for its implementation.

Liu Xinzhong Head, Bureau of Fisheries

 

Mississippi State University

The mission of the MSU GCAFS aligns with the Shanghai Declaration, and MSU GCAFS is already working (through the Fish Innovation Lab and collaborations with FAO) on specific topics that can help advance strategic priorities.

David R. Shaw Provost and Executive Vice President

 

National Institute of Fisheries Science (Republic of Korea)

NIFS, therefore, fully supports the development of and cooperation in the aquaculture industry by opening a new era of the industry with advanced technologies for promoting sustainable aquaculture around the world.

Jun Je-cheon Director-General

 

Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific
Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific

The Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific wishes to express our endorsement of the Shanghai Declaration. NACA believes that actions in the declaration’s strategic priority areas can deliver significant, concrete benefits and progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Yuan Derun Senior Program Officer NACA

Cherdsak Virapat Director General CIRDAP

 

Network of Aquaculture Centres in Central and Eastern Europe

The commitments and strategic priorities identified by the Shanghai Declaration provide an excellent roadmap for both governments and the industry to the achievement of these goals and making further progress towards a number of sustainable development goals, in particular, SDG 2, 8, 12 and 13.

Laszlo Varadi President

 

Organización del Sector Pesquero y Acuícola del Istmo Centroamericano

We urge governments and all actors in the supply chain value of aquaculture to drive strategies and actions expressed in the Shanghai Declaration for the strengthening aquaculture so that it continues its growth in a responsible and sustainable way for an improvement of the quality of life of the populations dependent on this activity, as well as the general population.

Dirección Regional Especializada de OSPESCA

 

Paul Ricard Oceanographic Institute

Thanks to the Shanghai Declaration, aquaculture can become a regenerative and restorative practice by fighting climate change, protecting marine ecosystems and providing decent jobs that bring food security for all. In the imminent perspective where we will soon be 9 billion human beings on Earth, we must act now, because aquaculture will be the accelerator of upheavals in our societies or the basis of our resilience.

Patricia Ricard President

 

Regional Commission for Fisheries

RECOFI fully support the Shanghai Declaration and believe that it would be able to assist the global efforts to bring aquaculture to the next era. The commission and the member countries are in line and will be committed to work with the FAO and the other concerned UN agencies to collaborate to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals comply with the principles of this Declaration.

Ahmed Al-Mazrouai Secretary

 

Shanghai Ocean University (China)

Shanghai Ocean university stands ready to establish the Center for Ecological Aquaculture as an active response to the Shanghai Declaration.

Wan Rong President

 

Asian Fisheries Development Center

Recognizing, “Shanghai Declaration: Aquaculture for food and sustainable development,” we found that various aspects are in line with the issues and actions in the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Resolution and Plan of Action. Therefore, on behalf of SEAFDEC, I have an honor to convey our pledge of support to this Declaration.

Malinee Smithrithee Secretary-General

 

Stirling University

We fully support the overarching commitments and the ten strategic priorities of the Shanghai Declaration. […] The institute of Aquaculture staff, students, alumni and partners will strive to build a collaborative culture to support a strong aquaculture community to make positive impacts on realizing the full potential of The Shanghai Declaration to reach the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Selina Stead Head of Institute of Aquaculture

 

Pacific Community

We support the overarching commitments included in the call for action to help achieve the vision of the Shanghai Declaration. We uphold the principle of good aquaculture governance that involves broad stakeholder engagements from across various disciplines and sectors and support strengthening of capacities of public institutions of our members in the area of policies and legal frameworks.

Robert Jimmy Head of Aquaculture Programme

 

Tongwei Co. Ltd.

We are pleased to see the Shanghai Declaration calls upon participants for sustainable development of aquaculture, which we find great alignment with the vision of Tongwei “For A Better Life”. Tongwei fully supports the Call for Action of the "Shanghai Declaration" on promoting the sustainable development of aquaculture, and looks forward to working with industry players, national, regional, and international organizations in areas of mutual interest to promote the high-quality development of the aquaculture sector.

Liu Hanyuan Chairman of Board of Directors

 

United Nations Global Compact

We fully support the declaration of Shanghai and we call everyone in this industry and beyond to develop a regenerative and potentially restorative aquaculture including seaweed cultivation. […] If we get altogether, ocean farming has the potential to support addressing some of the most important challenges of our generation and provide new products for food, medicines, animal feed, packaging, etc. It can make our aquaculture more reliable and sustainable; we could be remembered as the first generation of this planet to feed the entire world population with safe and sustainable food while cleaning ocean, mitigating climate change and alleviating poverty across the globe.

Vincent Doumeizel Senior Advisor (Ocean & Food)

 

Malaysia Terenggnu University

Universiti Malaysia Terenggnu’s aspirations are indeed very much aligned with the key elements of the Shanghai Declaration in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mazlan ABD. Ghaffar Vice Chancellor Najiah Musa Focal Point

 

World Aquaculture Society

The World Aquaculture Society supports the vision of the participants of the Global Conference on Aquaculture Millennium +20 for an aquaculture sector that leads the way toward more productive, efficient, resilient, climate-smart, and socially responsible food systems. […] Our Society is committed to disseminating knowledge and supporting scientifically sound aquaculture to promote the Blue Growth agenda and build a solid future for aquaculture. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with FAO and its members and spreading the contents of the Shanghai Declaration through our magazine, journal, and our global and regional conferences.

Antonio Garza de Yta President

 

WorldFish

WorldFish fully supports the Shanghai Declaration and the principles and strategic pathways outlined to maximize the contribution of sustainable aquaculture to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. […] We fully back the ten strategic priorities to accelerate sustainable aquaculture development and contribute to the SDGs and Call for Action as detailed in Annex 1 of the Declaration. We will actively support the implementation of this through three critical research and innovation priority areas and pathways that are described in the 2030 WorldFish Research and Innovation Strategy.

Gareth Johnstone Director General

 

Young Professionals for Agricultural Development

YPARD calls all global leaders to boost the development of small-scale fish farming value chain with greater support to youth’s businesses and innovation, reduction of aquaculture water footprint and promotion of more integrated systems optimizing land, water and manpower resources.

Lako Mbouendeu Stephane Steering Committee Member

 

Zhejiang University (China)

Zhejiang University fully supports the Shanghai Declaration in particular the strategic priority B “Integrate aquaculture with the natural environment, with agriculture, capture fisheries, forestry, tourism, renewable energy and other sectors, and within agri-food systems for increased resilience”, concerning the integration of fish (or other aquatic animals like shrimp and crabs) culture with rice culture (Rice-fish co-culture), the development of novel co-culture technology to support rice-fish coculture system and the development of diverse types of rice-fish co-cultures for different rice planting regions.

Xin Chen Professor