World Fisheries Day 2021: Theme, Date, History & Significance

World Fisheries Day 2021: Every year, November 21 is celebrated as International Fisheries Day to look at the fishing industry’s sustainability factors. It also focuses on the surrounding circles like maintaining the balance in ecosystem and surroundings etc.

World Fisheries Day 2021

Every year November 21 marks a great day for the fisherfolk community. World Fisheries Day marks an observance of the neglected community and highlighting their efforts. The assessment also engages the performance metrics over the last year and how they can cope with emerging trends.

History of World Fisheries Day

A forum for the World Fisheries consortium was established as early as 1997. This forum was famously called WFF (World Fisheries Forum). Under this forum, many participants from all over the world took part actively. As many as 18 countries signed a global consensus document marking standardization of practices.

This further led to sustainable measures for marking higher developmental practices and policy guidelines to make fishing viable as a means of trade and commerce. Some of the common grounds of operations underlining the WFF are creating robust opportunities for the fishing communities, enduring fisheries as a trade, social responsibility and moral grounds of justice, preserving the ancient history of the fishermen and the harvesting communities, consolidation of fishers etc.

The first time World Fisheries Day was celebrated was on November 21, 2015. It was the day when the grand opening of the International Fishermen’s organization was held in New Delhi, India. The memories of WFF in 1997 lay etched in the pages of history because it wrote a new form of working pattern for the fisherfolk community.

They were entitled to more considerable pride in their profession; they earned solidarity from supporting entities on the global platform and finally saw unity in their different departments serving the fisheries.

World Fisheries Day 2021 Theme

• The World Fisheries Day 2021 is awaiting an innovative theme that may hold the right blend of the fishing industry, nature and environment, plus a greater focus on biodiversity.
• The International Fisheries Day 2020 theme focused on ‘Social Responsibility in the fisheries value chain’.
• The year 2019 put an extended focus that stretched to 2022 with the theme ‘2022 ka Hai Sapna, Kisan Ki Aay Ho Dugna – Sankalp Se Siddhi.’
• The year 2018 focused on a theme titled ‘Partnership and innovation for resilient climate fisheries’.

Significance of World Fisheries Day 2021

Under most circumstances, seafood and fishes are the traditional food for many people across the globe. People dwelling in the coastline regions and closer to the sea consume fish as part of their staple food. The day sets future goals and milestones for the trade. It brings together under one roof, not just the fishing department, but many allied units with the fisheries.

The ocean division and subsidiaries of the Environmental Defence Fund took up more significant concerns for their streak of positivity in their operations. The fishing industry is plagued with many issues at hand. Some of the prominent ones are an overgrowth of blue, green algae in seas and oceans, oils spills and pollution in marine bodies, plastic encroachments, and toxic chemicals into seawater. These reasons have made the survival of the fishing industry very difficult.

World Fisheries Day is necessary for trade today as the industry faces a lack of proper guidelines in investment matters. Due to global warming, the temperature of water bodies is undoubtedly going to see a rise. This is undoubtedly going to harm the lives of the fish population. Proper management of related factors can lead to a balance of conditions that will allow the sustainable fishing industry to thrive and survive.

World Fisheries Day 2021 Celebrations

The fisherfolk communities celebrate the day with the hope of a brighter future for the fishing industry. Through well-organized bike rallies and car marches, people bring to light one of the less talked about professions. The fish industry is a vast trade and commerce segment with many underlying departments, and a typical working blend among them is a sure shot necessity.

These smooth functioning processes need training, proper management and expertise to handle different internal systems. Hence core workshops and hands-on training focusing on internal operations mark a significant event for the day. Meetings on public platforms and discussion panels are other tribes of activity lists held on the day.

On a lighter note, the fisherfolk communities have their own unique and distinguished cultural proceedings within their community. This includes dance and song performances plus drama shows. The government organizes an exclusive exhibition for the benefit of many traders in the fishing industry. Music shows and demonstration led events also form essential functions of the day.