On the 11th of July we had the opportunity to participate in the “EU4Ocean Summer School on Ocean Literacy & Collaboration” in Matosinhos, Portugal, organised by CEiiA together with UNESCO.
During one week, 20 masters and PhD students from different nationalities from all over the world could reflect on coastal communities, ocean care and sustainable fisheries. On 11 July, BTWC was fortunate to participate in the programme, presenting the Bermeo Tuna World Capital project and the work we do to promote sustainability in the tuna sector. We would especially highlight the recent organisation of the Bermeo Tuna Forum, where we made public our proposal for an International Declaration for Tuna Sustainability, and the creation of the World Tuna Cities Alliance, a point in which they showed special interest.
The tuna cities participating in this Alliance are cities that depend on the tuna sector for their economy, with a strong cultural and social link to the sector. In Matosinhos they know very well what we are talking about, as it is a coastal town in Portugal with one of the most important unloading ports in the country. Their main fishery is sardines, and they work on the development of the sardine fishing and canning sector with a lot of passion and affection, as we do with tuna.
We hope that this meeting with members of CEiiA and IOC-UNESCO, as well as the Matosinhos City Council, will serve to establish connections and to continue collaborating together on projects related to the care of the oceans and their resources. We would like to thank CEiiA and the members of UNESCO-IOC for their interest and the opportunity to make our project known at the international level. Special thanks to Gualter Crisostomo from CEiiA for his excellent treatment and accompaniment during our stay.
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