Last month, the IFCAs Technical Advisory Group (TAG) met in-person in London for their quarterly meeting, kindly hosted by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) at their offices.
TAG plays a key role in promoting communication, collaboration and coordination between IFCAs and partner organisations involved in fisheries research and marine science. Meeting regularly throughout the year, the group provides an important forum for sharing knowledge, aligning approaches and strengthening relationships across the network.
The group works to improve the quality and accessibility of fisheries management information by supporting the coordination and dissemination of scientific research, helping to define and apply best practice and encouraging joint working opportunities. TAG also contributes to standardising research and technical approaches, enabling better data sharing and more effective analysis across organisations.
Among the topics discussed were IFCA integration and contribution to delivery of the Fisheries Act and Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs), ongoing management of environmental and fisheries interactions with designated features of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and developing Government frameworks to monitor, predict and respond to adverse coastal health events.
Bringing together representatives from across all IFCAs, government bodies and research organisations, the meeting on the 24th & 25th March provided a valuable opportunity to continue progressing collaborative work at the national level.
Find out more about the IFCAs Technical Advisory Group here.