Global Conference on Tenure and User Rights in Fisheries 2018: Achieving Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, Yeosu, Republic of Korea, 10–14 September 2018

Book excerpt: Marine and inland fisheries provide millions of people around the globe with food security and livelihood opportunities. Advancing knowledge on how the world’s marine and inland capture fisheries are accessed, used, and managed using various types of rights-based approaches (RBAs) is a crucial step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and attaining food and nutrition security and livelihood benefits. The Global Conference on Tenure and User Rights in Fisheries 2018 created a neutral platform for a wide variety of participants, including government officials; fishers from industrial, small-scale and indigenous/traditional communities; fisheries-related stakeholders; nongovernment organizations (NGOs); civil society organizations (CSOs); intergovernmental organizations (IGOs); and academics from around the world. Sharing perceptions and experiences, participants exchanged information and concrete examples through case studies on how tenure and RBAs can harmonize the concepts of responsible fisheries, social and economic development as well as ideas and concerns about the fair and equitable application of user rights in capture fisheries. UserRights 2018 was a unique event that brought together both technical expertise and practical case studies, with the objective of using this diverse knowledge to advance the SDGs.