Last week, MeCCAM took part in the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade (IIFET) 2026 Conference, held in the Faroe Islands from 17 to 21 August. The conference brought together researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders from across the world to discuss the latest developments in fisheries and aquaculture economics.
Unn Laksá on decision-making in fisheries
On Monday, during the conference’s Policy and Industry Day, Unn Laksá presented “Converting knowledge into valuable insights to support decision-making in fisheries” to an audience of around 200 people. MeCCAM featured prominently in her talk, and she went on to join the panel discussion that followed, contributing to a wider conversation on how research can better inform decisions across the fisheries sector.
A special session on climate innovation in fisheries
Later in the week, MeCCAM was part of the special session “Innovation to Reduce Climate Change Impacts to and from Fisheries,” chaired by Unn Laksá, which drew around 70 attendees. Drawing on two Horizon Europe projects, MarineGuardian and MeCCAM, the session brought together five presentations covering the economic, technological, and policy dimensions of climate adaptation and mitigation in fisheries:
- Barriers and opportunities for adaptation and mitigation of the fishery sector to climate change, Tiziana Melchiorre
- Shifting Fish, Shifting Rules? Building a Strong Case for a Framework Agreement in a warming Northeast Atlantic, Ingrid Solstad Andreassen
- Are subarctic nations’ fisheries benefiting from climate change?, Hreidar Thor Valtysson
- Innovations in Low-Emission Fishing Gear: Lessons from Horizon Europe Projects MarineGuardian and MeCCAM, Jónas Rúnar Viðarsson
- Fuel consumption in fisheries: Insights from the Faroese fishing fleet, Magni Laksáfoss
Together, the presentations offered a wide-ranging look at how the seafood sector can adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change, from shifting fish stocks and international quota-sharing to low-emission fishing gear and fleet-level fuel efficiency.
Looking ahead
Conversations like these are exactly what MeCCAM aims to support: connecting research, policy, and industry to help build a more climate-resilient and low-carbon fisheries sector across Europe.
More information on the sessions is available on the IIFET 2026 programme: