The 17th World Tuna Trade Conference and Exhibition (TUNA 2022) ended on the 13th of October. In his closing remarks, Mr Neil Bohannon, Chair of the Conference, applauded the presence of the world-class speakers and representatives of the industry, who made the event a success. Special thanks were also accorded to the sponsors, media partners and co-organisers,
Shirlene Maria Anthonysamy, Director of INFOFISH, said that a clear message that had surfaced over the three days of the Conference and which also resounded in a closed-door Ministerial Roundtable that was held two days ago, was that the global fisheries industry really needs to step up on communicating better. She said that "we have much to be proud of and I would even say that we are the most sustainable global food industry, being responsive and responsible at the same time. But when we do not communicate our positions as tuna stakeholders, our sustainability initiatives and our successes, we simply open ourselves up to being the target of misinformation and negative publicity. This not only affects us here, but also the small-scale and artisanal fishers whose role in providing the fish is often under-recognised, but whose voices must be heard." She added that a special session on communication might be held in response to this identified gap.
The Director ended by thanking Mr Somchuan Ratanamungklanon, Deputy Permanent Secretary, for officiating the opening on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand; and to the Hon Ministers from Ecuador, Fiji, Kiribati, Maldives and Papua New Guinea for gracing the occasion. She also thanked the Conference Chairs Mr Neil Bohannon (Group Director Seafood at Princes UK) and Mr Chanintr Chalisarapong (President, Thai Tuna Industry Association), co-organisers Thai Tuna Industry Association and the entire team of the Department of Fisheries, Thailand, for their unwavering support throughout the preparation leading up to the Conference. A big thank you went to the Conference collaborators FAO, WCPFC, IATTC, IOTC, ICCAT, WTPO, ANFACO CECOPESCA, Atuna.com, and the media partner Undercurrent News, as well as the sponsors Marine Instruments, MIFCO, Baader, Biolan, Ensis, Olen and FDO.
She expressed her deep appreciation to the speakers who generously shared their knowledge (some virtually), as well as each and every Conference delegate and exhibitors. Everyone was invited to attend the 8th Pacific Tuna Forum scheduled for September 2023. Last but not least, thanks were expressed to the Shangri-La hotel for their excellent support of the event.