IYAFA 2022

International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture

By Joe Zelasney (joseph.zelasney@fao.org), Fishery Officer, Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2022 the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022), highlighting that fisheries and aquaculture is about people as much as it is about fish. The objective of IYAFA 2022 is to focus world attention on the role that small-scale fishers, fish farmers and fish workers play, thereby increasing global understanding and action to support them. To make the most of this opportunity we must work collectively to ensure IYAFA 2022 a memorable year. A dedicated website in six languages was designed to facilitate collective action. Please visit the site and help bring attention to the important role that small-scale fishers, fish farmers and fish workers play in global food systems!

Here are a few things to look for on the website and ways that you can support IYAFA 2022:

List your events on the official IYAFA events page

Activities and events are being organized around the world to celebrate IYAFA2022. Feature your activity or event on the IYAFA 2022 webpage by registering at the link below. https://www.fao.org/artisanal-fisheries-aquaculture-2022/events/en/

Contribute a human-interest story

Human-interest stories will be featured as part of IYAFA 2022 to share with the world special people, groups or organizations that have made a meaningful contribution to small-scale fisheries and aquaculture. To contribute please use the template provided here and send it to the IYAFA Secretariat (IYAFA@fao.org) no later than 31 January 2022.

Utilize official IYAFA campaign materials

Communication material is available in the six official languages of FAO to make it easy for all partners to join the IYAFA global campaign. This includes key messages, the visual identity, an IYAFA 2022 brochure and website, a promotional video, social media cards, hashtags, videos and templates for making beautiful posters, banners and outdoor promotions and much more.

Communication products are all available in the IYAFA 2022 Asset Bank: https://digital-assets.fao.org/home/action/browseItems?categoryId=135848&;categoryTypeId=2

#IYAFA2022 on social media

Inform, educate and engage audiences with real facts. Join the #IYAFA2022 campaign by sharing through digital channels and visit the Trello Board for list of official hashtags and other promotional materials

Use the IYAFA2022 visual identity

To increase the impact of IYAFA 2022 celebrations, we ask you and all IYAFA partners to use the visual identity as much as possible in all your activities and events, also on digital platforms!

Do you need the visual identity in other languages? We can also work with you to create different language versions of the visual identity. Send requests to IYAFA@fao.org. For more information, visit: https://www.fao.org/artisanal-fisheries-aquaculture-2022/home/en/