18:00

Opening of the ConferenceThe ocean, ocean resources and coastal societies are threatened by pollution, climate change, unsustainable management, militarization and overfishing. The development is mainly driven by large investments and industrial fishing which have serious social, economic and environmental consequences for coastal communities, small fishermen, coastal fishermen, indigenous peoples and marginalized groups in the north and south.

The term „blue economy“ is used to frame a development and exploitation of the sea that is dominated by large capital, large investments, and marine resources as private interests over the fish as belonging to the communities. In response to the „blue economy“ agenda, civil society and social movements are gathering to provide voices and to set an agenda that serves coastal communities, the environment and people’s future.

–          What is the blue economy and what are its driving forces?

–          What are threatening the economies of coastal and small fisher folk, and what are our alternatives?

–          What are the lived experiences of local fishers from north and south?

–          What are the real solutions and strategies for fishers, environment and communities?

–          How can we protect the seas against push for deep-sea mining, oil spills, pollution and dumping?

These and other issues will be at the agenda when we meet

Date: 21- 23 October
Place: Miljøhuset, 5th floor (Conference-room), Mariboes gate 8, 0183 Oslo

Welcome by the Norwegian host

Speech by the Norwegian Foreign Minister (TBC)

Presentation by Transnational Institute (TNI) on the Blue Economy
by Zoe Brent or Mads Barbesgaard

Questions and dialogue with audience

Formation of rapporteur group, media group, and statement group.

By Marthin Hadiwinata, KNTI

KNTI is an Indonesia Traditional Fisherfolks Union (KNTI) who worked with the parallel civil society conference to Our Ocean in Bali in 2018.

–          cases from coastal communities in the Global North and South

The ocean has been central to human life for millennia and this inter-connectedness between human and nature remain central to the lives of millions of peoples across the world. In this session, we will learn how people live in co-existence with nature and discuss the impacts of the ocean economy.

A panel conversation on small-scale fishing: What are the lived experiences? is local fishing culture reflected in the governance of marine resources? And what is the current development in the territorial waters?

Panel dialogue:

–          Lone Nicolaisen (TBC), Norwegian fisher,

–          Marthin Hadiwinata, KNTI, Indonesian Fisher organisation

–          A young person who wants to be a fisher (tbc)

Facilitated by Adam Wolfenden (PANG -Pacific network on Globalisation)

–          From the overall analysis of ocean capitalism to concrete ocean sectors

This block will enable us to connect the broader political and economic contexts of the ocean economy with concrete ocean sectors; we will look at specific sectors through a historical lens (how did the sector evolve and who are/were the key actors) and we will connect each sector to broader political and economic circumstances.

A short intro and set of guiding questions will open up for conversations on concrete ocean sectors.

This conversation will also serve as an example on how to structure the conversations in the group discussions.

Panel conversation (11:00 – 12:00)

–          Adam Wolfenden, PANG

–          Riza Damanik, KNTI

–          Nature and Youth Norway (TBC)

Workshop discussions (12:00- 13:00)

Group 1: Oil & Gas (Friends of the Earth Youth Norway?)

Group 2: Tourism (Facilitator: Cares, Mauritius)

Group 3: Shipping (Facilitator: tbc)

Group 4: Deep sea mining (Facilitator: Fair Oceans

Group 5: Industrial aquaculture (Facilitator: Irmak Ertor, Greece)

Group 6: Military Industrial complex (Facilitator, Edel Beukes (tbc)

Group 7: Mine-dumping (Nature and Youth & Society for Threatened Peoples?)

Facilitated by Transnational Institute

The feedback from group discussions will take form of short statements which will form the base for statements from the meeting/media statements

Summary of the group work
Strategies for Our Ocean opening

Facilitated by media group

Transnational corporations, international conservation organisations, and nation states apply a series of tools and engage in various policy process to advance the blue economy. These, which we will frame as mechanisms, are mainly oriented toward the generation and accumulation of profit and typically (it can be argued with some exemptions) overlook the environmental and social development pillars of the UN Sustainability Agenda.

Panel:

–          Riza Damanik, KNTI on Marine Spatial Planning

–          Adam Wolfenden, PANG, on Free trade Agreements

–          Bente Åsjord, Fagforbundet on free marketization of quotas (tbc)

–          Other panellists (tbc)

The aim of this session focusing on solutions is to share and learn from each other. The session will also contribute to the finalisation of the statements produced as part of the workshop.

Session on solutions: Break-away groups:

– Media statements

– Work on our statement

– Discuss strategies and way forward in discussion groups

We will go into groups; reflect upon the conversations over the last 1.5 day and discuss solutions and strategies.

Feedback with plenary discussion.

An intro with short pitches on solutions. On the basis hereof, participants will choose which group they want to join.

Pitch on:

–          Just transition (e.g. Cares from Mauritius)

–          Food Sovereignty (e.g. fishers from France/Turkey/Indonesia)

–          Strategies to counter the Blue Growth narrative (Fair Oceans and TNI)

–          National strategies for coastal and local fishers (Bente Aasjord, Norwegian Union of Municipal and General employees (tbc).

–          Solutions articulated by participants

Facilitated by the Norwegian trade campaign

Feedback from group work.

Presentation of statement prepared by drafting group

Presentation and discussion of strategies forward

–          Media and information work (text, videos, tweets,)

–          Strategies ahead