In our 1st Climate Mission we are exploring the big question:

Is a sustainable or even regenerative fishery a reality? Or just a fever dream?

In this episode we sit down with Dr. Hans Polet, director of fisheries at ILVO and a fisheries scientist with over 30 years of experience. This is not a story about easy answers, but rather a closer look at what systemic change can look like when people on the ground start building it themselves.

Supported by the UN Ocean Decade and VLIZ.More information about the VISTools project: https://ilvo.vlaanderen.be/en/dossiers/data-in-fisheries

Watch our explainer video here:

https://youtu.be/VXi_bNJNkEE

We talk about:

• The current state of ocean health
• How Belgium's small fleet and scientists collaborate on sustainable fisheries
• The limitations of traditional fisheries management and the need for data-driven approaches
• The VISTools project: a technological and social innovation.
• Challenges with the outdated data collection methods
• How VISTools can improve science, quotas, and ecosystem understanding
• Ecosystem-based management
• The concept of a digital twin of the ocean
• The importance of trust between science, policy and industry
• Strategies for governance
• Potential for regional and international cooperation beyond the EU, including the North Sea
• The future of fisheries management: combining technology, policy, and social trust to ensure sustainability