Promoting sustainability and innovation in the Georgian marine fishing industry

On 28 April 2023, UNIDO and the Georgian Marine Fishing Cluster, with the financial support of the EU, organized the first national conference on “Sustainability and Innovation in the Marine Fishing Industry”. Cluster members and sector representatives, policy-makers, the donor and other project stakeholders highlighted the importance of UNIDO and EU support and the notable role that the Georgian Marine Fishing Cluster plays in bringing the key stakeholders together to seek solutions to common challenges.

The conference aims to set a precedent in establishing a platform for direct communication and collaboration between producers and the main stakeholders in the fishing industry. The need to initiate the event arose due to the barriers and stumbling blocks that Georgian marine fishing companies have faced during the past few years, hindering the process of renewal and modernization of the fishing fleet. Georgian fishermen see direct engagement between the cluster and national, regulatory counterparts as primal for effective resolution of the issues. Thanks to the conference the participants came to a much-needed mutual consensus about ways to move forward and have elaborated recommendations in the following directions:

1. ensure better fish availability and sustainability
2. decide on a ship quota during fish-catching seasons and make the proposal to the National Environmental Agency (NEA)
3. map the aquaculture development zones in the Georgian Sea
4. complete the aquaculture development law, support with attracting investments to develop fishing in Georgia, and
5. help Georgian fishermen avoid insolvency due to increased interest rates and economic volatility. 

The conference was organized under the project “EU Innovative Action for Private Sector Competitiveness in Georgia”, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by four UN agencies: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Please read the full report here:

For further information contact Mr. Giorgi Todua, g.todua [at] unido.org (g[dot]todua[at]unido[dot]org)