The Institute of Fisheries Policy and Development Studies, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS-IFPDS) hosted a World Expert Lecture Series (WELS) on blue economy in seafood industry and the significance of artisanal and small-scale commercial fishers held on March 25-26, 2025 at the UP Visayas Miagao and Iloilo City campuses.
The two-day symposium was graced by Prof. Dr. David C Griffith, a Thomas Harriot Distinguished Professor of Anthropology from the East Carolina University, North Carolina, USA, as guest lecturer.
Griffith’s presentations introduced the audience to food production in the blue economy particularly in the seafood industry as well as the vital role of artisanal and small-scale fishers in the seafood supply chain.
High school, college, and graduate students and faculty members from UPV and other SUCs in the city and province of Iloilo, representatives from local government unit (LGU), and employees of national government agencies (NGA) attended the symposium.
Griffith’s lecture titled “Blue Economics: Seafood Processing, Seasonal Labor, and Livelihood Constellations of Coastal People” underscored the significant contribution of the blue economy in the country’s economic growth and its impact to the ecosystem, natural and human resources, environmental justice, and the socio-economic conditions.
He also presented the plight of seasonal workers in the US and other countries and how the network of economic activities of individuals including reproduction, production, and business could influence one another.
For his second talk, Griffith engaged the participants in his discussion titled “Local and Traditional Ecological Knowledge Environmental Protection and Social Movements Among Small-Scale and Artisanal Fishing Families.” He presented the various problems confronting the sector in the light of environmental changes, regulatory initiatives, and socio-economic developments.
The lecture series was made possible by a grant awarded to Dr. Farisal Ungkakay-Bagsit under the WELS Program of the UP Office of International Linkages.
WELS is a program of the UP System to encourage internationalization by bringing in experts, world leaders, and artists from the academe, government, and industry from the different parts of the world to give special lectures or performances to UP students, faculty, and staff.
