3,396 Participants from 42 Countries
First Full Realization of the "Glocal Open Fisheries Village Platform"
The Korea Maritime Institute (KMI, President Cho Jeonghee), in collaboration with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister Jeon Jae-su), successfully concluded all official programs of the '2025 World Fisheries Village Conference (ICFC)' held in Songdo, Incheon, with 3,396 participants from 42 countries.
The Korea Maritime Institute is jointly hosting the '2025 World Fisheries Village Conference' with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (Minister Jeon Jae-su). Photo by KMI
This conference solidified its role as a "glocal open fisheries village platform" that connects the global and the local, establishing itself as a venue for cooperation among fisheries villages worldwide.
Marking its third edition this year, the World Fisheries Village Conference was held under the theme "One Ocean, One Fisheries Village: The Future of Fisheries Villages Connecting Regions, People, and the Environment."
A variety of programs were organized, including the opening and closing ceremonies, a national representatives' meeting, four official sessions, seven cooperation sessions, promotional exhibitions, and field tours. These programs presented an expanded fisheries village policy model that brought together national, regional, international organizations, and local communities.
At the national representatives' meeting on the first day, attended by 22 countries, the implementation results of the seven key sustainable visions shared by fisheries villages worldwide were introduced. The main agendas identified as priorities for discussion at the 2026 World Fisheries Village Conference included: responding to climate change, strengthening fisheries resource management across regions, digital transformation, and addressing population decline.
The official sessions held on the second and third days, for the first time, adopted an open platform approach. Each session was hosted by a different organization: Korea Fisheries Resources Agency (fisheries resources), Korea Maritime Institute (youth and women), Korea Island Promotion Agency (climate change), and the World Bank (international cooperation and solidarity). In addition, cooperation sessions were operated by organizations such as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) and the Presidential Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries, and Rural Policy, thereby broadening the scope of international cooperation.
The total distance traveled by all participating countries during this year’s conference amounted to 258,172 kilometers, which is equivalent to circling the Earth about six times. KMI explained that this figure "symbolically demonstrates the strong commitment of fisheries villages worldwide to cooperate for a sustainable future, with the ocean as a common link."
Cho Jeonghee, President of the Korea Maritime Institute, evaluated this conference as a meaningful occasion for collectively addressing the challenges faced by fisheries villages worldwide and exploring sustainable future directions. She emphasized that the World Fisheries Village Conference will continue to serve as a solid platform for cooperation and exchange among international fisheries village communities.
Concluding the four-day event, she added, "Starting next year, the World Fisheries Village Conference will travel around the world as a 'glocal fisheries village platform,' enabling fisheries villages in each country to share their wisdom and experiences."
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