Hackers take over FAO headquarters


Agency hosts “fishackathon” aimed at developing tech solutions to sustainable fisheries challenges
A group of Italian and international hackers weekend  occupied  FAO's Rome headquarters  as part of a US government-sponsored "Fishackathon" aimed at cooking up high-tech solutions to problems that have long plagued fishing communities around the globe.
Working in teams in a marathon hacking session, the group of around 30 coders, technology students, developers and designers will be asked to harness FAO data to develop creative mobile applications, systems, and tools to help tackle key challenges facing sustainable fisheries.
These range from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, to overfishing and degradation of fishing grounds, to post harvest losses of catches.
Teams of 2-8 people  joined  forces to brainstorm solutions that respond to one of nine fisheries-related problem statements to be provided at the start of the event at 14:00 CEST today. On Sunday, FAO experts will judge the submissions and one team will be chosen as the winner.
Now in its third year, Fishackathon was first launched in 2014 by US Secretary of State John Kerry at the Our Oceans conference. Fishackathon events are taking place in 40 cities around the globe. The winners of each, including this weekend's Italian edition, will move forward into a global contest whose final outcome will be announced by the US government June 8, World Oceans Day.
Last year's Fishackathon winners included a game to teach children about sustainable fishing, an app to help consumers find and eat sustainable seafood, and a reporting tool for marine mammal protection.
Speaking ahead of the event, Árni M. Mathiesen, Assistant Director-General of FAO's Fisheries and Aquaculture Department said: "These technology specialists will be lending their expertise to a sector with enormous potential for rural development in developing countries. Approximately one in ten people globally rely on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods".
In a world where mobile phones are ubiquitous and investment in new technology can be costly, especially in developing countries, initiatives like Fishackathon can help narrow the digital gap through applications designed to be used by fishers around the world, he added.

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