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The 78th Annual Meeting of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) will take place in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, from 27–31 October 2025, bringing together scientists, fishers, policymakers, and international organizations to advance collaborative ocean solutions. The event, co-sponsored by IOC-UNESCO's Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (IOCARIBE) and the UNDP/GEF/UNOPS PROCARIBE+ Project, is an endorsed activity of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Under the theme “Partnering for the Oceans: Merging Ocean, Climate, and Biodiversity Efforts Through Regional Marine Data and Innovation”, GCFI78 will provide a key platform to discuss sustainable fisheries, ocean observation, biodiversity conservation, blue economy, and marine governance in the Wider Caribbean and adjacent regions.
The event will feature participants from over 40 countries and territories, with a keynote address by Alison Clausen, Deputy Global Coordinator of the UN Ocean Decade at IOC-UNESCO, entitled “Ocean Knowledge for Action in the Caribbean – Looking Forward to the Next Five Years of the Ocean Decade”. (Check the Agenda here)
Throughout the week, the program will include technical sessions, thematic panels, and special events such as the Fisher Forum, the CineFish Film Festival, and the First Regional Partnership Forum “Our Sea – Our Source – Our Future”, highlighting cooperation among governments, academia, and coastal communities.
The main venue will be the historic Hotel Caribe, located in Cartagena’s touristic Bocagrande district, combining colonial heritage with modern facilities. Participants will have access to both in-person and virtual sessions through the Whova app, which enables networking, live interpretation, and digital interaction.
GCFI78 reaffirms a shared regional and global commitment to the sustainable management of marine resources, knowledge co-creation, and ocean governance, in alignment with the vision of the UN Ocean Decade.
For registration and details, visit the official conference website.
Learn more about PROCARIBE+ and IOCARIBE – IOC-UNESCO.
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