In an official ceremony that took place in the Big Apple, New York City, on 19 September, the Prince of Wales took to the stage to announce that ABALOBI, a South African organisation has secured a position as a finalist in the prestigious Earthshot Prize under the category Revive Our Oceans for 2023.

Over 1100 nominations were put forward and ABALOBI stood out from the rest.

“It is an incredible honour to be named a finalist for the 2023 Earthshot Prize,” says Dr Serge Raemaekers, Founder and Director at ABALOBI.

The Earthshot Prize 

The awards, established in 2020 by Prince William, aim to recognise champions of innovation who are focused on providing tangible solutions to the most pressing global climate challenges. Not only do the awards recognise changemakers and organisations pioneering a difference in climate change, they aim to help scale these organisations with the ultimate prize of £1 million.

In addition to standing in the running to secure the prize money, the 15 finalists selected will receive mentorship, resources and technical support from The Earthshot Prize Fellowship Program, a year-long programme that aims to accelerate the growth of their impactful solutions.

Split into various categories, the awards up for grabs include pioneers of Protect & Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build A Waste-free World and Fix Our Climate. These form the five key pillars of the prestigious awards and are key areas which must be addressed to help the environment. The winners are selected by a panel of distinguished individuals with in-depth knowledge of science, conservation, innovation, investment, economics, politics and activism.

ABALOBI 

Founded in 2018, ABALOBI, aptly named after the isiXhosa term for fisher, is a company that offers fully traceable fish and seafood from small-scale fishermen and women in South Africa.

 ABALOBI works with small fishing communities to record their catch data. This system ensures that from ocean to line and finally plate, ABALOBI upholds its principles of social, economic and ecological sustainability.

“Consideration for such a prestigious award affirms for the small-scale fishers leading our programme that their efforts to protect their lifeblood – the ocean – are seen, are supported and are anything but small. We believe it is possible to innovate solutions that protect ocean life and livelihoods, by driving inclusive ocean conservation and rebuilding initiatives that start with conversation and collective action,” says Raemaekers.

ABALOBI employs a community-supported fishery model that has gained widespread recognition local from chefs and consumers as it aims to uplift and increase food security in impoverished coastal communities.

“Small-scale fisheries account for 40% of the global catch, support 492 million livelihoods and provide food and nutritional security to billions of people. At ABALOBI, we believe in taking a holistic approach to sustainability. We partner with fishers and communities to enhance their ability to manage their resources in a way that benefits people and the planet. Our participatory fisheries rebuilding strategies consider coastal communities as instrumental in the fight to preserve ocean health. By co-designing catch data and traceability technology in partnership with communities, we enable fishers to stimulate sustainable livelihoods, develop fair and responsible market structures, and gather and leverage data to prioritise ecological resilience and advance fisheries regeneration,” explains Raemaekers

ABABLOBI will go head-to-head for the winning prize with three other finalists at the awards ceremony on 7 November in Singapore. The winners will be selected by Prince William and the prestigious Earthshot Prize Council, a global body of activists, experts, and influencers championing urgent and innovative action to protect the climate and our natural environment.

ABALOBI is currently sponsor of the Eat Out Art of Food boutique events, hower this article is not paid for.