CAOPA, CFFA and PRCM call for the EU’s High-Representative Josep Borrell support in encouraging the establishment of an operational framework for the sustainable managements of shared stocks in the region
The EU High-representative Josep Borrell has vowed to make the future EU-Africa partnership more “visible and tangible” both for African and European citizens. However, the EU-Africa summit due to happen in October was postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis which means discussions on this future partnership have been adjourned. As the Covid-19 crisis negatively affects the economies and livelihoods of African citizens, the African Confederation of Artisanal Fisheries Organisations (CAOPA), the Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA) and the Regional Partnership for Coastal and Marine Conservation (PRCM) sent a letter to M. Borrell with a proposal on sustainable fisheries so that his commitment is more “concrete and useful for the citizens of both continents.”
For this, they ask him to advocate and make use of his “crucial voice” for the creation of a Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) covering the waters off West Africa, an RFMO which is “absolutely necessary to ensure that fisheries resources are assessed, managed and exploited in a sustainable manner, for the benefit of sustainable artisanal fisheries and local populations.”
For the signatories of the letter, a good and operational organization “would pave the way for the creation of sustainable employment in artisanal fisheries value chains in West Africa” and “enhance the resilience of coastal communities facing various threats such as overexploitation of resources, climate change and the impact of the pandemic.” They highlight the value of artisanal fisheries, key for food security in the region and as a sector that employs up to 11 Million people in Africa.
In this regard, the Ministerial Conference on Fisheries Cooperation among African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean (ATLAFCO/COMHAFAT) has started preliminary work, through a study looking at the modalities for creating an RFMO. However, the signatories state that whereas this is a “good step forward,” this RFMO would need “real political impetus” and the EU involvement to be established.
Read the informal translation of the letter here.
Banner photo: Philippe BUISSIN © European Union 2019 - Source : EP
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