Blue Growth

8th meeting of OACPS Ministers Responsible for Oceans, Inland Waters and Fisheries: artisanal fisheries representatives call for the protection of coastal zones by and for communities

8th meeting of OACPS Ministers Responsible for Oceans, Inland Waters and Fisheries: artisanal fisheries representatives call for the protection of coastal zones by and for communities

In September 2024, the Ministers responsible for Fisheries of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) met in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) to discuss the theme ‘ Accelerating action for sustainable and resilient oceans, fisheries and aquaculture in OECP member countries and regions’.

MEPs discuss international challenges to be addressed by EU fisheries and aquaculture policies

MEPs discuss international challenges to be addressed by EU fisheries and aquaculture policies

A new study presented to the European Parliament Fisheries Committee outlined the strengths and weaknesses of the CFP and other EU policies in addressing current and future challenges in fisheries and aquaculture.

Senegal fishers lodge a complaint against energy companies for failing to exercise due diligence in their GTA project

Senegal fishers lodge a complaint against energy companies for failing to exercise due diligence in their GTA project

A Senegalese civil society organisation, member of the OECD Watch network, supported fishers from Saint Louis in placing a complaint to the UK and US OECD National Contact Points against the multinational enterprises British Petroleum and Kosmos Energy.

UN rapporteur on the Right to Food to governments: “Fishers have the answers to adapt to climate change and you have the tools to uphold their rights”

UN rapporteur on the Right to Food to governments: “Fishers have the answers to adapt to climate change and you have the tools to uphold their rights”

Mr. Michael Fakhri, UN special rapporteur on the right to food presented his latest report on fisheries and the right to food in the context of climate change at the 55th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, putting a special focus on small-scale fisheries.

UNOC 2025: Fishers’ Call to Action raises global attention

UNOC 2025: Fishers’ Call to Action raises global attention

The outcomes from the Civil Society Consultation in preparation of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference recommend more attention to small-scale fisheries (SSF), with an “Ocean Action Panel building on the Call to Action” which was released at UNOC 2 in Lisbon (2022).

Accused of greenwashing and opacity, the French company Olvea replies. Is it convincing?

Accused of greenwashing and opacity, the French company Olvea replies. Is it convincing?

The discussion on Olvea’s role in the exploitation of West Africa small pelagics for fishoil comes as the OECD’s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct have recently been updated and strengthened, to ensure responsible business conduct regarding their impacts across areas such as climate change, biodiversity and supply chain due diligence

Artisanal Fishing Local Councils “CLPA”: the fight to preserve the marine ecosystem

Artisanal Fishing Local Councils “CLPA”: the fight to preserve the marine ecosystem

Since 2010, Senegal has set up CLPAs as a fisheries co-management system. They aim to resolve problems at local level and involve fishers in monitoring, control, and surveillance. However, there is a lack of resources for this system to be implemented effectively. An article by journalist Paule Kadja Traoré.

"The European Union must be credible and demonstrate that EU taxpayer’s money is well spent in support of sustainable fishing”

"The European Union must be credible and demonstrate that EU taxpayer’s money is well spent in support of sustainable fishing”

From 8 different African countries, representatives of coastal fishing communities participated to a seminar on the external dimension of the CFP hosted by the EU Long Distance Fisheries Advisory Council (LDAC) in Sweden and then travelled to Brussels where they exchanged with decision-makers from the Commission and the European Parliament.

Destructive and polluting Deep Sea mining should not get the green light, say fishers

Destructive and polluting Deep Sea mining should not get the green light, say fishers

The clock keeps ticking as the International Seabed Authority negociations for a mining code end without an agreement in Jamaica last March. Small-scale fisheries organisations from Africa and the Pacific ask for the precautionary approach

“Nothing about us without us”: fishers draft rules of conduct for how to work with them to save the oceans

“Nothing about us without us”: fishers draft rules of conduct for how to work with them to save the oceans

To mark the end of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022), small-scale fisheries organisations from 5 continents followed up on their Call to Action (June 2022) and presented these guidelines to their partners and supporters.

"Conservation is not for conservation's sake. Conservation is for us: we need a fair place for communities."

"Conservation is not for conservation's sake. Conservation is for us: we need a fair place for communities."

Driven by a local NGO, which is committed to community development as well as turtle protection, Côte d'Ivoire's first marine protected area (MPA) is an example of how conservation can be achieved while respecting the rights and access of artisanal fishing communities to their traditional fishing grounds.

COFI 35: “Never has there been such enthusiasm for small-scale fisheries”

COFI 35: “Never has there been such enthusiasm for small-scale fisheries”

The 35th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries was a milestone in the history of recognition of the contributions of small-scale fisheries to food security, livelihoods, culture and wellbeing.

Small-scale fishers' "little babel" speaks with one voice at UN oceans conference

Small-scale fishers' "little babel" speaks with one voice at UN oceans conference

Around 20 small-scale fishers, men and women,from 6 continents gathered in Lisbon and jointly called to action” their governments to urgently implement 5 priority actions by 2030.

AU-EU Summit: High-level commitments, but artisanal fishing communities want concrete action

AU-EU Summit: High-level commitments, but artisanal fishing communities want concrete action

Nearly a hundred representatives of artisanal fisheries, CSOs and African and European institutions participated in the CAOPA webinar "How the EU-AU partnership can support sustainable artisanal fisheries? The perspective of civil society organisations".

EU-AU Summit: African fisheries stakeholders speak with one voice

EU-AU Summit: African fisheries stakeholders speak with one voice

With two weeks to go before the summit that will bring together the leaders of the European Union and the African Union in Brussels on 17 and 18 February 2022, the team that has taken over the reins of AFRIFISH - the continental platform that brings together non-state actors in African fisheries - is determined to make itself heard.

Looming clouds in the Gambian coastal skies

Looming clouds in the Gambian coastal skies

In this story by Béatrice Gorez and Dawda Foday Saine and first published in the Yemaya magazine in November, the authors look at the obscuring future of women in fisheries in Gambia as the dense fumes of fishmeal factories are being regurgitated into the environment. Fishmeal factories compete with women for access to small pelagics, and encourage overfishing and illegal fishing.

Blue Economy: MEPs call for a “balance” between new sectors and traditional activities, particularly small-scale fisheries

Blue Economy: MEPs call for a “balance” between new sectors and traditional activities, particularly small-scale fisheries

Discussing the draft of an own-initiative report, the European Parliament PECH committee reminds the European Commission that artisanal fisheries are the most vulnerable and fragile sector of the Blue Economy and insists on the strategic role of aquaculture and fisheries as providers of healthy food and jobs for the future.

CAOPA celebrates World Fisheries Day and commmits to work for sustainable small-scale fisheries

CAOPA celebrates World Fisheries Day and commmits to work for sustainable small-scale fisheries

As part of the launch of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, African artisanal fisheries organisations and their partners met in Saly (Senegal) for a three-day workshop on the issues of access to the resource, governance and sustainability, and the blue economy.

“Finance in Common”: public development banks ignore the communities their investments have an impact on

“Finance in Common”: public development banks ignore the communities their investments have an impact on

The Finance in Common (FiC) summit will be discussing food security and agribusiness, supposedly building on the UN Food Systems Summit, for which civil society already expressed concerns. On this occasion, more than 270 small-scale producers, indigenous peoples and civil society organisations, including CFFA, publish a joint statement.