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.
On the 22nd of November 2012, MEPs supported an initiative on small-scale and coastal fishing tabled by MEP João Ferreira, member of the PECH Committee. According to this resolution, small-scale fisheries are in a critical situation because the resource crisis has a greater impact on these small-sized businesses, which currently represent about three quarters of the EU fishing fleet (65 000 boats). A recent European Parliament study showed that small-scale fleets create about 55 % of all jobs on board fishing vessels, while producing just 27 % of the total value of the landings. Employment has declined by 10 to 30 % between 2000 and 2010. The Parliament asks for a fisheries policy that takes account of the specific characteristics of the small-scale fleets. This includes relative high job creation, and mostly fishing with passive gear. The few female workers in fisheries are generally employed in the small-scale segment. In its resolution the Parliaments asks for specific measures for preferential access to fish resources, fleet management, public aid, and market measures.
In its proposals for the CFP reform, the Commission confirms the importance of the small-scale fisheries in Europe. They are likely to benefit the most from a reformed fisheries policy based on a clear and time-bound obligation to manage stocks at MSY levels and to eliminate discards. The reform package contains an increased the number of measures that are specifically useful for small-scale fisheries, in particular access to funding under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Small-scale vessels can also expect a higher aid intensity (75 % instead of 50 %) under the EMFF. As for the financial allocation of funds to Member States, the share of small-scale fleets in the wider national fleet is an important parameter for increasing the financial allocation. The European Parliament’s resolution will further boost the profile of small-scale fisheries during the next debates on the CFP reform.
Sources:
Press release : http://ec.europa.eu/information_soc...
Study on the subject by the EU Parliament : http://www.europarl.europa.eu/commi...
CFFA welcomes the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) declaration on the Common Fisheries Policy reform and its impact on ACP countries, adopted in Horstens (Denmark), on May 30th 2012. The declaration rightly puts the emphasis on the need to put good governance at the heart of the ACP-EU Fisheries relations.
In her letter dated February 15 2011, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki thanks the members of the OCEAN2012 coalition for their position on eliminating discards by EU fishing activities in EU and third country waters.
Fishing outside EU waters by EU vessels should be firmly anchored in the 2012 revision of the Common Fisheries Policy. This is to ensure consistency and clarity on the standards of behaviour for EU vessels wherever they fish.
Check out WWF’s recommendations to improve the rules that apply to EU activities, to ensure sustainable fisheries abroad.
The EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is currently undergoing a reform process with changes due in 2012. The consultation process for the reform began with the publication of a Green Paper in 2009 and invited a range of stakeholders to provide contributions. The Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) commissioned this study to consider the main issues for reform of the ‘external dimension’ of the CFP.
Intervention by Brian O’Riordan, on behalf of ICSF/CFFA at Working Group 2 Aquaculture 3 June 2010 - Aquaculture and the CFP Workshop
The issue of why aquaculture in Europe is stagnant, whilst globally it is considered to be the fasted growing (animal) food-producing sector, needs some analysis. Our discussions have provided some insights and highlighted some issues; I would like to add a couple of observations.
1. Perhaps the model of aquaculture we are promoting in Europe is wrong. Most of aquaculture production is accounted for by Asian countries (many of them in tropical regions), dominated by China, and aquaculture has experienced the fastest growth rates in recent years in tropical African and Caribbean countries. Most production comes from inland waters, of fin fish that are mainly herbivorous, omnivorous, plankton feeders, often cultured in “polyculture” systems, that are low tech, non-intensive, and with relatively low inputs.
Yet in Europe, the focus has been on carnivorous fin fish, and on intensive, high input, fishmeal dependent systems. So too our temperate ecosystems are quite different to the tropical ecosystems where aquaculture is “booming”.
2. If aquaculture is to become an integral part of the CFP, or a basic pillar, then perhaps we should also consider adopting a “differentiated approach” to small-scale, artisanal, family run, community activities based that play an important social role on the one hand, and large scale, capital intensive systems on the other. The former, as highlighted by Sra. Portabales, are often family run SMEs, that have particular problems in accessing credit and grants. Whilst on he other, as highlighted by Mr Flynn, the capital intensive models provide the economic engines for boosting economic activities… but often with significant social and environmental costs.
In this regard, I would like to draw attention to the Ocean2012 contribution to the Green Paper consultation on CFP Reform, which highlights that
“A key reason for this contrasting state of affairs (stagnation vs growth) may be that a significant proportion of EU aquaculture production is aimed at wealth creation first, and food production second. Prominence has also been given to the production of carnivorous species, highly dependent on large scale, intensive, high-tech production systems, which are highly vulnerable to parasite and disease infestations. We feel therefore that the new European aquaculture strategy again places too much emphasis on the intensive farming for carnivorous species, at the expense of other forms of more traditional aquaculture.”
And proposes that:
“the EU should consider the potential for developing other types of aquaculture. For example, traditional systems of freshwater and marine fish and shellfish farming have been developed throughout Europe over the last centuries. Pond farming operations assist the maintenance of wetland areas and live bivalve molluscs help combat eutrophication and maintain a good sanitary quality of coastal and estuarine areas.”
And:
“To require closed containment for industrial aquaculture for carnivorous species in order to minimise impacts on the marine ecosystem. Closed containment, which prevents the transmission of diseases and parasites, could offer some solutions to the many environmental problems caused by such aquaculture.”
3. Explore synergies between Artisanal Coastal Fishing and Small-Scale Artisanal Aquaculture.
Shellfish farming and other small-scale family based marine fish farming shares much in common with artisanal coastal fishing, particularly from a social and economic perspective.
In the same way, industrial aquaculture production shares much in common with other high input, high turn over food production enterprises.
A different approach is therefore required for small-scale, artisanal family based operations on the one hand, and large scale, capital-intensive operations on the other.
Incorporating aquaculture into the CFP requires some consideration of these issues.
On May 25th, CFFA joined the Pure Salmon campaign which lobbies to raise the standards of farmed raised fish.
The Pure Salmon campaign calls on the global salmon farming industry to: 1. Adopt farming methods that eliminate disease transfer and salmon escapes; 2. Eliminate the use of antibiotics, biocides, and harmful chemicals in salmon farming; 3. Guarantee salmon farm waste is not discharged directly into the environment; 4. Stop the current depletion of wild fish stocks caused by the 3:1 ratio of slaughtered fish to salmon growth. 5. Prohibit the use of genetically engineered fish, feed, and other genetic modification; 6. Guarantee that salmon farming does not harm other wildlife; 7. Respect the views of coastal communities and other stakeholders in locating farms; and 8. Adopt and implement ethical business practices, including safe, healthy work environments and fair compensation.
Assembled in Nouakchott (Mauritania) from 9 to 11 November 2009 for a workshop, organised by the Mauritanian National Fisheries Federation – artisanal section (FNP), the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) and the Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA), on ‘Improving governance in the European Union - West African countries fisheries relations’, the West African artisanal fisheries’ organisations representatives wish to make the following contribution to the European Union consultation on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, in particular the reform of its external policy:
About the objectives of the future European external fisheries policy, particularly the future fisheries partnerships between the European Union and West African countries:
The objective of future EU external fisheries policy should be the promotion of responsible fisheries, in line with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries recommendations; partnerships should be integrated in the West African countries poverty reductions strategies.
The future partnerships between West African countries and the European Union must establish a framework for good governance that allows for the transparent and participative design and implementation of national and regional actions and projects, that benefit the coastal communities fishing activities (research, control and surveillance, on-shore infrastructures, etc.) as well as their living and working conditions (health, education programmes, training – in particular for women).
Through such good governance framework, the West African countries and the European Union should collaborate in order to promote the implementation of international and regional commitments in the countries national legislations, in particular the action plans based on the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (Action Plan for the management of fishing capacity, Action Plan against IUU fishing, etc).
In the future partnerships, it is indispensible to delink aspects to do with the promotion of sustainable fisheries, including the mobilisation of the necessary funds, from aspects to do with the access conditions applying to the European fleets.
The following aspects must be addressed in the good governance framework:
The conditions applying to the fleets of European origin must respect the following conditions, based on the development of responsible West African fisheries:
The limits for the exploitation of the resources and for the fishing capacity must be based on scientific advice and recommendations.
All fish resources that can be caught in a sustainable way by the artisanal fisheries sector must be reserved for this sector, given its importance for direct and indirect job creation, for food security on a national and regional level, and for export revenue.
Access to other stocks must be limited, so that overcapacity does not develop, and must be conditioned in particular to the obligation to land all catches locally, and to the use of non-destructive and selective gears. The allocation of fishing possibilities must take into consideration the risks in connection with by-catches, especially of stocks that are caught by artisanal fishers.
Investments to improve infrastructures for landing and processing catches must be of the utmost priority – the local landing of all catches made within the EEZ will not only create employment and economic activity, but it will also allow better control of what is being caught.
Investments are also needed in technologies that will enable to increase the value of the catches (especially the improvement of sanitary conditions and traceability in order to access international as well as regional and local markets). Support projects, including at a regional level, should be implemented in a localised manner. On this point, we want to point out that the SFP project of the European Union, which was managed in a centralised manner, did not give any tangible results for West African artisanal fisheries; hence, it would be advisable to evaluate it and draw the consequences for all future support programmes aimed at adapting artisanal fisheries to the standards.
Partnerships for sustainable artisanal fisheries, between artisanal fisheries operators from West Africa and Europe, should be promoted, in particular with the objective of adding value to our products.
Finally, investments are needed for the training of our fishers and literacy programmes for fishing communities, with a special attention to the women active in the sector.
A permanent participatory mechanism must be put in place in order to ensure that people active in the artisanal fisheries sector and civil society are properly informed and participate in the entire process of the partnership design and implementation. In this respect, provision should be made to support the establishment (or the revitalisation) of fisheries consultative committees, consisting of artisanal fisheries sector representatives, as well as civil society organisations that have an interest in sustainable fisheries.
It is of paramount importance to raise awareness with governments in the sub- region, as well as with regional institutions (in particular the SRFC), about the importance of the sector’s participation in the partnership.
The artisanal fisheries sector stakeholders need urgently to be involved in the implementation of the European Union regulation to combat IUU fishing, in order to assess whether the flexibility measures introduced for the artisanal fisheries sector is sufficient to accommodate the characteristics of West African artisanal fisheries.
The organisational process of the artisanal fisheries sectors must be supported, as it is an indispensable element for an active participation. In this context, particular attention must be given to giving specific support for the participation of women from the sector in the decision-making process.
All the information needed to evaluate partnerships must be made available to the countries of the sub-region, so that the economic, social and ecological costs and benefits can be taken into account.
These evaluations, as well as the existing evaluations of the partnership agreements made by the European Union, must be made available to the representatives of the sector and the civil society, so that a broad debate can be opened on the contents of the partnerships.
The fisheries sector must be covered by the initiative for transparency in the exploitation of natural resources (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative - EITI) – support must be given to develop transparency indicators that are suitable for fisheries, and that will allow the sector and civil society to specify their demands in this respect.
Certain areas have already been identified where it is necessary to have greater transparency: the issuing of fishing licences, the price offered to producers, the market price, and public aid.
Transparency is also achieved thanks to the media – they raise public awareness about the sector’s concerns. Also, journalists from networks like REJOPRAO, which works together with the artisanal fisheries sector, help members of sector organisations to become better informed and thus facilitate their participation in decision-making. Partnerships must support this dynamic cooperation between the sector and the media.
A regional approach should be adopted, at least for the management of shared stocks (tuna, small pelagics). In this respect, a first step is to harmonise minimum access conditions, especially applicable to foreign vessels, for the access to shared stocks.
The partners involved should press for the establishment of a sub-committee for artisanal fisheries to the FAO Committee for Fisheries. This proposal was already made at the COFI meeting in 2009, but it needs to obtain stronger support.
We demand that artisanal fisheries sector representatives be included in the Sub-regional Fisheries Commission.
The partnerships must promote the development of intra-regional and national fish trade, and must not provoke market distortions which would be harmful to artisanal fishers.
We reiterate that the artisanal fisheries sector have urged, since 2006, for the ratification of the TIR Convention (international road transport) so that our products can circulate more freely; we suggest that efforts to ratify should be reinforced through the partnerships.
The suspension of cooperation and fisheries agreements for political reasons that are not linked to fisheries has a negative effect on the most vulnerable groups in society, especially the artisanal fishing communities. In those cases, commitments taken should be fulfilled, particularly concerning control and surveillance.
We ask this declaration to be transmitted to the European institutions – the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission – and to the authorities of the countries in the sub-region, the regional fisheries organisations, especially the SRFC, as well as to the non-governmental organisations that are involved in the sector at the sub-regional level.
Done in Nouakchott on the 11th of November 2009
Artisanal fisheries sector organisations signatories (by alphabetical order)
Conseil National Inter-professionnel de la Pêche artisanale du Sénégal (CONIPAS) – Sénégal
Fédération Nationale de Pêche de Mauritanie (FNP) – section artisanale - Mauritania
Fédération Nationale des Coopératives de Pêche artisanale de Côte d’Ivoire (FENACOPECI) – Ivory Coast
Gambia Artisanal Fisheries Development Agency , GAMFIDA - Gambia
Réseau des Organisations professionnelles de pêche artisanale de Guinée Bissau (ROPA) – Guinea Bissau
Organisation de la Pêche artisanale du Cap Vert – Cape Verde
Union Nationale des Femmes fumeuses de Poisson de Guinée (UNFFPG) –Guinea
Union nationale des Pêcheurs artisans de Guinée (UNPAG) – Guinea
Read the declaration here
CFFA has signed the A Coruña Declaration. By signing it, CFFA shows its support to the various artisanal fishing associations and NGOs from seven European countries gathered in Galicia (Spain) during the official Stakeholders Conference on the reform of the CFP held by the European Commission and the Spanish Presidency in A Coruña, May 2nd and 3rd.
This Declaration calls for sustainable artisanal coastal fisheries to be put at the heart of the CFP reform. Full version of the document and list of sigantories is avaible on the Coalition OCEAN2012 website.
This contribution is on behalf of the following organisations: WWF – BirdLife International – Greenpeace International – Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA) – International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) –– Oceana –North Sea Foundation ––the Fisheries Secretariat – European Bureau for Conservation & Development (EBCD).
After the release of its proposal to reduce bycatches and eliminate discards in EU fisheries1, the European Commission is consulting stakeholders on their views. This is a joint NGO contribution to that consultation.
The Commission Communication and the extensive consultation process are welcome. The widespread problem of unwanted catches and subsequent discards is a continuous obstacle to sustainable fisheries in the European Union, as well as globally. Tackling it should be a priority issue in the EU, as overall discarding levels in European fisheries overall are higher than elsewhere. The situation is particularly serious in the Northeast Atlantic area, with discards estimated at 1,332,000 tonnes – 19.6 % of global discards in order to take up 11 % of global landings2, and with some fisheries discarding up to 90% of their catch.
Previous initiatives to tackle this issue, although in some cases reducing bycatches and/or discards, have not gone to the heart of the problem. Therefore, the development and environment NGOs support the Commission for taking the initiative to try and eliminate these wasteful practices. We also strongly advocate that the Commission addresses the issue of discarding by EU fleets active in distant waters as a matter of urgency.
What the Commission is proposing, in a move towards a discard ban with supporting measures such as bycatch quotas and more selective gear, is a significant change in the way European fisheries operate. With effective enforcement (including observer coverage), this could be a major step towards more sustainable European fisheries.
More information:
