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

Men and women working in small-scale fisheries across the globe face the same challenge of being recognized and included in decision-making. Meanwhile, they are increasingly facing competition for space and resources, as other industries are being promoted under the guise of Blue Economy.

After several decades of struggle, small-scale fisheries (SSF) have managed to obtain a broad recognition for the role they play in food security, livelihoods, economies, culture and well-being. This comes after the UN General Assembly declared 2022 the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture and culminated at the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), where many members acknowledged and underscored the importance of artisanal fisheries and supported the idea that an “SSF Summit” would be organized every two years prior to COFI. In the words of a long-term observer of COFI, “never has there been such enthusiasm for small-scale fisheries”.

The Call to Action: an urgent need to pursue the dialogue on the implementation of SSF Guidelines

Since the beginning of 2022, small-scale fisheries organisations from Africa and the Pacific, from Latin America, Europe and Asia, joined forces and issued a Call to Action towards their governments.

Fishers have 5 key demands, namely, that governments (1) urgently secure access and co-manage 100% of coastal areas, (2) guarantee the participation of women in fisheries and support their role in innovation, (3) protect SSF from competing blue economy sectors, (4) are transparent and accountable in fisheries management, and finally (5) build resilient communities to face climate change and offer prospects to youth. These demands are inspired by the Voluntary Guidelines to Secure Small-Scale Fisheries (VGSSF). Signatories of the call to action asking their governments to put these proposals into actions through participatory, transparent, gender sensitive action plans to be implemented by 2030.

While only a few of the Call to Action signatories could travel to the Committee on Fisheries in Rome due to complications obtaining visas, securing flights and accommodation, they nevertheless continued to make waves. Here is a summary of their interventions as observers in the COFI sessions:

Item #6 of COFI Agenda: Supporting Small-scale Fisheries

5 priorities for COFI members by 2030

Mr. Felicito Núñez, leader of the Garifuna fishing community in Honduras, on behalf of the men and women in small-scale fisheries from 6 continents, called COFI members to implement the 5 priority actions of their Call to Action by 2030. Click on the photo to read the full intervention in 3 languages.

improving women’s working conditions

Ms. Micheline Dion, president of Côte d'Ivoire women fish processors cooperative and in charge of CAOPA women's programme highlighted specific actions that COFI members can take to improve the living and working conditions of women in small-scale fisheries.

The call to action standing out

Both the UN Special Envoy for the Ocean, Mr. Peter Thomson, and the representative of the EU, Mr. Raphaël Goulet, noted the Call to Action from Small-scale Fisheries that was launched at the UN Ocean Conference. The later highlighted the need to strengthen women’s participation and reinforce the fishing communities’ resilience to climate change.

Item #7: Combatting IUU fishing

artisanal fisher’s contribution to fight IUU

Mr. Gaoussou Gueye, president of CAOPA, called for inshore exclusion zones free from industrial vessels where artisanal fishers can contribute to fight Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) through participatory surveillance. He also called on countries to establish a register of beneficial owners so that those who profits from IUU fishing can be identified.

Item #8: Proposal for the establishment of the Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management (SCFM)

fishers should be more than observers

CAOPA supported this proposal, emphasizing that the implementation of SSF Guidelines should be a standing item on the agenda and that SSF organisations participate actively -not only as observers intervening at the end- in the discussions of the SCFM.

a forum to discuss the implementation of the ssf guidelines

During the SSF session (Item 6), the EU had also insisted that Small-scale fishing issues require more attention and discussion and suggested that the SCFM could be useful for this purpose.

Item #9: Addressing climate change in fisheries and aquaculture

On the Forefront of the impacts

Ms. Micheline Dion, spoke on behalf of the signatories of the Call to Action: "We are already seeing the disappearance of coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves, and warming waters are causing our fish to migrate to colder waters; We are also facing extreme weather conditions that put our lives at risk, and sea level rise and coastal erosion that are eating away at the land where we live and work.” Click on the image for the full intervention.

a future for youth in fisheries

Mr. Felicito Núñez pleaded for youth in fisheries, saying that climate change and its impacts, such as extreme weather causing loss of life at sea and the reduction of fish catches, is making the sector less attractive to youth and jeopardizing small-scale fishing communities’ future.

Item #10: Integrating Biodiversity into Fisheries and Aquaculture

Free, prior and informed consent for local communities

Mr. Felicito Núñez, leader in the Garifuna fishing community in Honduras, spoke on behalf of signatories of the Call to Action and of the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers: “30x30 is only possible if our human rights are ensured by law. Conservation must take place with our Free, Prior and Informed Consent, with respect for our forms of traditional governance".

co-management, co-management, co-management

Mr. Gaoussou Gueye, president of CAOPA, continued and pleaded for comanagement: "We claim our rights, but we are also ready to take our responsibilities for the concerted management of coastal areas, whether it be biological rest, or the fight against IUU fishing via participatory surveillance".

Item #12: "Decisions and Recommendations of the COFI Sub-Committee on Aquaculture”

really sustainable aquaculture

CAOPA expressed its concern regarding FAO’s commitment to “instensify and expand" aquaculture: "The model of intensive aquaculture is for carnivorous species which rely on fishmeal and fishoil, produced in West Africa from overexploited resources, in direct competition with small-scale fisheries".

Banner photo: Due to Covid-19 restrictions, most of the observers had to sit in a separate room and follow the discussion on zoom, although delegates were allowed to enter the plenary room. On this picture, Mr. Gaoussou Gueye, president of CAOPA (Senegal), Mr. Felicito Núñez, leader of Garifuna fishing community in Honduras, and Ms. Micheline Dion, president of the union of women fish processors cooperatives of Côte d’Ivoire, representatives of the signatories of the Call to Action, standing in front of the FAO members flags in the observers room.

---