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News blog — Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements

Beatrice Gorez

It’s a long way to mutual understanding: European and African stakeholders find common ground on fishing joint ventures

It’s a long way to mutual understanding: European and African stakeholders find common ground on fishing joint ventures

The EU Long Distance Advisory Council (LDAC) and CFFA have published the report of the seminar on European fishing investments in third countries they jointly organized last May in Berlin, in the headquarters of the NGO Bread For the World.

The European Transport Federation (ETF) examines the new social clause in European fisheries agreements

The European Transport Federation (ETF) examines the new social clause in European fisheries agreements

At a conference on working conditions for non-European fishers on board EU vessels, participants raised the need to bring more transparency and better supervising for the practices of fishing agents.

8th OACPS Ministerial meeting declaration: "SSF are the mainstay of OACPS' fisheries sector with enduring roots in traditions and values"

8th OACPS Ministerial meeting declaration: "SSF are the mainstay of OACPS' fisheries sector with enduring roots in traditions and values"

The declaration touches upon most fisheries’ hot topics: the fight against IUU fishing, good governance, transparency, fisheries subsidies, among others. On most of these topics, emphasis is put by the Ministers on small scale fisheries.

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.

Liberian artisanal fishers oppose further unravelling of their fishing zone to let trawlers in

Liberian artisanal fishers oppose further unravelling of their fishing zone to let trawlers in

In April 2024, the Liberian National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) invited several fisheries stakeholders to validate a draft fisheries management plan for a multi-species deep-water shrimp fishery, which are very vulnerable and already over-exploited. LAFA deplores the absence of an appropriate stakeholder engagement during the development of the plan.

Publication of the list of vessels authorised to fish in Senegal: "The fight for transparency in fisheries is only beginning"

Publication of the list of vessels authorised to fish in Senegal: "The fight for transparency in fisheries is only beginning"

In an effort to promote transparency and fight overfishing, the new Minister of Fisheries, Dr Fatou Diouf, has announced the publication of a list of the vessels authorised to fish in Senegal. The African Confederation of Artisanal Fishing Organisations (CAOPA) comments on this.

Women in fisheries at the forefront of African and European fisheries stakeholders’ dialogue

Women in fisheries at the forefront of African and European fisheries stakeholders’ dialogue

Organisations representing European and African fisheries stakeholders sent a joint advice to both the African Union and the European Union, looking at how EU policies, in particular SFPAs, could be better used to promote women’s activities in the African fisheries sector.

Artisanal fisheries in the spotlight at the first FAO Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management

Artisanal fisheries in the spotlight at the first FAO Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management

Back in 2022, African artisanal fishers asked that the implementation of the FAO guidelines on sustainable small scale fisheries be a standing item in the agenda of the new Sub-Committee and insisted it was essential to allow artisanal fisheries organisations to participate actively to its discussions.

The message from African artisanal fishers to the FAO: "Sardinella should be reserved for small-scale fishers, for human consumption, not for fishmeal"

The message from African artisanal fishers to the FAO: "Sardinella should be reserved for small-scale fishers, for human consumption, not for fishmeal"

The FAO organised a workshop in Accra (Ghana) from 5 to 7 December on the theme: "Optimising food and nutritional security and the benefits of small pelagic species production in sub-Saharan Africa". In a joint presentation, CAOPA and CFFA warned of the impact of the decline in sardinella in West Africa on fishers, women fish processors and consumers.

African countries to develop guidelines for the negotiation of fair and transparent fisheries agreements

African countries to develop guidelines for the negotiation of fair and transparent fisheries agreements

At a COMHAFAT workshop held in Abidjan end of October, several regional and pan-African institutions and stakeholders discussed issues of transparency and economic spin-offs of current agreements.

Senegalese small-scale fishers denounce the granting of new fishing licences

Senegalese small-scale fishers denounce the granting of new fishing licences

Despite the West African country’s commitments, transparency is still a long way off. The advisory committee for the allocation of fishing licences (CCALP) should be more than consultative, and should be able to decide who is authorised to fish Senegal's blue gold.

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

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

Cacophony over Cameroon - EU sanctions the country for IUU whilst supporting a value chain involved in IUU

Cacophony over Cameroon - EU sanctions the country for IUU whilst supporting a value chain involved in IUU

Industrial fishing operations in Cameroon’s waters are dominated by trawlers of foreign origin in joint ventures with local entrepreneurs where 83% of these vessels have been found to be connected to entities in China. These trawlers are allowed to exploit fish stocks beyond 3 nautical miles of the coastline, including the highly prized shrimps.

The number of deaths of African artisanal fishers is devastatingly high, says new research

The number of deaths of African artisanal fishers is devastatingly high, says new research

The FISH Safety Foundation recently published a report ‘Triggering Death, Quantifying the true human cost of global fishing’, which estimates that more than 100,000 persons involved in fishing are killed every year, a number four times higher than the fatalities estimated by ILO.

When people are starving, footage of fresh fish used for fishmeal is disturbing

When people are starving, footage of fresh fish used for fishmeal is disturbing

In Mauritania, artisanal fisheries organisations and civil society are frustrated by their government's passivity regarding the use of overfished sardinella and other small pelagic fish fit for consumption by meal factories.

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.