A joint environmental and developmental NGO position on a policy to reduce unwanted by-catches and eliminate discard in European Fisheries

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:

• A joint environmental and developmental NGO position on the reduction of by-catches

• Joint NGO position: Issues for EU fishing activities in third countries waters

West African Media and Artisanal Fishing Professionals: Raising awareness about sustainable fisheries issues

In the recent years, West African artisanal fishing organizations, CONIPAS (Senegal), FNP – section artisanale (Mauritania) and UNPAG (Guinea) recognised that, in their communities, there is insufficient access to information relating to responsible fisheries. In the same way, scientists, decision makers and public opinion, do not take sufficient account of the views of artisanal fishing professionals, whether on social, economic, cultural issues, or on our relation with the natural environment.

Facilitating access to information is crucial for the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries by members of professional organizations, their families and the overall coastal community. It is also important to valorise, through improving information flows, traditional knowledge, and innovations proposed by artisanal professional in a perspective of responsible fishing.

Medias, radio in particular, - as it is widely listened to by fishing professional, even those who are not able to read-, but also newspapers and television, can play a bigger role to improve community access to information. But information must be presented in an appropriate format, so as to be of interest and accessible for all people from the community.

That’s the reason why these artisanal professional organizations decided to organize a regional meeting between media and fishing professionals, to explore how responsible fisheries issues can be better publicized in coastal communities, and how communities’ point of views and experiences for promoting sustainable fisheries can be better known and recognised, with media help. Given such support, coastal communities may get a better say in the decision making process.

The organisers are convinced that information appropriately tailored to the needs of coastal communities, and their participation in the creation of information is a necessary ingredient for the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. This is because fishing professionals are not only resource users but are also amongst the managers of these resources.

West African Media and Artisanal Fishing Professionals

RECOMMENDATIONS

Mauritania – European Union: Fisheries Agreement on the political menu

The Mauritania-EU fisheries partnership agreement proposal, initialed end of July by the Mauritanian authorities and the European Commission, will be on the menu when the European Parliament reconvenes on August 28th . It will also be on the table of the next EU Fisheries Ministers Council.

The EU Parliament and Council will have to agree on the content of an agreement described as the most important both in terms of the access provided to EU fleets – about 200 boats are concerned-, and levels of financial compensation, - Mauritania is to receive 86 millions euros/year.

To mark the occasion, Pêchecops (Pour une Pêche Ecologique génératrice de progrès social - Mauritania) and CFFA (Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements – EU) have published an analysis of the issues arising from this agreement, entitled: Mauritania EU Fisheries Partnership Agreement: What impacts on fisheries sustainable development in Mauritania?

This analysis shows that, for some of Mauritania’s overexploited resources, like the octopus, the EU fleets’ proposed access runs contrary to the principles of sustainable development, as enshrined in the EU fisheries Council conclusions on fisheries partnership agreements. Moreover, a large number of the EU fishing vessels operating under the agreement will use destructive and unselective fishing methods, such as trawls, which are, in the Mauritanian coastal zone, a long term threat to the eco-system.

Pêchecops and CFFA are advocating for a real partnership, where EU fleet access is based only on the available surplus of resources that cannot be caught locally. A real partnership should also include increased participation of stakeholders, particularly artisanal fishing sector and civil society.

Mauritania – European Union: Fisheries Agreement on the political menu